M&S Energy - cheating? misleading?

Perry525

Six months ago I moved my gas and elect to M&S Energy.

Now Ovo have come up with a better deal potentially saving me UK£161 a year. If the weather and my consumption is the same over the coming 12 months.

Surprise, inside their Welcome to M&S Energy booklet, they have printed on page 8 under their general Terms and Conditions para 1.5
"No minimum term or exit penalties apply to M&S Energy."

When I was thinking of moving to M&S I read this online, and was encouraged by it to move.

In small print at the bottom of page 1, I read: "An exit fee of £50 will applied to your energy account if you leave the Fix & Save tariff before 30th September, 2014." And they reserve the right to change their terms.

How dishonest is this!

Why should they be able to promote one set of conditions to attract customers and then change them in mid term? How can they have conflicting terms and conditions in the same booklet? And get away with it?

Ziggy_Stardust

I'm in the same boat looking to jump ship from M&S energy to Ovo, I've still got my T&Cs which were emailed to me on the 21st September and it says this:
M&S ENERGY - FIX & SAVE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
"6. If you leave the Fix & Save tariff at any time on or before 30 September 2014 an exit fee of £50 will be applied to your energy account. If you are a Dual Fuel customer we reserve the right to apply the exit fee to either your electricity or gas account. "
I did seem to remember there was an exit fee of £50 but you'll probably make this up in what you save, I know I will.

Ziggy_Stardust

Hmm, very strange, according to the energy club I'd save but when I've gone straight to Ovo it will cost me £17 more plus the £50 so I'm not saving as I said I would above, I'm sitting tight for the moment.

pooch

Ziggy_Stardust wrote: »

Hmm, very strange, according to the energy club I'd save but when I've gone straight to Ovo it will cost me £17 more plus the £50 so I'm not saving as I said I would above, I'm sitting tight for the moment.

The difference between a straight comparison and a weighted comparison (which takes into account the effect of the tariff ending and assuming you will go on a more expensive tariff thereafter) perhaps?

I've seen others confused by such a difference.

Ziggy_Stardust

pooch wrote: »

The difference between a straight comparison and a weighted comparison (which takes into account the effect of the tariff ending and assuming you will go on a more expensive tariff thereafter) perhaps?

I've seen others confused by such a difference.

Could be, I didn't think of that, thanks

JJ_Egan

General terms and conditions .
Specific terms and conditions .
Generally no fee but on yes specific tariffs is how i read it .

Marmaduke123

It was very clear to me that there was a £50 exit fee.

apt

It was entirely clear that M&S Fix and Save had a £50 exit fee. I'm not sure about gas, but for electricity M&S Fix and Save from last September is still cheaper than OVO. Don't be fooled by comparison sites that predict a saving but only on the basis that you go on to the M&S standard tariff and stay there for the rest of a 12 months from now.

st999

The only way to know if you will save is to get the tariffs you are on now and compare them to the tariffs you will be paying if you switch.


According to comparison sites I would save going with OVO, if they would supply me, however their tariffs are more than I am paying now so there is no point in me switching, if they would have me.

Ziggy_Stardust

I've just compared the tariff costs for me, it seemed the simplest way and M&S is cheaper especially with the standing charge so I'm sticking with them until the end of September.