MSE News: Energy customers set to switch in 24 hours

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Energy customers will be able to switch suppliers within 24 hours by 2018, under plans confirmed by the Government...

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Energy customers set to switch in 24 hours




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C_Mababejive

I actually dont think we need 24 hour switching. The market is wide open and people can feel free to choose ho they like. If people are too dumb or their relatives dont help them,well i dont see how further regulation can assist.

System

If my recent experience of 17 day switching is anything to go by, this will never work unless OFGEM takes a hard look at the industry procedures for the energy supply market. Twelve weeks to reconcile a readings dispute. No other business sector would survive with industry procedures like this. The energy supply sector appears to be stuck in the 19th Century.

cifpower

You cannot have 24 hour switching as there will still be a need for a cooling off period. 14 days is sufficient in my mind. The Consumer Contracts Regulations say for goods purchased online you can cancel up to 7 working days AFTER goods received. So having a 14 calendar day period beforehand would be an good buffer.

It is what happens after this that needs working on.

The only way to incentivise switching is for it to be brought to the consumers' attention. Why don't the utility companies advertise on TV about switching?

D_M_E

24 hours? that will be the day.


When you have suppliers such as Scottish Power who don't know what their customers use, who don't accept meter readings, and others who refuse to use actual and accurate readings and some who refuse to use actual readings supplied by industry - not customer - meter readers, companies who use inflated estimated usages for final bills, this will not happen until the industry is sorted out.


There also needs to be work done to ensure that suppliers' I.T. infrastructure is up to the task - 24 hours switching seems a faraway dream which will never become reality.


There's also the problems of companies refusing to return credit balances to customers, of companies taking far too long to repay any credit balance - if they ever do - setting Direct Debits at either a far too low level or inflating Direct Debits far beyond what the customer can afford to pay.


Also, we need to see a requirement that any price reduction is applied across ALL tariffs - including fixed rate and special deals - , not just the companies' standard tariff, which hardly anyone should be on.

Pincher

They need to send a meter reader to confirm the reading(s).
Who cares if they take three months to work out the next bill?

They won't accept the meter reader's reading, because they want to make up their own.

System

Pincher wrote: »

They need to send a meter reader to confirm the reading(s).
Who cares if they take three months to work out the next bill?

They won't accept the meter reader's reading, because they want to make up their own.

Wrong. The new supplier will ask for meter readings. These are sent to a 3rd party (data collectors) for validation. This why some closing bills show an E rather than a C against the final reading. Meter readers are not required.

The proposal here is next day switching FOLLOWED by a 14 day cooling off period.

Pincher

Hengus wrote: »

Wrong. The new supplier will ask for meter readings. These are sent to a 3rd party (data collectors) for validation. This why some closing bills show an E rather than a C against the final reading. Meter readers are not required.

The proposal here is next day switching FOLLOWED by a 14 day cooling off period.

I thought I said this loads of times before.


The ex-utility is a lying money grabbing sore loser.


Years ago, two scumbag door to door cold callers got my mother to sign on the dotted line to switch away from TXU, which made up the exit meter readings in their favour to the tune of £500!



I am saying, in Pincher Land, when my Kilbots are enforcing my absolute rule, NEITHER the old nor the new supplier gets to decide what the readings are. A third party must provide the meter readings.


Provided the reading(s) are recorded by somebody independent, what does it matter how long it takes to do a credit check, set up a direct debit, etc. etc. The next direct debit is a month away.

joey2307

I have regularly switched energy supplier, in recent years use Martin's Cheap Energy Club - and my latest switch was to the collective switch to Sainsbury's energy.

I would love to see 24 hours switching but ...

(A). I've yet to have genuine seven day bank switching. You apply online, wait for a response, usually via post a few days later asking you to call them. Then when you do you arrange a date that's maybe more than seven days away at that point in time.

(B). My last energy switch took over 14 weeks to 'properly' switch due to our gas being looked after by an independent company. How will that reduce to 24 hours? I can see people like us being the exception.

Meanwhile ...
Cooling off periods shouldn't be a problem as your unlikely to start paying your new company in the first two weeks so I'm sure switching back shouldn't not be a problem, the switch could be 'pencilled in' for the cooling off period.

Generally though 24 hour switching should be something that is strongly encouraged.

Nada666

I cannot see what material difference this will make to sticky, obstinate customers. What magical effect would this have?

KTF

Nada666 wrote: »

I cannot see what material difference this will make to sticky, obstinate customers. What magical effect would this have?

None whatsoever but it sounds like they care in the media.