MSE News: Energy switches slashed to 17 days from December

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Switching energy supplier could take as little as 17 days after Ofgem backed plans to make it easier and quicker ...

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Energy switches slashed to 17 days from December



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Game_Over

Gas and electricity switching will be cut from five weeks to three working days, on top of a statutory 14-day cooling off period,

It doesn't usually take 7 weeks currently to switch energy provider - I have often achieved it in about 4 including the statutory cooling off period

RedDwarf82

And what if they don't?

When First Utility changed my prepayment meter for a credit meter they registered it in the wrong address.
Now, when I try to change to a different company, they tell me they are unable to because my meter is not registered in my address.
Xoserve tells me that they can't fix it by my request, First Utility is the only entity with the power to request the entry in the database to be fixed.

On 7th April the Energy Ombudsman resolved that First Utility had 28 days to fix the problem. They have ignored this resolution and to the date they are not facing any consequence for it (I am waiting for the latest news from the Ombudsman...).

So I find it great that they create a system allowing a faster switching. But what protection will consumers have if the switching doesn't actually happen in 17 days?

Game_Over

RedDwarf82 wrote: »

And what if they don't?

Did you read the article? It says:

From August, it'll also be able to investigate suppliers and impose fines if they can't meet these timescales.

:cool:

RedDwarf82 wrote: »

When First Utility changed my prepayment meter for a credit meter they registered it in the wrong address.
Now, when I try to change to a different company, they tell me they are unable to because my meter is not registered in my address.
Xoserve tells me that they can't fix it by my request, First Utility is the only entity with the power to request the entry in the database to be fixed.

On 7th April the Energy Ombudsman resolved that First Utility had 28 days to fix the problem. They have ignored this resolution and to the date they are not facing any consequence for it (I am waiting for the latest news from the Ombudsman...).

So I find it great that they create a system allowing a faster switching. But what protection will consumers have if the switching doesn't actually happen in 17 days?

The article is about switching supplier, not about changing meters or resolving complaints with suppliers or the ombudsman.

Pincher

All they have to do is agree on the switchover meter readings, everything else can take two months for all I care.

System

Recently switched from EDF to OVO. The actual switch only took around 4 weeks. However after switching it took several emails, phone calls and 8 weeks for them both to agree on my gas reading (which I supplied to both on switchover date). This was blamed on the fact I am supplied by an independent gas transporter (which I imagine a good chunk of the population is now). Apparently the reading has to be verified by the IGT.

I wonder if this will be factored into the new switching guidelines?

minislim

it wont make much difference though.
the switching process is so confusing and messed up in its current form, speeding the process up further will only make matters worse.

it happened a couple of years ago when i left npower to go to scottish power. i submitted my end/steart meter readings to npower and scottish power on the day of my switch.
yet a few weeks later npower had estimated higher readings than the one i had given.

and just recently i have just changed from scottish power to ovo. the same thing has happened again. only this time scottish power have put my end reading under the reading that i gave on the day of the switch and ovo have put it over the reading.

even though i gave both companies my actual reading on the day they have ignored these and guessed them.

this time there is a missing amount of gas and electricity which i have used but neither party obviously wants me to pay. which is nice of them!

but if they try and sting me later on for their own mess up they'll be getting a right earful off me! haha!

SnowMan

As indicated by others above, speeding up the finalising of the old account is very important.

It is of little use if switches 'happen' in 17 days if it takes 6 weeks (or more) to finalise the old account. That should be described as a 42 day switch not a 17 day switch. The new supplier can currently sit on your meter reading for 6 weeks and they are deemed to have nothing wrong. That OFGEM allow this and still fail to address this shows their ineffectiveness

For example I have just switched from Npower to Scottish Power. However almost 4 weeks after I supplied my opening meter reading to Scottish Power, they haven't passed it on to Npower. When I ring Scottish Power they are refusing to immediately pass on my meter reading now and say that might take them 6 weeks to pass it to Npower. So there is no prospect of my account with Npower being finalised.


The longer term OFGEM proposals are at

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/moving-reliable-next-day-switching

It is encouraging that a centralised meter recording system looks like it will be put in place (although that is no excuse currently for companies losing or refusing to pass on meter readings to enable accounts to be finalised). However there needs to be clear and short timescales for closing accounts (with that timescale information readily available to customers also) to set out who needs to do what when and that the final bill needs to be provided. There should be a requirement for the final bill to be provided immediately after the end of the cooling off period (except in exceptional circumstances).