MSE News: Ed Davey tackles misbehaving firms, faster switching and answers questions

Former_MSE_Paloma

The Energy Secretary condemns "misbehaving" suppliers and confirms his ambition for 24-hour energy switching ...

Read the full story:

Ed Davey tackles misbehaving energy firms, faster switching and answers your questions




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Hoof_Hearted

Blimey, Ed Davey answered, or nearly answered, one of my questions. I would love to know whether my user name was read out!

System

So Martin has actually taken on board the point that the 'inflation savings methodology' used by CEC and some other - but not all comparison sites - can mislead customers:

From MSE News

What I would say though, is that the biggest problem we have is misleading information on comparison sites. If you examine the difference between the cheapest that pays on the sites that do it that way, sometimes it's nothing, sometimes it's £10 or £15 – it's a relatively small amount.

If Ofgem enforced the personal projection in the answers, we are going to break ground in this because we think it is bad for consumers, which means it assumes you will stay on the tariff you are on. So if you are on a fixed tariff that ends in three months' time it tells you an average price across the year including the go-to tariff afterwards.

That is what we are forced to give as an answer – it's misleading, it exaggerates the amount of savings – it is wrong. We get more complaints about that than anything else and it is an Ofgem rule even though across the industry people have said this isn't the way to do it.

Ofgem has made it even stronger in its comparison code so I think there is a real problem going on there.

SnowMan

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

Blimey, Ed Davey answered, or nearly answered, one of my questions. I would love to know whether my user name was read out!

Your question was read out and answered, you were referred to as H Hearted, see the video below at 53 minutes 34 seconds.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/ed-davey-comes-to-mse

Don't let fame go to your hooves :rotfl::beer:

Former_MSE_Wendy

SnowMan wrote: »

Your question was read out and answered, you were referred to as H Hearted, see the video below at 53 minutes 34 seconds.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/ed-davey-comes-to-mse

Don't let fame go to your hooves :rotfl::beer:

Hi both. We did have a giggle about this in the office but MSE Yasin, who was tasked with asking your question Hoof Hearted, couldn't quite bring herself to read your full name out and keep a serious face.

So we settled on her saying 'H Hearted'. Hope you don't mind

SnowMan

MSE_Wendy wrote: »

Hi both. We did have a giggle about this in the office but MSE Yasin, who was tasked with asking your question Hoof Hearted, couldn't quite bring herself to read your full name out and keep a serious face.

So we settled on her saying 'H Hearted'. Hope you don't mind

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::T

MABLE

There should be a defined time frame laid down whereby when you leave a supplier they have to raise the final bill and refund any credit within that period.

I am still waiting since December 2014 for my final bill and hopefully a refund.

savemoney

Shame that is all gone quite regarding the green deal scheme. No refunds when it was closed very quickly for a while. many of us around £100+ out of pocket. Dont exactly inspire any trust in anything this government does.

My original post
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=67839042&postcount=37

MSE article in August 2014
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/08/moneysavingexpert-maintains-pressure-on-the-government-to-refund-those-hit-by-green-deal-cashback-closure?_ga=1.95632796.1413252646.1421776403

priorslee

Switching suppliers in 24 hours?! Sorry, Ed Davey, but you have zero chance of this with operators such as Co-op Energy in the market.

I started my switch on 7 Jan; my first contact from them was on 17 Jan. I then questioned their quoted 7 weeks timescale and their response was: "The industry had aimed for 17 days, but this hasn’t been met by a number of suppliers so the industry have delayed this."

Still waiting the switch to be completed 8 weeks later ...

Hoof_Hearted

MSE_Wendy wrote: »

Hi both. We did have a giggle about this in the office but MSE Yasin, who was tasked with asking your question Hoof Hearted, couldn't quite bring herself to read your full name out and keep a serious face.

So we settled on her saying 'H Hearted'. Hope you don't mind

Thanks for this. I am sure it would have been a little bit embarrassing.....

footyguy

Thank you Martin, for asking my question
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=67804414&postcount=7

So, in short, he says it's not his problem

In regards to the 'rocket and feather' issue of price movements, then that is for the CMA to investigate and act upon.
I note with interest that past investigations did not indicate any wrongdoing but he admits that lately "there is a bit more evidence that this is a serious problem", so I look forward to the action, or inaction, that results.

I also thank you Martin for your follow up question about the public trust of the CMA's findings; spot on.
I love the way he spins that, again not taking any responsibility himself, but somehow suggesting you (moneysavingexpert.com) are responsible for resolving that issue.

Only a politician, eh?