Brilliant/Northumbria energy merger?

wavelets

I think I may have just workled out what is going on here.

From Northumbria Energy Website tonight

Smart meters will be fitted within 8 weeks of you signing up to help you keep track of your energy costs.

:cool:

Not sure how they will do that when they would only supply my gas (if I were tempted to agree, which I'm not)

Then again they also boast

A guaranteed saving on the monthly cost of your electricity and gas.

Guaranteed cheaper prices for life through our energy price tracker service.

I wonder how this guarantee works? :huh:
And why we are not being offerred these cheaper prices/savings today?

If I had a bragepole, I wouldn't be tempted to use it with this outfit.


Btw, just got an automated reply from Ofgem. They say it may be 10 working days before I get a response ... :cool:

wavelets

Actually I think we need to save this for posterity



Take a close read of all the nonsense, particularly on the LHS.
One of our surprises? No exit fees for the first 2 months?
There is only one tariff I am offered, it is variable and doesn't have any exit fees ... ever!

wavelets

I popped a quick email off to Brilliant Energy, and have got an automated acknowledgement back (as you do with them)

Seems they may have been getting quite a few enquiries, as they have this added section at present to the acknowledgement

**********************************************************
If your email is in relation to recent communication from us with regards to Northumbria Energy. Please note the following.

If you are on a fixed tariff with Brilliant Energy and wish to stay, we will not switch your supply until you are up for renewal.

If you are on a Fixed Tariff and wish to move to Northumbria Energy, please follow the link beneath to start the switch with no exit fees.

https://customer.northumbriaenergy.co.uk/quote?postcode

If you are on a variable tariff with Brilliant Energy please be aware we will initiate the switch to the cheaper Northumbria Energy tariff on or after the 3rd March 2019.

If you would like to switch before the march date please use the link above to the Northumbria Energy.

Northumbria Energy is a brand of Euston Energy Ltd. Euston Energy Ltd is a whitelabel partner of Brilliant Energy Supply Ltd.

If you have any questions please let us know and we would be happy to provide some clarity.
****************************************************************

As can be seen, it does include the statement that "Euston Energy Ltd is a whitelabel partner of Brilliant Energy Supply Ltd."

I have asked Ofgem if they can verify that claim, as:
1. that is not what the Ofgem website indicates - it indicates each company has a separate supply licence
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2019/01/gas_registered_or_service_addresses_new.pdf

2. If Euston Energy Ltd is a white label, then there is no supplier change, so it wouldn't take 21 days to happen. It would be a simple tariff transfer, and that could occur immediately if both customer & supplier agree.

Vendee

I don't pretend to fully understand what's going on but there is something wrong when an electricity company winds its self up and tries to transfer its customers to a new company it has set up with the same directors. It stinks!

wavelets

Vendee wrote: »

I don't pretend to fully understand what's going on but there is something wrong when an electricity company winds its self up and tries to transfer its customers to a new company it has set up with the same directors. It stinks!

I'm in the same situation (but for gas).

I think the regulator, Ofgem, needs to investigate what excatly is happening here.

Ofgen do not usually consider individual ustomer complaints about a supplier (that is the role of the ombudsman service, if the suppliercannot resolve it themselves), but it's worth communicating general concerns about a supplier to the regulator, Ofgem.

Email: consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk


Have you done a price check on Brillaint Energy website?
I have and see I would pay about 65% more than I currently do, if I were to switch to a new tariff today (e.g. if I were coming to the end of a fix)
Elsewhere, I can get a deal that is only 30% more expensive
Interestingly, for a supplier that seems intent on closing up shop, they still have a fixed tariff as well as a variable one on offer - but not much difference in the price of either.

Looks like they are just going to price us all away if we won't go voluntarily.

Vendee

wavelets wrote: »

Looks like they are just going to price us all away if we won't go voluntarily.

The way I read the email, there is nothing voluntary about it. The two options are to 1) switch to Northumbria 2) switch to another provider.

I'm on a fixed term deal which expires on 17th April. There doesn't seem to be an option to stay with Brilliant to the end of the fixed term, unless I've interpreted the email wrongly.

wavelets

Vendee wrote: »

The way I read the email, there is nothing voluntary about it. The two options are to 1) switch to Northumbria 2) switch to another provider.

I agree, but I'm not sure the regulator will. We'll have to wait and see.
But what I am saying is that it may be academic as they will just price us to take up one of those options

Vendee wrote: »

I'm on a fixed term deal which expires on 17th April. There doesn't seem to be an option to stay with Brilliant to the end of the fixed term, unless I've interpreted the email wrongly.

See post #14

It was the automated response I received

If you are on a fixed tariff with Brilliant Energy and wish to stay, we will not switch your supply until you are up for renewal.

If you send Brillaint energy an email, you should get the same automated acknowledgement.

Yes, this is contradictory to the email they sent, but I assume they've now worked out they can't breach a contract they have entered into ... unless they officially declare themselves to Ofgem as ceasing trading.

My fear is, once they switch all the profitable customers they can to another supplier, then they will only be left with the remaining, presumably loss making customers as they will be on the low cost fixed tariffs, and that will force the company to cease trading.

There was a similar type of thing that Economy Energy got involved in (before they stopped trading) in an arrangement with E Energy.
Ofgem stepped in when they uncovered this, and stopped the switches.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-orders-e-stop-transfer-former-economy-energy-customers

Vendee

I did as you suggested and emailed Brilliant. I got the same automated response which does indeed state that fixed term contracts will be honoured until the renewal date so at least that's good news. They haven't covered themselves in glory though.

devilish6

Hmmm seems that {Edited by Forum Team}, founder and director of Future Energy, which went bust last year with debts of more than £1.7m — leaving customers of other suppliers to pick up part of the bill is behind Northumbria Energy. Doesn't bode well!

search his name for info for a Times article (not permitted to post link here)

[Deleted User]

The article can be found at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boss-of-1-7m-energy-flop-future-launches-new-firm-from-his-family-home-s6m053gzz