Switching Woes

SnakeDoctor_2

It’s that time of the year again when my Gas and Electricity supply contract has expired and I need to fine the latest ‘best deal’ for me. Finding the deal is relatively easy using the comparison sites. What I have come to dread is the actual switchover. This is supposed to be quick and easy but my experiences are far from it. My last 3 switchovers have taken way, way longer that they should have and I needed to constantly chase the new supplier to get their act together and make it happen. On 3 occasions my application has been automatically cancelled and no one has bothered to tell me. Apparently there is an issue with my meters on some national database that no one seems capable of resolving.

I’m guessing that the issue was partially caused by OVO energy talking me into having (definitely not) smart meters installed. The man who installed them couldn’t tell me how to read them, and neither could OVO’s customer (anything but) services. It took OVO 6 months to send me a bill.

Then came First Utility. At first they automatically cancelled my application and didn’t bother telling me. When I got them to find out why they told me that there was a problem with my Post Code on a national database. Then they couldn’t read my meters and I finally managed to get them to replace the electricity (definitely not) smart meter (they wouldn’t replace my gas meter) with a sensible and readable meter. Before they replaced the Electricity meter it started accumulating all my kWh used as night usage (the only good thing I can say about energy suppliers).
During my year with First Utility I could not: -
1. View my Electricity or Gas usage online
2. Submit the Electricity and Gas meter readings online, or by the automated telephone system
3. Change my tariff online
4. Get a bill based on the actual meter readings that I submitted (every time that I asked which day I should submit the reading I was told a different day)
5. Use the Android App

Extra Energy came next. Well not actually. After they too automatically cancelled my application and didn’t bother telling me; I told them what they could do with their company.

My current torturous and stressful expedition into changing suppliers is with Scottish Power. On: -
25 April. I signed-up using their website.
27 April. I phoned to confirm that everything was progressing well. I was told that my application had been automatically cancelled because of a problem on a national database. The customer services agent told me that he’s fixed the issue and I had to spend the next 20 minutes listening to him start my whole application again.
29 April. I received an email telling me that my transfer to Scottish Power has been cancelled ‘We’re sorry that you’ve changed you mind’. I phoned them and was told to ignore the email and that my transfer was scheduled for completion on 13 May.
16 May. I phoned asking why I couldn’t access my online account and was told that my electricity transfer had gone through but my gas transfer had failed and that I’d have to re-apply. Yet another 20 minutes listening to the same old garbage.

Xx May (or June or July). Who knows what the next episode of this woeful saga will bring.


My main points of this post are: -

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that switching is quick and easy; and secondly, is there an organisation out there that you can sign-up with and they will take on the painful process of switching for you; and take responsibility for monitoring your supplier the switching you again when a better deal becomes available?

This sounds like a business opportunity to me, but I am too old cope with all the stress.

P.S. Sorry that my post is so long.