MSE News: GB Energy goes bust, 160,000 customers affected

wavelets

uptdale wrote: »

I am the customer of the company which I have a contract with, and that is not clear. ....

Allow me to assist.

If you were previously supplied by GB Energy (and have not switched), you are now a customer of and in contract with Co-Op Energy

wavelets

uptdale wrote: »

There seem to be a number of issues which have not yet been sorted out at GB. The thing that concerns me is not knowing exactly who my energy supplier is:

My contract is with "GB Energy Supply", according to the terms and conditions on the website. Who or what is that, now?
I've just had an email from GB, which explains that "GB Energy Supply Ltd is a company registered in the UK & Wales [sic] (registered number 08500842) at registered office The Energy Centre, Garstang Road, Broughton, Preston, PR3 5DL". That's wrong on at least two counts: company number 08500842 is the company in administration, and the law requires communications by the company to state that it is in administration, which the email does not. And the registered office is now at the offices of BDO, not in Preston.

It is concerning that these details are still wrong. Customers are entitled to know which company they are dealing with.

Your contract was with GB Energy
That contract is now ended due to GB Energy going bust (and hence losing their licence to supply)
Since 30th November 2016, you were switched to Co Op Energy

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/gb-energy-supply-customers-your-questions-new-supplier-co-operative-energy

KGriff

NewShadow wrote: »

Just got a really dodgy email:



For context I was a GB company for roughly a month while I was waiting for the BG collective nearly a year ago.

When I left - a year ago - I had a final balance/refund and haven't contacted them/had contact since and therefore I wasn't a customer in December - when they apparently 'failed' to take my DD - and didn't receive any communication about them taking over the (closed) account.

Wondering if this is legit and I need to tell them to go swing before they reactivate the DD based on my old details or if this is a scam and I should just delete it.

I can't see how a legitimate company would/should/could send out an email asking a customer to make a random (and in no way protected) direct bank transfer...

Anyone have a legit email for the coop to report possibly fraudulent emails?

I've just received the same email with the correct direct debit amount but the reference quoted does not appear to be anything to do with my GBEnergy account ... it's not my customer reference.

So I'm not going to bacs the payment. I prefer to contact the coop direct via telephone, which I will do on Monday.

The email just looks a little too suspicious, I think.

uptdale

Your contract was with GB Energy
That contract is now ended due to GB Energy going bust (and hence losing their licence to supply)
Since 30th November 2016, you were switched to Co Op Energy
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/gb-energy-supply-customers-your-questions-new-supplier-co-operative-energy

The Ofgem website does not answer the question.
Let me clear. "GB Energy Supply" (the entity which is my supplier according to the contract on the GB website) and "Co-operative Energy" (the entity which Ofgem says is my supplier) are not names of companies. They are trading names, but whose?

This is basic stuff, which companies taking over other businesses usually take care to get right. It is concerning that whoever is running the GB website and sending out emails from GB still cannot get the basics right.

wavelets

uptdale wrote: »

The Ofgem website does not answer the question.
Let me clear. "GB Energy Supply" (the entity which is my supplier according to the contract on the GB website) and "Co-operative Energy" (the entity which Ofgem says is my supplier) are not names of companies. They are trading names, but whose?

This is basic stuff, which companies taking over other businesses usually take care to get right. It is concerning that whoever is running the GB website and sending out emails from GB still cannot get the basics right.

Let me be clear. You are a customer of Co-Op Energy
https://www.cooperativeenergy.coop/

Co-operative Energy Limited is a limited liability company registered in England and Wales with company number 06993470.

We hold a gas supply licence and an electricity supply licence, as granted by Ofgem (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets), which respectively authorise us to supply gas and electricity in Great Britain . We are a 100% subsidiary of The Midcounties Co-operative Limited and our registered address is:

Co-operative Energy
Co-operative House
Warwick Technology Park
Warwick
CV34 6DA

HTH

Scotlands_Lite

Surely the only proper way for CE/GBES to collect a missed DD payment is to re-issue the request thru their bank, which I'm sure is clearly laid out in the DD scheme guidelines. I certainly wouldn't be paying anything by bank transfer, whether the email is legit or not.


FYI, the sort code quoted in the email (20-53-22) points to a Barclays branch in Ludlow.

KGriff

Scotlands_Lite wrote: »

Surely the only proper way for CE/GBES to collect a missed DD payment is to re-issue the request thru their bank, which I'm sure is clearly laid out in the DD scheme guidelines. I certainly wouldn't be paying anything by bank transfer, whether the email is legit or not.


FYI, the sort code quoted in the email (20-53-22) points to a Barclays branch in Ludlow.

Yes, the email from Coop Energy does look suspicious, but I think it is legit. I've decided to pay/bacs £1 to see if it gets through to my energy payments. If it does, at least I will then know I can make a further payment later, to bring my energy account balance level.

What I have also noticed (and I don't know if this is the same for all energy companies) is that I received my recent/first coop energy bill the day before my direct debit was due for paymet. The bill showed me in Debt to them by £90, but then the very next day they took my usual £100 DD payment .. effectively putting me immediately back in credit, but a week later they have then sent me the email and quoted just the details of my last bill (not including the last DD payment) saying I'm in debt by £90 and that I should make another payment to them by Bacs to immediately correct my account ... which basically means I will then be paying for my gas/electric a full month in advance.

I Pay £100 per month, but often only use around £90, so very slowly my account tends to get more and more towards being in credit, but if I don't make up this 'one-day shortfall', what's the betting in a few months time the coop will choose to increase my DD payments.

I will of course put my account right eventually, but I think they can wait a while as my 6 monthly DD Payment review is not due for at least another 4 months.

Stratus

I received the same email claiming the December DD had not been taken but it is shown as being credited to my GB Energy / Cooperative Energy December statement and went out of by bank a few days before.

uptdale

Let me be clear. You are a customer of Co-Op Energy

And Co-operative Energy is???
Emails from Co-operative Energy dated 29 Nov, 1 Dec and 20 Dec:

The Midcounties Co-operative,
Trading as Co-operative Energy
The Midcounties Co-operative Limited a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 with registered number 19025R and whose registered office is at Co-operative House, Warwick Technology Park, Warwick, CV34 6DA

The word "Limited" in a company name means something. That's why the rules requiring disclosure of a company's identity exist.

slinga

Who is running things now?

Coop Energy or GB Energy.

I only get emails from GB Energy and GB energy continue to deduct my DD and a complete mess they are making of it.

Who should I complain to about over deductions from my account?

Thanks.