PfP Energy ceases trading - here's everything you need to know

alicef

MWT said:

Broadly, yes, it would be a bit like walking into their office building and complaining about marketing material in reception...

So, given that BG has my name/address/financial details (probably), certainly my relationship to another utility company; and I have set my marketing preferences under their own website within my own account which has financial dealings (at some point!!!!!) - I have no better protection under the DP Act for operating my account online vs 'ms anonymous I've just walked up to reception to have a moan'?  ...

wow, and I thought the DP Act was a bit iffy at best - now I know better!

Alpha_5

You are misunderstanding the purpose of GDPR - it has nothing to do with stopping advertising.

You have no legal right to prevent any company from advertising to you. You do however have a right to control how your personal and sensitive data is used by companies with regard to marketing. 

alicef

I'm not an expert either.

I think that the Consumer Council has details of the Marketing Code of Practice for Electricity suppliers.  I'll pass the question onto them.  

I should be able to control how a company markets to me - otherwise what is the point of the MPS; TPS etc etc? let alone online setting of cookies etc?.

Alpha_5

That's probably a good idea. We're going round in circles here but I will add that, again, cookies store personal information about you - that's why you have a legal right to control them.
Even if you decline cookies on a website, you'll still see adverts, just not tailored to you based on your personal browsing history. 

Again, MPS and TPS are about how companies use your personal information to market to you. It's why registering with MPS prevents companies sending mail in your name and address, but the same companies may still send non-personalised mail addressed to 'the occupier' as part of a blanket send to a whole street/area.

And with that I shall bid you a good night. Do keep us updated with how you get on though - genuinely interested to know.

morhen

This just rumbles on and on.  British Gas are seriously the worse provider I have ever seen.  Now that they reinstated the take over (after cancelling it for no reason), they have officially become the provider on the 29th December.  They have only gone and broke the economy 7 smart meter with a software update!  Apparently British Gas do not do an economy 7 smart meter with 5 ports on it, so have turned off the 5 port.  The 5 port is hooked up to the storage heaters, and as such, there is now no heat in the house since the 29th December. 

Remote updates have failed and the only solution is to replace the meter with an old dumb meter.  The engineer yesterday didn't have one, but after a phone call from British Gas, they found one and booked a meter swap today.  Nobody has turned up and  the only thing they could do is re-book and emergancy visit today.... to which nobody has turned up again!  Looks like another few nights of having no heat.  Anyone know about any compensation I could look into claiming for my mother who is in her 70's and has been without heat now since the 29th?

MWT

morhen said:

Remote updates have failed and the only solution is to replace the meter with an old dumb meter.

You are not getting good information it seems, even if BG for some reason cannot support a 5 port smart meter, they can still replace it with a 4-port meter and use the ALCS option to switch an external contactor, it does not require an old dumb meter.

morhen

MWT said:

morhen said:

Remote updates have failed and the only solution is to replace the meter with an old dumb meter.

You are not getting good information it seems, even if BG for some reason cannot support a 5 port smart meter, they can still replace it with a 4-port meter and use the ALCS option to switch an external contactor, it does not require an old dumb meter.

I don't think there is an external contactor fitted, the wires go straight from the 5th port to the storage heaters.  The engineer did everything he could to be honest and it's not his fault there is an issue.  The office staff how ever are another matter.. turns out the booking today was booked before a meter was ready.  Looks like it will be Tuesday or Wednesday before a suitable meter is available.  Am guessing fitting an external contractor would be outside the scope of British Gas anyway as it's part of the internal wiring?

MWT

morhen said:

Am guessing fitting an external contractor would be outside the scope of British Gas anyway as it's part of the internal wiring?

No, it is considered part of the meter wiring and is routinely fitted by the smart meter engineers when replacing old dumb E7 meters.

It has been the standard solution to the shortage of 5-port meters for some time now...

devondiver

morhen said:

- they reinstated the take over (after cancelling it for no reason), they have officially become the provider on the 29th December.

 
Where is this documented?   - if I may be so bold.

bagand96

devondiver said:

morhen said:

- they reinstated the take over (after cancelling it for no reason), they have officially become the provider on the 29th December.

 
Where is this documented?   - if I may be so bold.

I'm guessing that as per the previous posts, morhen is talking about their own transfer as opposed to the general PFP > British Gas transfer.