Early exit fees: £50 (unless you're 50 days from the end)

MiserlyMartin

I see this MSE advice that says if you are 50 days or less from the end of your current fixed tarriff your current supplier would be breaking regulator rules to charge the fee.

This advice conflicts with advice on energyhelpline.com which states:

"...as long as you’ve received your renewal letter from your current supplier, you won’t be charged this fee when you switch. Your supplier is obliged to send this letter to you at least 42 days before the end of the cancellation period."

42 or 50 days. Who is correct? I haven't got any letter yet. I'd like to sign up to the collective fix but I'm worried extraenergy will try to charge the £50. Given the feedback on here its not looking good!

Thanks in advance for any opinions.

molerat

My understanding is that you can leave without penalty at 42 days or when you receive notification from your supplier, which must be between 42 and 49 days, whichever comes first. That interpretation is based on this

You will receive a notice 42-49 days before the end date of your fixed term tariff to inform you that your tariff is coming to an end. Should you choose to switch after this point, suppliers can’t charge you a termination fee.

System

The supplier's licence obligation is that the supplier has to inform the customer 49 to 42 days before the end of a fixed contract term that the contract is coming to an end. Once you have been contacted by the supplier or the contract has less than 42 days to run, then you will be OK to switch. Note that there is no need to inform the old supplier that you are switching.

MiserlyMartin

I'm 46 days away from the end of my contract and I haven't had a notice yet. Its extra energy and their communication is bad so I don't expect to receive one.

If I wait until 42 days the MSE collective switch will end. From the day you sign up for a switch and the day the switch happens, isn't there a 4 week delay, which would bring me well into the 42 days!??

Or to put it another way, is the time you 'switch' counted as the day you start the switching process with next provider or the day it finally happens? How quickly is the old supplier notified?

Nada666

It is not when you switch - it is when you apply. So even if you receive no letter the earliest 'safe' time is 41 days before. Then if the new supplier starts the process within the hour you are covered.

Of course you only need to apply early if you want to grab a deal you think may disappear soon (or if the new tariff is cheaper). If you are on a cheap tariff but the best new ones are a bit dearer then you can wait until well after the 42 days before applying to extend the time of the cheaper tariff.

molerat

The one thing EE got right was the end of term notification, it came on 16th Aug so was in time and full of the correct information. I was shocked.

If your term ends on 31 Oct I would go for it now as the new supplier will not notify EE until you are inside 42 days anyway.

footyguy

molerat wrote: »

...
If your term ends on 31 Oct I would go for it now as the new supplier will not notify EE until you are inside 42 days anyway.

I wouldn't be so sure of that.

Last time I changed supplier, (to one of the small ones, cheap yet surprisingly efficient) they emailed me back the same day saying they had received my request, would be taking care of everything involved in switching, and as a result had already been in contact with my existing supplier to get the ball rolling. The email included my right to cancel the switch request, and that I wouldn't hear from them again until that cancellation period had expired (unless I took up the option to cancel).

I presume they did contact my previous supplier when they said they had, as I received a 'sorry you are leaving' letter a couple of days later from my then current supplier.

Edit: Just seen the OP wants the Eon collective switch tariff. As that is only available via the CEC, it will depend how long the CEC take to pass on the switch request to Eon (and of course, how efficient Eon are at then processing it).
Personally, I wouldn't rush into the Eon collective switch. You can currently beat the gas prices, and probably get an electricity tariff that beats or is not too far off it anyway.
If the OP really wants the electric part, I'd suggest waiting until Thursday evening to apply. Hopefully then, the CEC will not pass the details to Eon until Monday, Eon won't start processing them until at least Monday, or the existing supplier will not pick up the notification until Monday.

Edit2: You don't know what deals will be available next month. There is currently a downward pressure on retail energy prices because of the alleged lag compared to the current low cost of oil.
Also collective switching tariffs are being made available quite frequently. I know that EHL will have one available next month

System

I applied to switch to Ovo, via the MSE CEC, and I got an e-mail back from the supplier the following day. The 'bottomline' is that if you do not wait for the confirmation of tariff ending, or until the 42 days prior to contract end has passed, you stand a chance of having an argument with the supplier as to whether you switched or terminated the contract. The latter attracts exit fees.

It is with noting that the supplier's contract covers the non-issuance of a tariff end notice; i.e., they cannot charge exit fees in the event of a default.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

footyguy wrote: »

Edit: Just seen the OP wants the Eon collective switch tariff. As that is only available via the CEC, it will depend how long the CEC take to pass on the switch request to Eon (and of course, how efficient Eon are at then processing it).

If the OP really wants the electric part, I'd suggest waiting until Thursday evening to apply. Hopefully then, the CEC will not pass the details to Eon until Monday, Eon won't start processing them until at least Monday, or the existing supplier will not pick up the notification until Monday.

Hi footyguy

Just thought I'd pop on with a few general titbits about time scales etc for customers going for the MSE Collective tariff with us. We handle applications for this tariff manually so it can take a few days for the product to hit accounts. The tariff will start, though, from when we receive the application.

People switching first receive an email from the Cheap Energy Club (CEC) and then one from us. Following these, Welcome Packs are sent after about 4-5 days if switching tariff or 6-7 days if changing supplier. These packs outline the tariff/account/terms.

It usually takes about two and half weeks for a change of supplier to go through. Customers can keep an eye on their journey by using a tool on our website called 'Track My Switch.'

We've support teams in place should there be any difficulties. This support is detailed in the FAQs on the CEC's Big Energy Switch 3 page.

Hope this is of interest footyguy.

Malc

chanz4

I wonder how eon will cope when it goes wrong, their complaints don't give a dam

MiserlyMartin

Thanks all I decided not to risk it and switch and wait until 42 days. I hope there are still some good collective switches about in the coming month.