Switching is only a billing process involving 2 suppliers and, if applicable, an independent gas transporter. My experience of switching to Ovo was an application in Mar with a switch date of 14 Apr. Paid Ovo the first advance payment on notional switch date (14 Apr); got first bill from Ovo for electricity on 14 May, final bill (incorrect) from EDF on 28 May, and amended final bill on 3 Jun. Jun bill from Ovo showed electricity and gas backdated to 14 Apr.
Note: These are the OFGEM rules - if you switch once you have received a letter from your old supplier they must keep you on your present tariff until the switch goes through.
"Suppliers will be required to notify customers that their current fixed-term is coming to an end between 42 and 49 days before the contract ends.
Between this notification period and the end of the fixed term contract, suppliers will be banned from charging a termination fee should the customer decide to switch.
Suppliers will be banned from automatically rolling a customer over onto a further fixed term contract.
Instead suppliers will be required to default customers to an evergreen contract if the customer takes no switching action before the end of their fixed-term contract (this default contract must be the cheapest evergreen tariff with the supplier from 31st March 2014). "
PPS: whatever you do do not repeat do not cancel your DD until after you have received your Final Bill. If you do - and you are on a fixed tariff - the 'system' will usually change you to the standard variable tariff.
If you are concerned that any switch you make will happen too soon and involve you in termination penalties you can avoid this by switching to the October 2015 fixed tariff which is penalty free to leave.
Hi how long does it take when switching electricity? My fixed deal with SP comes to an end in October. Is it usually 3 weeks?
Appreciate any help
Thx
I started my switch to npower in October 2013 and it is still not completed.
The delay is entirely due to npower's incompetence and deliberate inaction and through no fault of my own. They have also ignored the Ombudsman's deadlines yet have incredibly closed my complaint while admitting they have still to resolve the problem.
Hopefully atypical but there are a lot of people having big issues with npower so I suggest you don't look at them.
Replies
Note: These are the OFGEM rules - if you switch once you have received a letter from your old supplier they must keep you on your present tariff until the switch goes through.
"Suppliers will be required to notify customers that their current fixed-term is coming to an end between 42 and 49 days before the contract ends.
Between this notification period and the end of the fixed term contract, suppliers will be banned from charging a termination fee should the customer decide to switch.
Suppliers will be banned from automatically rolling a customer over onto a further fixed term contract.
Instead suppliers will be required to default customers to an evergreen contract if the customer takes no switching action before the end of their fixed-term contract (this default contract must be the cheapest evergreen tariff with the supplier from 31st March 2014). "
PPS: whatever you do do not repeat do not cancel your DD until after you have received your Final Bill. If you do - and you are on a fixed tariff - the 'system' will usually change you to the standard variable tariff.
They don't explain what is going to happen to the current 14 day cooling off period though.
No timescales for this to come about yet though.
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-releases/ofgem-leads-radical-shake-energy-switching-process
one day by end of 2018
Its taken me so far almost a month waiting cant wait to leave Scottish Power
The delay is entirely due to npower's incompetence and deliberate inaction and through no fault of my own. They have also ignored the Ombudsman's deadlines yet have incredibly closed my complaint while admitting they have still to resolve the problem.
Hopefully atypical but there are a lot of people having big issues with npower so I suggest you don't look at them.