Utility Point - Beware

villabadger66

I've been a Utility Point customer for a couple of years without any issues. However, today I received an email from Neon Reef informing me of my new agreement with them to supply my energy. I've had no contact with this company but the details (all personal information) are clearly taken from my current contract with Utility Point. Turns out that both companies have the same directors! I think this breaks GDPR rules as these are different legal entities, plus I haven't agreed any contract terms with this company.
Anyone else received a similar email?
Please be cautious if you are switching to Utility Point! 

macman

That's not a GDPR issue, it's an erroneous transfer...

Phones4Chris

There's a similar thread this morning https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6238127/utility-point-moving-accounts

UnclaimedEnergy

villabadger66 said:

I've been a Utility Point customer for a couple of years without any issues. However, today I received an email from Neon Reef informing me of my new agreement with them to supply my energy. I've had no contact with this company but the details (all personal information) are clearly taken from my current contract with Utility Point. Turns out that both companies have the same directors! I think this breaks GDPR rules as these are different legal entities, plus I haven't agreed any contract terms with this company.
Anyone else received a similar email?
Please be cautious if you are switching to Utility Point! 

I'm guessing you're an elec only customer then?

Neon Reef and Utility Point and are owned by the same directors. It sounds like they are doing something dodgy by moving customers across to Neon Reef before giving up on Utility Point and putting it through the supplier of last resort.

Neon Reef don't currently offer gas tariffs though so I would guess it'll only be Elec customers that they move over.

'edited to remove the white label stuff'

Shedman

Any way of finding out whether UP and Neon Reef each have their own supply licences as presumably if that were the case then if UP goes into SOLR, NR doesn't necessarily automatically follow as its a)separate legal entity and b) has its own separate supply licence ?

EDIT: just found the list on Ofgem site.  NR do have separate supply licence number (10871657) for Electricity whereas UP is 10610614 for Electric.  

Therefore does my point above therefore hold...I would have thought so (regardless of common directors) as it doesn't appear NR is a white label, unlike Northumbria Energy as per the Brilliant example as I'm assuming that they were just a separate billing entity for power supplied through Brilliants supply licences.

UnclaimedEnergy

Shedman said:

Any way of finding out whether UP and Neon Reef each have their own supply licences as presumably if that were the case then if UP goes into SOLR, NR doesn't necessarily automatically follow as its a)separate legal entity and b) has its own separate supply licence ?

EDIT: just found the list on Ofgem site.  NR do have separate supply licence number (10871657) for Electricity whereas UP is 10610614 for Electric.  

Therefore does my point above therefore hold...I would have thought so (regardless of common directors) as it doesn't appear NR is a white label, unlike Northumbria Energy as per the Brilliant example as I'm assuming that they were just a separate billing entity for power supplied through Brilliants supply licences.

Yeah I got confused with other dodgy directors/suppliers. 

susie5

Neon Reef speaks for Utility Point it seems. Just received e-mail from NR saying UP will take my money from account this month and they will take over after that. What will happen to any money already in my UP  account will it transfer over do you think.

Shedman

I've just read through the UP T&Cs and the only thing I can find that might remotely allow them to switch you to Neon Reef (a separate legal entity with its own Ofgem supply licence  despite its common directorship) is the following clause:

22 OTHER CONDITIONS

22.1 In the event of a company restructure, change of ownership or another event required as part of our general course of business, we may transfer any of our rights or obligations under this agreement and it may not be possible to notify you or seek your permission beforehand.

All seems a bit underhand to me..

Gerry1

susie5 said:

What will happen to any money already in my UP  account will it transfer over do you think.

I wonder whether only profitable customers with credit balances are being transferred to NR, leaving the indebted ones with UP?

If UP then collapse, presumably it will mean that all the other companies will have to bale them out via the SoLR procedure?

villabadger66

Yes, I'm on an electric only tariff. My In-Laws are on gas and electric with them but have not had an email.
This 'new' company tell me I have agreed to a new 12 month contract even though the UP contract is up for renewal in the summer. I've emailed them to ask what evidence they have of my agreement to this... think I'd prefer to choose my own supplier!
I wish I bothered to check out their financial status before - last year they reported £7M in Liabilities for 2019. I wonder how bad it is now as it looks like they have borrowed cash twice in the last year. 

UnclaimedEnergy

villabadger66 said:

Yes, I'm on an electric only tariff. My In-Laws are on gas and electric with them but have not had an email.
This 'new' company tell me I have agreed to a new 12 month contract even though the UP contract is up for renewal in the summer. I've emailed them to ask what evidence they have of my agreement to this... think I'd prefer to choose my own supplier!
I wish I bothered to check out their financial status before - last year they reported £7M in Liabilities for 2019. I wonder how bad it is now as it looks like they have borrowed cash twice in the last year. 

Have they said that this new 12m contract has an exit fee? If you haven't agreed to anything and don't want to be with them then raise a complaint, if they don't budge then try to go to the energy ombudsman