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

chris73

My preference is to switch now. What is to stop me ?

Does anybody know the switching process?. My own fear in doing this would be that the new supplier would need to contact the original supplier in some way in order to obtain information to approve, or sign over the transfer, if the original supplier is now, I assume, a closed business consisting of a locked office with no staff, the information would probably never be forthcoming so the transfer would never complete and you'd be stuck in limbo between suppliers with no knowledge of the tariff you were paying for the energy you were using in the interim, and no entity to pay for that usage.

Of course if the switching process is entirely automatic requiring no human involvement or key presses on the GB side, then go for it. Perhaps somebody with the knowledge of this can advise the process, so we can know for sure whether doing this is a help or just likely to complicate matters even further.

boneofo

Anybody know about warm home discount? Have the GB energy supply core group customers been paid yet?
The email [EMAIL="warmhomediscount@decc.gsi.gov.uk"]warmhomediscount@decc.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL] has probably changed for complaints about WHD since DEC has been scrapped so does anyone have a alternative?

System

facade wrote: »

As I see it,

1) you will lose your credit balance. Not a biggie for me, as I've been with them 10 months, so I've forgotten paying a month before I started, and I can believe that my last DD paid for November. (I don't mean I'm so flush I can just throw it away, but I perceive it as paying for November, If I get it back - bonus)

.

Unproven -mi Lord. GBEnergy has stopped trading. You are still on Supply. If you switch todayy, then another supplier has to provide you with energy for at least 17 days before your switch goes through. In theory, you should but moved to a SoLR - along with your credit balance - but this is the great unknown that OFGEM needs to clarify.

rozel

Reference my post #23, I "cancelled" my direct debit online but wanted assurance that it wouldn't be paid given today is a Sunday. My gut feelings were found correct as my Bank told me it would be paid but that on Tuesday I could invoke the Direct Debit Indemnity scheme and claim it back.

***Now the Interesting Bit***

They told me that as my Credit had been built up soley through my direct debits, I could invoke the Indemnity Scheme to "claim back" my credit.

I'm not sure about this though but has anyone else considered this? My days in Banking were over 16 years ago and am not up to speed these days. But this sounds promising and I have it from a Supervisor who convinced me that this would be possible. I would welcome reactions from others, who are in credit.

I will be checking tomorrow both my Bank, anything from ML and also the news and will be ringing my Bank on Tuesday.

roz

locky123

It seems that there are no guarantees that those in credit will get any back, all ifs and maybes. I'm in credit and will cancel DD tomorrow after hopefully some clarification.

matelodave

The big problem with all of this is there just doesn't seem to be a plan - it's all if's, but's and maybe's.

In my view it's unacceptable for OFGEM to just point people to their "this is what we, think or hope will happen". They should have a plan that is properly though through with specific actions that should be adhered to by all parties - including us, the customers who are most affected.

Whilst we are all in limbo it becomes a free for all and b*@@ers muddle because no one knows what to do or where they stand.

I for one have not been notified that they've gone bust or told what to do about it so as far as I'm concerned it's do as you would normally have done until told otherwise either by letter or e-mail. So I'm still a GB Energy customer with a contract with them. So if I feel that a switch is appropriate, for whatever reason, thats what I'll do until I'm speciffical told otherwise, not by hearsay or something from the BBC or Daily Mail.

If it gets complex and OFGEM start whinging, then they've only got themselves to blame for not getting on the case immediately. The fact that it was the weekend isn't an excuse as far as I'm concerned - they should have contingiency plans

System

When companies go bust they rarely inform each and everyone of their creditors or customers. They just stop trading. It is the role of the Receiver to take matters forward and usually takes a while.

m0bov

I have cancelled my DD, started a switch to Robin Hood Energy and started a claim back via my bank for my credit. No one has contacted me from Ofgen or GBE so I don't hold up much hope of anything be done as its been badly handled so far.

[Deleted User]

But the regulator should have a well thought out plan and be able to put it in place within hours.
There should be a detailed list of what will happen and exactly what the consumer can and cannot do. Also details of the financial backing that the Regulator has put in place so as not to worry people needlessly. (like the banks have done with the regulator controlled deposit guarantee scheme)

TW1234

Does the contract with GB have anything to permit Ofgem to pass on a contract to a new supplier at anything other than the GB contract rate?
It would seem that a GB customer could simply refuse to agree to the switch.I cannot envisage quite what would then happen about payment for fuel used after GB ceased trading and supplied through the network by the energy distributor, not from an agreement with a new supplier.