Tariff whilst switching suppliers

familyguy321

Hi,

I would like to clear up some confusion about the switching process as I have been given conflicting information.

I am currently on the BG collective fix ending on 28th Feb. I have started my switches to separate suppliers for Gas and Elec. Both are due to be completed after 28th Feb (most likely 2nd week of March).

My question is: what tariff will I be on from BG between 1st March and my new supply date?

Some people have said BG has to honour my current tariff until I switch, whereas others have said I will be on the standard tariff.

FG

footyguy

familyguy321 wrote: »

Hi,

I would like to clear up some confusion about the switching process as I have been given conflicting information.

I am currently on the BG collective fix ending on 28th Feb. I have started my switches to separate suppliers for Gas and Elec. Both are due to be completed after 28th Feb (most likely 2nd week of March).

My question is: what tariff will I be on from BG between 1st March and my new supply date?

Some people have said BG has to honour my current tariff until I switch, whereas others have said I will be on the standard tariff.

FG

What happens if we change your contract or raise prices
7.2 If we make a change to your contract and that change puts you at a disadvantage, or if we raise your prices, we’ll write to let you know at
least 30 days before the change or price rise happens. The change or price rise won’t affect you if:
• ...
• you arrange for another company to supply your gas and electricity, and the new supplier tells us about this within 20 working days after the change or price rise happened. That company has to begin supplying your gas and electricity reasonably soon after telling us
...

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/aem6/content/dam/britishgas/documents/tariffs/terms/gas-and-electricity-supply-terms-and-conditions.pdf

Asghar

If your switch happens after the 28th Feb then you will revert to the British Gas standard variable tariff till your new supplier takes over.

familyguy321

Asghar wrote: »

If your switch happens after the 28th Feb then you will revert to the British Gas standard variable tariff till your new supplier takes over.

Not according to the bit from the BG T&Cs that footyguy quoted:

The change or price rise won’t affect you if:
• you arrange for another company to supply your gas and electricity, and the new supplier tells us about this within 20 working days after the change or price rise happened. That company has to begin supplying your gas and electricity reasonably soon after telling us

SnowMan

British Gas are charging me standard tariff from 1st March despite the above, because my transfer from the BG collective fix to IRESA while actioned in February didn't take place until after 28th February 2017. I've complained but they won't back down.

I can see this is against the British Gas terms, assuming that the move from the fixed rate tariff to the standard tariff is deemed as covered by 'if we make a change to your contract and that change puts you at a disadvantage or if we raise your prices'.

But is it also against the gas supply conditions which say the same charges (i.e the old fixed tariff charges) should apply during the switching period subject to some easily met provisos ?

https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk/Document

24.9
In relation to each Fixed Term Supply Contract, unless the Domestic Customer has entered into a new Fixed Term Supply Contract with the licensee or paragraph 22C.5 of standard condition 22C applies, the licensee must ensure that where paragraph 24.10 applies a Domestic Customer will continue to be subject to the same Charges for the Supply of Gas and the same terms and conditions (but not any Termination Fee) that applied to that Fixed Term Supply Contract until they have changed their supplier.

24.10 This paragraph applies where one of the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) no later than 20 Working Days after (but not including) the date on which the fixed term period of a Fixed Term Supply Contract ends, the licensee receives Notice under the Network Code by way of the Relevant Gas Shipper that another Gas Supplier will begin to supply the Domestic Customer’s Domestic Premises within a reasonable period of time; and

(b) another Gas Supplier begins to supply the Domestic Customer’s Domestic Premises within a reasonable period of time after the date on which the Notice referred to in sub-paragraph 24.10(a) is given; or

(c) where:
(i) the conditions in sub-paragraphs 24.10(a) and (b) are met; and
(ii) the Domestic Customer has paid any Outstanding Charges within 30 Working Days after the Domestic Customer receives Notice that the licensee intends to prevent the Domestic Customer’s Proposed Supplier

Note also that British Gas confirm in the 'Your tariff ends soon' letter in section 3 on the second page that

If you decide to switch you'll keep your current prices until you switch to another supplier within 20 working days after your current tariff ends.They'll need to tell us you'd like to switch and it needs to be completed in a reasonable time.

However British Gas claim that 'current prices' means fixed rate to 28th February and standard tariff charges from 1st March, rather than the current fixed charges that applied when the letter was sent!

This seems to be deliberate and blatant overcharging of customers to me.

System

SnowMan wrote: »

British Gas are charging me standard tariff from 1st March despite the above, because my transfer from the BG collective fix to IRESA while actioned in February didn't take place until after 28th March 2017. I've complained but they won't back down.

I can see this is against the British Gas terms, assuming that the move from the fixed rate tariff to the standard tariff is deemed as covered by 'if we make a change to your contract and that change puts you at a disadvantage or if we raise your prices'.

But is it also against the gas supply conditions which say the same charges (i.e the old fixed tariff charges) should apply during the switching period subject to some easily met provisos ?

https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk/Document

Normally, it is corrected in the Final Bill. If not, then complain citing the above SLC.

SnowMan

Hengus wrote: »

Normally, it is corrected in the Final Bill. If not, then complain citing the above SLC.

Thanks. It is the final bill where the mis-charging has occurred

System

SnowMan wrote: »

Thanks. It is the final bill where the mis-charging has occurred

Very naughty. Let us know how things progress.

footyguy

SnowMan wrote: »

Thanks. It is the final bill where the mis-charging has occurred

Follow their complaint procedure.
If they still are mainatin they are correct, ask for a deadlock letter to speed matters up
Once you have the deadlock letter (or you will have to wait 8 weeks) off to the ombudsman

Btw, when did the switch actually take place? You say after 28 Feb, so it is rather surprising you have got the final bill already.

SnowMan

footyguy wrote: »

Follow their complaint procedure.
If they still are mainatin they are correct, ask for a deadlock letter to speed matters up
Once you have the deadlock letter (or you will have to wait 8 weeks) off to the ombudsman

Btw, when did the switch actually take place? You say after 28 Feb, so it is rather surprising you have got the final bill already.

The switch took place on 2nd March and the 'final statement' is dated 8th March 2017.

It's only 1 day charged at the standard rate (so trivial in my case, about a 80p overcharge), but I rang them up because I don't like the principle of them doing this when they are supposed not to and have promised they won't do this, and my hunch was that if that is how mine has been billed then that is how others will be billed.

The first complaint handler implied pretty much everybody who had switched from the collective switch but whose physical switch from the fixed rate collective switch delayed past 28th February was as a default position being billed incorrectly.

He actually said that they are right to bill post 28th February at the standard rate, and that had to be right or else that would mean they had billed large numbers of others incorrectly :rotfl:

But if we assume they are wrong not to apply license condition 24.9 in the way we think it should be applied, but that the compliant handler is right that this is their default billing methodology then large numbers must be being billed incorrectly hence my translation

The complaint is ongoing and the 56 day clock is ticking. I think I did get eventual agreement from them today after over an hour of phone calls for the 1 day to be billed at the collective fixed rate tariff rates, but I have said that unless they confirm in writing that they accept that they are required by the license conditions and their own terms and conditions and statement in the 'your tariff ends soon' letter to bill the day at the old fixed rate the complaint wasn't closed in my view.

Only others experience will clarify whether they, going forward, bill people correctly, so will be interested to hear from others with final bills straddling both sides of 28th February.

phillw

SnowMan wrote: »

I think I did get eventual agreement from them today after over an hour of phone calls for the 1 day to be billed at the collective fixed rate tariff rates, but I have said that unless they confirm in writing that they accept that they are required by the license conditions and their own terms and conditions and statement in the 'your tariff ends soon' letter to bill the day at the old fixed rate the complaint wasn't closed in my view.

While I admire your principals, if they agree to leave you on the collective tariff then as long as they don't ask you to sign an NDA then you should probably take it and let us know. If you try to get them to admit anything then they'll probably treat you less favourably, which will make them more likely to refuse requests from anyone else.

The people you deal with have a certain level of discretion but will bounce anything higher to someone who has less empathy.