Switch to Sainsbury's disappeared. What now?

farmroad38

In September, I applied through the CEC to switch my gas and electricity from British Gas to Sainsbury's Energy. I got the confirmation email, saying I should be contacted by the new supplier "within a few weeks".

Trying to be patient, I've waited until now to give them a call... They've just told me they have no record of any switch taking place, and if I want to move I'll have to restart the process!

So, what now? CEC still has my status as "Switch in progress" so I can't do anything.

And guess what? Sainsbury's is still at the top of my list as cheapest, but whereas there was £30 cashback for moving in September, now there's no cashback at all. How terribly convenient.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

British Gas are Sainsburys.

9 times out of 10 you can't switch tariffs between the same supplier via a comp site as they don't get paid for it.

farmroad38

Yes, I know that. As did the CEC when I filled in the details, so as it offered me Sainsbury's as an option, I'm fairly sure that isn't the reason. Anyway, it isn't a different tariff with the same supplier, it's a different supplier whose wholesale supply happens to come from the same place.

Anyway, I've had a mail from the CEC now to say they've found the problem and are working on it; the switch should still go through.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

farmroad38 wrote: »

Anyway, it isn't a different tariff with the same supplier, it's a different supplier whose wholesale supply happens to come from the same place.

How strange that I can't find Sainsburys in the list of registered suppliers.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/90728/externalelectricitylist10101014.pdf

British Gas pleading to be allowed to circumvent the 4 tariff cap by [STRIKE]cheating[/STRIKE] using the white label getaround.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/87754/britishgas-responsetocallforevidence.pdf

Also interesting that staff in the BG call centre in Cardiff take Sainsburys Energy calls, and they use the same computer systems.

Anyway, I hope you get the switch sorted.

farmroad38

So, despite continual assurance from the Cheap Energy Club that everything is going ahead, I've still had no confirmation of any switch, no requests for meter readings, nothing.

I've called Sainsbury's Energy, who have told me that have no details of any switch. Fantastic. Three months wasted on a high rate tariff.

The level of incompetence is breathtaking. I'm going to go another switching site to see if they can do any better - to be honest, it would be incredibly difficult for them to do any worse.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

farmroad38 wrote: »

So, despite continual assurance from the Cheap Energy Club that everything is going ahead, I've still had no confirmation of any switch, no requests for meter readings, nothing.

I've called Sainsbury's Energy, who have told me that have no details of any switch. Fantastic. Three months wasted on a high rate tariff.

The level of incompetence is breathtaking. I'm going to go another switching site to see if they can do any better - to be honest, it would be incredibly difficult for them to do any worse.

And when you do, don't try to switch to the same supplier.

farmroad38

Seriously? You're still banging on about that?

Sainsbury's didn't have any problem with me switching to them from BG. They asked me if I'd like to restart the switch whenever I called them. The problem is that they're just too incompetent to do it, not that it isn't possible.

MSE_Dan_L

Hi Farmroad38

Could you drop us an email to energyclub AT moneysavingexpert.com. We'll then be able to look into this further for you.