Nightmare swapping suppliers

richpoortyke

Im writing this as a bit of a moan but also a warning to others who are thinking of changing suppliers.


I decided as my tariff was coming to an end with Scottish Power, I would shop around and find a new tariff to kick in not long after this one was due to finish end of January.


Decided EDF looked the best option - Blue Price Promise.


Now after going through the MSE site and doing the switch everything appeared to be coming along ok. I applied to EDF on 22/12/13. Was informed in January that all would be switched over shortly and that the first DD would be taken at the beginning of February. As things seemed ok I cancelled the DD for Scottish Power as I wouldn't have been able to afford 2 lots going out and as I was in credit on the accounts by over £100 I thought it would be fine.


EDF then started taking money on DD for Gas and Elec. When I checked the details I realised that the reading looked totally wrong. After advising them they asked I sent a photo of the meter reading. I did so but they insisted they had it right according to the Database. After several emails back and forth I contacted the Database only to find they had used the wrong meter. I was still a Scottish Power Electric customer without knowing it. Though now I had stopped my Direct Debits and was paying EDF for electric I wasn't using from them. I contacted Scottish Power and after spending nearly an hour trying to get through on the phone I advised the Customer Advisor what was happening and was basically told it wasn’t our problem. Id checked online and found that any problems with changes in supplier should be directed back to the first company not the new one. After ten minutes of being hold she cut me off.


So after making a complaint to Scottish Power (which I didn’t even receive a response to other than on my account a message which no PC could open. I contacted EDF to complain and eventually my supply swapped over mid May


I have now received my final bill from Scottish Power which is much much higher than usual and the reason is because I stopped the direct debit so was put on an ordinary tariff for the last few months of my account there.


So its taken 6 months headache to sort this switch out and now im left with a massive bill I cant afford


I’d advise not to bother for the sake of a few quid as the incompetence of not reading the correct meter has cost me a fortune!

webnise

Sorry to learn about your ordeal. To avoid such things, Govt is making changes and as per the news, the switching will take about 7 days by Dec this year and down to 1 day by end of next year so that will make things a lot easier.

I switch energy provides frequently and yes it involves some hassle for few quid but this hassle is far less than the amount of time/energy I will have to spend to earn back the same amount of money which I am going to save.

That's my 2 pence