ECOES and Scottish Power/Sainsburys Nightmare

mjstokes85

Hi all, I really really need some help, I am stuck in a never ending energy supplier nightmare!

Me and my partner were renting a house until 20th Feb, and we bought a house and officially took over on the 12th Feb.

Sainsburys supplied energy to the old rented house, I phoned them, said I was moving, gave them readings, said I want them to supply at the new house due to the good deal we had etc, all ok they say.

Moved in to the new house and Scottish Power are supplying, phoned them got a temp account set up whilst transfer happened, all ok.

So I rang Sainsburys again, said we had moved and now want to switch. "Oh no you can't do switch to us, you have a pre pay meter". I didn't even know what that meant, they said you top up a key and put it in, which I don't. I explained this to them, I said there is no key or swipe card, it's a single watt hour rate meter, I read the meter number and it all corresponded but to a pre pay meter. I said it's NOT a pre pay meter. They said to ring Scottish Power.

So I ring Scottish Power and explain, blah blah, oh yes we will update that for you now and it will be done in 5 days. I ring Sainsbursy back in 5 days, saying it should be done. They say it's not done.

I then contacted the estate agent who contacted the man who refurbed our house who confirms it WAS a pre pay meter but it was swapped in August 2015 for a normal one.

I ring Scottish Power back and they say there is no record of it being done. So I am told this time, there should be a yellow sticker on the meter. I say there is NO YELLOW STICKER. He seems bamboozled and speaks to his supervisor and cannot believe a meter has been swapped and has no yellow sticker on it.

I email the estate agent again who asked the man who refurbed the house about a yellow sticker and he said there never was one.

By this time I have already opened a complaint against Scottish Power, to which I got some BS generic reply about how amazing they are, and I haven't heard back from them since, 3 weeks since my complaint.

So I ring Scottish Power AGAIN and tell them this, I am then told a database called ECOES needs updating and is confused as to why Sainsburys can't just do it. I give him all the details yet again. He agrees my meter number is not a pre pay meter number due the starting letters.

Sainsburys however are still saying it's not updated! I have not paid a single penny for any electricity as Scottish Power still seem to think we are pre pay, so I am getting free electricity! I can't log in to Scottish Power online as my account number is registered to somebody else's email address apparently!

To top it all off Sainsburys have now billed me for the gas and elec used by the new tennants in our old rented house as they still have my account open for the swap over.

PLEASE PLEASE can somebody help me out of this mess! This is our first home we have owned and I am so stressed about all this, I have a 1000s of other things I could be doing but am spending all my time stressing and chasing these 2 energy companies!

footyguy

mjstokes85 wrote: »

Hi all, I really really need some help, I am stuck in a never ending energy supplier nightmare!

Me and my partner were renting a house until 20th Feb, and we bought a house and officially took over on the 12th Feb.

Sainsburys supplied energy to the old rented house, I phoned them, said I was moving, gave them readings, said I want them to supply at the new house due to the good deal we had etc, all ok they say.

Moved in to the new house and Scottish Power are supplying, phoned them got a temp account set up whilst transfer happened, all ok.

So I rang Sainsburys again, said we had moved and now want to switch. "Oh no you can't do switch to us, you have a pre pay meter". I didn't even know what that meant, they said you top up a key and put it in, which I don't. I explained this to them, I said there is no key or swipe card, it's a single watt hour rate meter, I read the meter number and it all corresponded but to a pre pay meter. I said it's NOT a pre pay meter. They said to ring Scottish Power.

So I ring Scottish Power and explain, blah blah, oh yes we will update that for you now and it will be done in 5 days. I ring Sainsbursy back in 5 days, saying it should be done. They say it's not done.

I then contacted the estate agent who contacted the man who refurbed our house who confirms it WAS a pre pay meter but it was swapped in August 2015 for a normal one.

I ring Scottish Power back and they say there is no record of it being done. So I am told this time, there should be a yellow sticker on the meter. I say there is NO YELLOW STICKER. He seems bamboozled and speaks to his supervisor and cannot believe a meter has been swapped and has no yellow sticker on it.

I email the estate agent again who asked the man who refurbed the house about a yellow sticker and he said there never was one.

By this time I have already opened a complaint against Scottish Power, to which I got some BS generic reply about how amazing they are, and I haven't heard back from them since, 3 weeks since my complaint.

So I ring Scottish Power AGAIN and tell them this, I am then told a database called ECOES needs updating and is confused as to why Sainsburys can't just do it. I give him all the details yet again. He agrees my meter number is not a pre pay meter number due the starting letters.

Sainsburys however are still saying it's not updated! I have not paid a single penny for any electricity as Scottish Power still seem to think we are pre pay, so I am getting free electricity! I can't log in to Scottish Power online as my account number is registered to somebody else's email address apparently!

To top it all off Sainsburys have now billed me for the gas and elec used by the new tennants in our old rented house as they still have my account open for the swap over.

PLEASE PLEASE can somebody help me out of this mess! This is our first home we have owned and I am so stressed about all this, I have a 1000s of other things I could be doing but am spending all my time stressing and chasing these 2 energy companies!

Stop stressing, it's only been 3 weeks

According to SP complaint procedure you should now be at Stage 3, with updates in writing at calendar day 10, 28 & 56
(you might want to check with SP that they have done this, and ask where your 10 day written update is)

But bottom line is that the supplier has up to 8 weeks to resolve your complaint, after which you may take the matter to the ombudsman (who I anticipate will take about 3 months to come to a resolution - so possibly 5 months in total)

As for Sainsburys sending you a bill for the old property, did you tell them you were leaving (and provide final meter readings)? If so, then they would send you a final bill made up to those final readings.

mjstokes85

Thanks for the reply. As for SP, not heard anything, they sent me an email acknowledging my complaint I made on March 11th on March 14th saying they will remain in contact which hasn't happened, I've sent 2 more emails since and heard nothing.

Sainsburys have emailed me saying a new supplier is taking over the old house on April the 6th but they are still taking the £60 a month direct debit and have said not to cancel it, so I assume I get this back? As I've now paid £60 for March when we weren't there and they said they are taking £60 again when the account closes on April 6th according to the email they sent me.

Yes I told them we were moving and gave readings but they said they have to leave the account open as we want them in our new house.

To be honest this is the least of my concerns, the main issues is this ECOES database and the fact we aren't paying any money for elec in the new house. Who the hell is paying for it?!

footyguy

mjstokes85 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. As for SP, not heard anything, they sent me an email acknowledging my complaint I made on March 11th on March 14th saying they will remain in contact which hasn't happened, I've sent 2 more emails since and heard nothing.

Sainsburys have emailed me saying a new supplier is taking over the old house on April the 6th but they are still taking the £60 a month direct debit and have said not to cancel it, so I assume I get this back? As I've now paid £60 for March when we weren't there and they said they are taking £60 again when the account closes on April 6th according to the email they sent me.

Yes I told them we were moving and gave readings but they said they have to leave the account open as we want them in our new house.

To be honest this is the least of my concerns, the main issues is this ECOES database and the fact we aren't paying any money for elec in the new house. Who the hell is paying for it?!

Not sure why Sainsburys would tell you a switch of supplier is in progress at your old address if you are no longer the account holder.
And if by error you are still the account holder, then where is your 'sorry you are leaving us' communication?

Anyway, yes all payments you make will be included in the final bill calculation. (By the sounds of it, they are planning to include both March & April's collection in that final bill) The final bill will state what you are owed ... or perhaps still owe.

mjstokes85

I am still the account holder, they said I had to be to switch to the new house, the email they sent says sorry you are leaving on April 6th, even though we left on Feb 20th and I gave readings.

spiro

ECOES is updated by the Meter Operator company that exchanged the meter on behalf of the supplier. Therefore if SP was the supplier on that date tell them to get there MOP to sort it out. Under the rulesIit should be done within 10 working days of the job being completed.

D_M_E

In this situation, I would

1. Stay off the phone and write a letter headed COMPLAINT to both suppliers detailing what has happened, point by point and what I expect to be done to resolve it.

2. Cancel with immediate effect the direct debit to Sainsbury's and demand that the account at the old address be closed as from the date you left and a final, accurate bill be sent based on the supplied readings when you left.

3. Any credit balance be refunded from Sainsbury's

4. Ask that you be put on SP's cheapest tariff from the day you moved in.

5. If possible, photograph the supposed prepay and send the picture to both companies so they can see the thing.

6. As I said, WRITE and stay off the phone but also copy what you have written by email and, if they call, politely refuse to discuss it any further by phone.

7. Don't forget to start a savings account for say £100 per month which you can use to pay any bill when it's all finally resolved.

footyguy

mjstokes85 wrote: »

I am still the account holder, they said I had to be to switch to the new house, the email they sent says sorry you are leaving on April 6th, even though we left on Feb 20th and I gave readings.

Well that would explain why you are still being billed - the new tenants will love you :money:.

I think you must have misunderstood the reason why you are still the account holder as what you say doesn't make any sense.

So you received a 'sorry you are leaving' communication and did nothing about it - I think you've left matters too late now

Best you can do is tell the supplier you have left the property, and offer to provide documentation to prove it e.g. tenancy agreement, dated outgoing statement of condition including agreed meter readings, etc.

Worst case is they deny you told them in Feb (and there is no available evidence to the contrary), so if you tell them today, they should be able to close your account Monday (as per the terms you agreed to abide by) - of course you won't be able to provide today's meter readings so they will probably have to estimate them, unless they manage to take their own readings on Monday.

mjstokes85

Thanks for your replies. I got the sorry you are leaving email yesterday so not sure what you mean? I told Sainsburys everything and gave them readings over the phone and was told it has to stay open during the switch. They say to not cancel the direct debit!

I will try and compose some letters to both firms but dealing with Scottish Power is like banging my head against a brick wall.

footyguy

mjstokes85 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I got the sorry you are leaving email yesterday so not sure what you mean?...

In which case you should be able to object to the switch ... but there isn't 14 days until 06 April ... and the supplier shouldn't be switching you until 3 days after the cooling off period ends ... so again I'm struggling to make head or tail of this thread. :cool:

I suggest you make an appointment with the CAB and take along every piece of evidence you have (welcome notes, contracts, sorry you are leaving emails, etc) and see if thgey can help fathom out things

footyguy

mjstokes85 wrote: »

... As for SP, not heard anything, they sent me an email acknowledging my complaint I made on March 11th on March 14th saying they will remain in contact which hasn't happened, I've sent 2 more emails since and heard nothing....

Well I see from an earlier post of yours, SP informed you at some point nothing could be done by them for 28 days :cool:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5335256