Flow Energy - anyone switched?

ian1969uk

No issues for me. Electricity switch July 10th, gas July 23rd.

Replied within an hour to a request to move the DD date.

Great communication throughout.

devondiver

Just to report that my story is similar to nollbolla's. Applied via uswitch on 30th May to switch electricity from Scottish Power deal ending 30th June.

After reading posts here thought I might get stung for cancellation charge if FE start me too soon so discussed with them and they recommended me to cancel same day and reapply later.

Reapplied 16th June direct to FE and received confirmation email.

19th July emailed FE to ask why I'd heard nothing yet. No answer.

Today called FE and was told they'd lost my application and I'd need to re-apply. Challenged this - put on hold 5 mins - came back and said they had found my details and would reapply for me immediately. Sounds OK but will wait and see.

In the meantime paying full rate to SP. Grrrr.

So the message seems to be - be very careful if you are re-applying as their systems get confused if you have previously cancelled an application. This seems to be a potential problem when on-line switching - and cancellation - is so readily available.

Wywth

devondiver wrote: »

Just to report that my story is similar to nollbolla's. Applied via uswitch on 30th May to switch electricity from Scottish Power deal ending 30th June.

After reading posts here thought I might get stung for cancellation charge if FE start me too soon so discussed with them and they recommended me to cancel same day and reapply later.

Reapplied 16th June direct to FE and received confirmation email.

19th July emailed FE to ask why I'd heard nothing yet. No answer.

Today called FE and was told they'd lost my application and I'd need to re-apply. Challenged this - put on hold 5 mins - came back and said they had found my details and would reapply for me immediately. Sounds OK but will wait and see.

In the meantime paying full rate to SP. Grrrr.

So the message seems to be - be very careful if you are re-applying as their systems get confused if you have previously cancelled an application. This seems to be a potential problem when on-line switching - and cancellation - is so readily available.

It takes a minimum of 3 weeks to switch supplier.

If you were so worried about paying standard rates to SP, then you've only been on standard rates for a maximum of 2 weeks.

As it could also take up to 8 weeks to switch (especially using certain switching sites ), then you may end up being switched earlier than your initial application anyway.

Even if not, a few weeks on a suppliers standard tariff, especially at this time of year when consumption is at its lowest, isn't going to hurt.

Perhaps the morale of your story, especially if you want things done on the double quick, is to avoid email and use the good old fashioned dog & bone, and actually talk to someone

devondiver

Wywth wrote: »

If you were so worried about paying standard rates to SP, then you've only been on standard rates for a maximum of 2 weeks.

- Worried?? Moi?

Wywth wrote: »

As it could also take up to 8 weeks to switch (especially using certain switching sites ), then you may end up being switched earlier than your initial application anyway.

- Que?? (Are you suggesting time travel?)

Wywth wrote: »

Even if not, a few weeks on a suppliers standard tariff, especially at this time of year when consumption is at its lowest, isn't going to hurt.

- Thank you for your concern. Actually SP switched me to ST on 2nd June after I cancelled my DD in response to their unilateral bumping up of said DD based on winter usage. I gave them fair warning that I objected to the principle of providing them with interest-free loans.

Wywth wrote: »

Perhaps the morale of your story, especially if you want things done on the double quick, is to avoid email and use the good old fashioned dog & bone, and actually talk to someone

- Double quick?? I did talk to them - twice. (Read the post.) But it's usually better to have it in writing.

LittleMax

Trying to switch gas to Flow from Npower. They wrote to me 12 June with estimated date to switch of 18 July. Today i have received letter from Npower that they are blocking the switch because I am in debt. I am not in debt, but that is for another lengthy post about Npower. Sorted it over the phone with Npower then immediately phoned Flow to sort out what needed to happen, whether they would resubmit to Npower or not. Got automated message saying they are unable to take any calls at present and invited me to leave my phone number or call back. Hoping it's a case of an evacuation of the building, and not an indication of future service levels.

LittleMax

LittleMax wrote: »

Trying to switch gas to Flow from Npower. They wrote to me 12 June with estimated date to switch of 18 July. Today i have received letter from Npower that they are blocking the switch because I am in debt. I am not in debt, but that is for another lengthy post about Npower. Sorted it over the phone with Npower then immediately phoned Flow to sort out what needed to happen, whether they would resubmit to Npower or not. Got automated message saying they are unable to take any calls at present and invited me to leave my phone number or call back. Hoping it's a case of an evacuation of the building, and not an indication of future service levels.

Flow have not called me back, but I have received a confirmation email that the switch is progressing. I am in a new build, so the pipes are privately owned, they have advised that I will need to use a different IGT email address for corresponding with them. Has anyone else had this and has it caused any problems, I didn't have to do anything different with the old supplier, though I was charged a slightly higher rate. So far Flow haven't mentioned a difference in price.

devondiver

Nothing heard from Flow since my re-application and 'Details of my energy transfer' confirmation email dated 24th July - which told me they would keep in regular contact.

Called them today - to be told that their system had rejected my application (again) apparently because my email address had been tagged as a previous cancellation. System couldn't handle this and needed a different email address.

As an aside - their 16th June confirmation quoted me £1,085pa whereas their 24th July confirmation (supposedly using all the same details from my earlier application) quoted me £1,284pa. Quite a price hike over about 5 weeks! Hope it's just another system error!

Meanwhile still on high rate with Scottish Power. :mad:

devondiver

After having further emails ignored I called them 13th August and received confirmatory email including the words - "As promised, I have raised a complaint on your behalf and my supervisor will get in contact with you within the next 24 hours."

Nothing heard so called again 28th August to be told by the advisor she will look into it and get back. Nothing heard.

Called them today - to be told they CANNOT NOW SWITCH ME. Emailed them telling them I will be raising a complaint and seeking full redress. :mad: :mad: :mad:

What a total shambles this company is!

Licensing_Officer

About 2 months ago, I switched to the Flow Energy 'Themes Tariff'. A 12 month duel fuel tariff fixed until Sept 2014.

I did a bit of research when the news broke about energy price hikes and I could not find their fixed tariff advertised anymore. (strange?).

I happened to need to call Flow Energy and took the opportunity to ask why I could not find the tariff I had just recently signed up to. I was told they had withdrawn their one and only tariff and are not taking anymore customers. The explanation given was that they had reached a predetermined number of customers and did not want to compromise their service level by over burdening their operation. In addition, they are preparing to lunch their revolutionary new boiler system.

Does anyone smell a rat? :exclamati:exclamati

bellandbottle

If you rattle around the forum a bit, you will find that quite a few people have complained about the sign-up process and the time it took (I was one of them). You will also see that a few people "timed out" on the process due a customer limit FE introduced.
So, I don't think there is any thing strange about the deal not being on offer any more, and they are getting ready to launch the boiler.