Letting agent changed our energy supplier

Purplecrumpet

Hello, i've joined the forums after reading quite a few posts that are similar to this one.

So, we (me and my partner) signed a tenancy agreement to rent a property on the 13th.
The company providing the gas and electric for the property was EDF and so on the 13th we signed up with EDF so that we could switch supplier. We then contacted OVO and requested a switch.

So on the 15th we get a response saying that a switch isnt possible as a switch is already taking place ... To a company id never heard of.. Spark
Apparently an account with spark has been set up in my name and i had requested the switch. Despite having never even heard of them before.
I looked at their website and read the reviews and was immediately filled with dread. I spoke to someone from spark on their live chat but didnt really get anywhere and was told id have to phone the helpline. I was on hold for 45 minutes and was then asked for an account number (that i dont have, having never even heard of them before) when i told the woman on the phone that i didnt have one, she asked for my post code, i gave her the postcode and she put the phone down!!

There is nothing at all in our tenancy agreement/contract that says we have to use spark, or even mentions them.

How on earth has my name been used to open an account with an energy supplier I have never heard of, at an address I've only just moved to?

After reading the very, very many horror stories regarding Spark I'm now even more concerned that this is going to turn into a complete nightmare. Ive tried to contact the estate agent by phone but they didnt answer, im hoping they can shed some light on the situation tomorrow.. any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

CashStrapped

Hmm, odd. Certainly speak to the letting agency. They may have attempted to be super helpful and pre-switch you onto what they thought was a cheap tariff. But this is not in their remit and should not have been done.

Are you sure EDF were supplying the property to begin with? What made you think that?

If you wanted to be sure, check with the DNO for your area

http://www.energynetworks.org/info/faqs/electricity-distribution-map.html

They will be able to confirm who is actually supplying your address.

It could be an erroneous transfer, a transfer done in error, and your details were picked up somehow.

IF EDF are your current suppliers, you can see if they can prevent the switch from going through, if you have caught it early enough.

But, confirm they are, in reality the actual suppliers with the DNO.

J_B

Isn't your post title a little misleading when you don't know who has ordered the switch?

Speak to the letting agent.

dogshome

Look at your lease that probably says Spark are the supplier

Spark get their customers by bribing LA's to switch the Energy supplies of rented properties to them whilst the property is in limbo between tenants.
This is nasty, but legal.

What isn't legal is for the Switch to made whilst the property has a sitting tenant - Check the date you signed up on, against the date of the Switch

House_Martin

Spark are cheaper than EDF in yearly fixed tariffs deals. Lots of suppliers get lousy reviews but they take less money out of your bank every month. Be brave and give Spark a try, or at least compare them to rip off EDF on a comp site before flapping around in a panic about a few bad reviews.
Its no concern if they pay letting agents a few quid .Most of the time they are getting their tenants on cheaper prepayment meters than the big 6 rip off merchants and Spark are one of the cheaper suppliers for credit meters on fixed tariff deals.
Spark get more bad reviews because by the very nature of having more first time flat dwellers on their books , the tenants have no idea about utility bills or paying their way and end up in debt because of their own ignorance of the system.
I read meters for Spark and have first hand experience of some of their hysterical teenage customers who don`t have a clue about budgeting..

I ve got three friends happily signed up to Iresa Energy who also get lousy reviews and all have had no problems at all enjoying some of the cheapest tariffs in the UK

macman

Dogshome is correct, Spark pay commission to LA's to do this, it's well documented on other threads ad nauseam.
If you are still in the 14 day cooling-off period, just cancel the switch to Spark, but do it in writing.

Former Spark Representative

Hi Purplecrumpet

I'm sorry that I didn't see your thread earlier.

If you'd like any help please drop me a line to the email address on my profile. I'd need your name, your supply address and any information that you think might be helpful.

Kind regards

Jenny
Customer Relations Manager

jess1808

My Estate Agents did this too (reeds reins) however because it was empty for a while before we got it the switch was already done and we just requested a switch straight away to elsewhere on a much better deal. See if you can cancel the switch or just let it happen and switch elsewhere asap.

CaptGraybags

Hi Purplecrumpet

...please see my thread on "More dodgy practice at Spark" for my ongoing experience with unauthorised transfer to Spark.