Moving house soon and can't get new fix?

joolywooly

I have had a 3 year fix with Scottish Power which is due to end on 31 Jan 2014. With the proposed hikes in prices I wanted to secure another fix and was happy to stay with SP (mainly because they would charge me £50 if I changed supplier before current deal ends but nothing if I swap tariffs with them) so I rang them last week to see what they could offer. The telephone adviser suggested 2 suitable tariffs and I was dithering about which to go for when I mentioned that I would be moving house soon (we are due to complete on our house purchase in first week of December.) This stopped the adviser in his tracks as apparently Ofgen (?) regulations prevent any tariff being transferred when you change residence - I will therefore have to see what's available when I move, by which time absolutely every provider will have increased prices. Any suggestions please?

keith1950

When you move house you have to register with the existing supplier at the new address. Once you have registered and given you opening meter readings you are free to arrange a switch as soon as you want.

So you will have to wait until the beginning of December to see what offers are available then.

joolywooly

Yes, that's basically what the SP adviser said. The house I'm moving to is supplied by British Gas so it looks like I'm scuppered then as by the time I move all current cheaper fixes will not be available. Seems very unfair really...!

Perelandra

joolywooly wrote: »

This stopped the adviser in his tracks as apparently Ofgen (?) regulations prevent any tariff being transferred when you change residence

You can carry tariffs over to a new property- there's no Ofgem rule I'm aware of that would prevent this. I'd try contacting them again, and see if you get a different answer from a different adviser.


NB, I work for British Gas, but post here in a private capacity. Any opinion I express is my own, and does not necessarily reflect that of my employer.

giraffe69

You can carry tariffs over to a new property- there's no Ofgem rule I'm aware of that would prevent this. I'd try contacting them again, and see if you get a different answer from a different adviser.

I don't think this is right. When I moved I wanted to stay with my supplier but had to move temporarily to the supplier at the new property and then change. Although I did it in the first few days after moving it took about 5 weeks to kick in.

Perelandra

giraffe69 wrote: »

I don't think this is right. When I moved I wanted to stay with my supplier but had to move temporarily to the supplier at the new property and then change. Although I did it in the first few days after moving it took about 5 weeks to kick in.

That's correct, when you move in to a new property you need to move temporarily to the existing supplier. But there's no Ofgem rule that I'm aware of that prevents your old supplier from giving you your old tariff terms when you come on supply with them at the new property.

DragonQ

Perelandra wrote: »

That's correct, when you move in to a new property you need to move temporarily to the existing supplier. But there's no Ofgem rule that I'm aware of that prevents your old supplier from giving you your old tariff terms when you come on supply with them at the new property.

Correct, it's at the supplier's discretion really.