can't swith energy supplier because of smart meter? is there a way around it?

grai

hello everyone
I just had an MSE email telling me to switch to Bulb but during the filling in of the switch application everything ground to a halt because my last supplier utilia put in a smart meter

now I'm realisng they were so eager to do so because it locks me in with them

is there any way around this? surely that cannot be legal?

Streaky_Bacon

Having a smart meter fitted by a supplier doesn't prevent you from moving to another supplier.

What do you mean "everything ground to a halt"? What exactly happened?

[Deleted User]

Hi,


well Bulb says you can.


Did Bulb say that it wouldn't work, meaning that your smart meter would become a dumb meter and that you would have to read and provide meter readings yourself?

grai

What do you mean "everything ground to a halt"? What exactly happened?
On the bulb application to change over to bulb it asked do you have a smart meter? When I ticked yes it said we don't accept new customers with smart meters and I couldn't go further with that ticked

Streaky_Bacon

grai wrote: »

What do you mean "everything ground to a halt"? What exactly happened?
On the bulb application to change over to bulb it asked do you have a smart meter? When I ticked yes it said we don't accept new customers with smart meters and I couldn't go further with that ticked

It's either a very recent change of policy or, more likely, a mistake somewhere.

I would just call them.

https://help.bulb.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/115001240291-How-can-I-get-in-touch-with-Bulb-

0300 30 30 635

[Deleted User]

If you are on a prepayment meter then Bulb cannot use the Secure Liberty meters in prepay mode. Utilita would have to switch it to credit mode but Bulb may do a credit history check and reject it..
If this is the case you could switch to another supplier who can use Secure Liberty meters, Eon one of the big six can and so can quite a few small suppliers including Ovo .
All suppliers can use Secure Liberty meters, which Utilita use, in credit mode as dumb meters.

PennineAcute

As Utilita smart meters are installed as credit meters, on the national database, there is no need to say you are on prepay.

A nice way to get off prepay meters. That's how I did it, but with OVO (now boost)

You just do not tell them you were originally on a prepay tariff.

Thomas_Edison

You can definitely switch to them with a smart meter, it just may not stay smart and if it's in prepay mode it will automatically switch to credit mode when your switch completes to them.

https://help.bulb.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/115001232092-Can-I-switch-to-Bulb-with-a-smart-meter-

[Deleted User]

Thomas_Edison wrote: »

You can definitely switch to them with a smart meter, it just may not stay smart and if it's in prepay mode it will automatically switch to credit mode when your switch completes to them.

https://help.bulb.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/115001232092-Can-I-switch-to-Bulb-with-a-smart-meter-

New customers do not have an automatic right to join any supplier on a credit meter . All suppliers, at least those with sense (EDF have no sense ) will do a credit history search before accepting customers.
Why would a supplier give someone what could be a 2k loan just on trust ?
.Its quite possible for a new customer to rack up 2k debts on credit meters before suppliers take action to enter the property with a court warrant to exchange meters to prepayment meters. Suppliers will simply pass their losses on to make the honest pay. EDF who are known to have a lax attitude to new customers on credit meters deserved to be warned and fined by OFGEM if that is how they accept new customers to credit meters.
. Professional renters, continually on the move flitting from property to property, rent free usually are working throughout the UK.
I have seen it closely in action working as a meter reader when one big debtor who had racked up a huge debt with Scot Power and had a prepayment meter force fitted simply moved out two doors down to an EDF property ( with credit meters ) and continued stealing energy

Thomas_Edison

Houbara, good point and I agree suppliers probably should do credit checks, but I know that Bulb and most of the less established suppliers definitely don't.

They rely on the current supplier objecting to the switch away because of debt or otherwise managing these cases more efficiently as a business.

PennineAcute

In the past three years, out of Scottish Power, EON, Zog and Utility Point, only EON have credit checked me.