New home and Energy supplier

DBNEWB

New to this forum, so ‘Hello’ to everyone.


I’m buying my first property and need a little advice regarding Energy Supplier. I received all the relevant paperwork form the Conveyor including the Sellers check list. In it they list the utilities companies currently supplying the property, Affinity for water and a company called Spark Energy for Elec and Gas. I had not heard of them before so decided to do a bit of ‘Googling’. Well as you can guess, it didn’t make for a good read.:eek: As the property was a ‘let’ by the current Owner and no doubt managed by a Letting Agent, 2 and 2 stack up.
My current situation is that I’m lodging so don’t have a current suppliers as all bills are taken care of in the rent. I understand that it’s usual to take on the current energy supplier of a new property, (‘Deemed Contract’) and then you can do all the uSwitch stuff. As I’m buying, there’s no LA in the way and their Tenancy clause to use Spark. But it still seems like I'll have to deal with them in short term. Which rapidly becomes the long term!

[FONT=&quot] I like to know what my options are? I know that all energy companies have good and bad stories, but this one seems to have more of the latter. [/FONT]

Cardew

You obviously have no option for water, but read your meter immediately(assuming the property is metered) and contact the water company and tell them you are the new occupant.


Ditto read your gas/electricity meter(take a photo) and tell Spark energy. You are, as you say, on a legally binding deemed contract initially. However it is important that you don't find yourself paying for the previous occupant's gas/electricity.


Then start the switching procedure by informing your new chosen company you want to switch(you can get cash-back by going through some sites) The new company will ask for your meter readings at some point and tell Spark.

DBNEWB

Thanks Cardew,

I guess it's just a matter of starting the switch process as quick a possible. Also going to their premium tariff so there's no exit fee or long term commitment.

macman

Spark, as you have read, is the Hotel California of energy suppliers...