Frustrating switch via MSE Cheap Energy Club

funkysam

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can provide some advice....

I’ve switched many utility suppliers over the yeas via third party online providers and never had a problem switching.

In October 2016 I initiated my energy supplier switch via the MSE Cheap Energy Club from E.On to a fixed British Gas deal (Collective Fix Oct 2017). I received communication from British Gas that that the account was being set up and that the services was being transferred at the end of October. – Excellent!

I noticed that I did not have any electric metrics on the British Gas app and that I was still paying the direct debit to E.On.

At the beginning of January, I called BG and they stated that there was a problem on the electricity transfer (the gas was transferred correctly) and promised me that it will be resolved in the next week and I will receive a letter shortly confirming the switch. The letter never arrived.

I called E.On and they confirmed that they were still my electric provided and that there was no reason why the electric could not be switched and that there was not record on their system stating that the request to transfer out to BG failed.

The following week I received an email from MSE Cheap Energy Club stating that there was an issue with the GAS being transferred!

I called BG again and they confirmed that they are my gas supplier, so I’m not sure why MSE email stated that there was an issue with the gas switch. BG also said that they had no record on of my conversation and complaint in their system from the phone call in early January, that nothing was done as a result of my phone call!

BG could not say why the electric had not come over and then included me in a conference call with E.On to confirm that there was no reason why E.On would block the move. E.On confirmed to BG that there was not issue and the transfer should have been successful. BG will try again to request the electric.

This has been on going now since October and now I’ve lost the financial benefits of having a single provided over the winter etc and my electric is on the more expensive standard E.On Energy Plan. This switch has cost me money and is far from easy and advertised! …:(

Any thoughts how I proceed to recover money lost via the MSE switch?

Former_MSE_Laura_B

Hi funkysam,

I'm sorry to hear that you've had these frustrating issues with your switch over to British Gas. The majority of the time switching is straightforward, but unfortunately in a small number of cases things don't always run as smoothly as they should do.

It sounds as though it could be a technical issue related to your meter. As you've already made a formal complaint to British Gas about this, it should be stepping in and working to resolve this for you.

This should be investigated fully for you by British Gas, but you might want to add into your complaint that you'd like a goodwill gesture from it to cover the extra costs which you've now incurred.

Hopefully this will all be resolved for you soon. However if you're not happy with the outcome of your complaint, you'd then be able to take this to the Energy Ombudsman for impartial review.

Thanks,
MSE Laura

Misswol

This sounds really similar to my experience which I wrote about on another thread last week. The first I knew of any issue was an email from Cheap Energy Club telling me I would only get half the cashback! Like you, the email said the gas hadn't gone through, but my BG account shows that it's the electric which hasn't set up properly.
Unlike you, BG have seemingly been providing our electricity but the account was not set up so we have not been paying for it since oct. I'm expecting an unpleasant and unplanned for bill.

I have been making phone calls to try and sort this since the new year. I now have a complaint in and have been told that it should be sorted in a few weeks. Not holding my breath and not impressed with BG at all.