Confirmation re Cancellation Fee

SuiDreams

With Sainsbury's Energy and am now ready to switch T&C's state

"If you switch to another energy supplier before 13th October 2017 we’ll charge you an exit fee of £20.00 for electricity and £20.00 for gas. We’ll collect exit fees before any other amounts you owe us, either from payments you make or from your credit balance."


Can I confirm with everyone is this switch going through before 13th or applying to switch before 13th, as I would like to apply to switch now, but don't want to have to pay the exit fee for the sake of 1 week.


Sorry for being dense but want to be careful.

molerat

When does your contract end, 13th I assume ? As long as your switch takes place no more than 49 days before your contract end date then no penalty can be imposed. BG/Sainsbury's though have been known to charge the fee any time before contract end date. They also, by the terms of their licence, must send you a notification between 49 and 42 days before the end of your contract stating those facts.

SuiDreams

molerat wrote: »

When does your contract end, 13th I assume ? As long as your switch takes place no more than 49 days before your contract end date then no penalty can be imposed. BG/Sainsbury's though have been known to charge the fee any time before contract end date. They also, by the terms of their licence, must send you a notification between 49 and 42 days before the end of your contract stating those facts.

Contract end date is 30th November, so from T&C's it looks like the 13th is the earliest the switch can go through. So applying to switch today should be fine in that case as I would still be within 14 days cooling off period on 13th?


I usually wait till closer to the end date to switch, so not had this issue before.

System

SuiDreams wrote: »

Contract end date is 30th November, so from T&C's it looks like the 13th is the earliest the switch can go through. So applying to switch today should be fine in that case as I would still be within 14 days cooling off period on 13th?


I usually wait till closer to the end date to switch, so not had this issue before.

Beware. You are on a Fixed Term Contract with exit fees. The date of the actual transfer has nothing to do with your contract terms. Supply Licences state that suppliers have to notify customers in the period 49 to 42 days before contract end that the contract is coming to its end. Once this notification has been sent out, the supplier can no longer charge exit fees.

If you apply today, there is a possibility that the new supplier will receive industry notification that a transfer is in progress outwith the 49 day period. In my view - others may disagree - the supplier is legally entitled to charge exit fees for a breach of contract. This is why MSE and others suggest that you wait until there are 49 days or less left on your present contract.

How much will you actually save by switching a few days early?

SuiDreams

Hengus wrote: »

Beware. You are on a Fixed Term Contract with exit fees. The date of the actual transfer has nothing to do with your contract terms. Supply Licences state that suppliers have to notify customers in the period 49 to 42 days before contract end that the contract is coming to its end. Once this notification has been sent out, the supplier can no longer charge exit fees.

If you apply today, there is a possibility that the new supplier will receive industry notification that a transfer is in progress outwith the 49 day period. In my view - others may disagree - the supplier is legally entitled to charge exit fees for a breach of contract. This is why MSE and others suggest that you wait until there are 49 days or less left on your present contract.

How much will you actually save by switching a few days early?

Thank you will wait till next Friday in that case, was just concerned about prices changing in the meantime. As the clause in the T&C's clearly state we will charge if I switch before 13th October (see 1st post) applying to switch on 13th should be safe.