Objection to Gas company switch

james290786

I have just moved from a gas less Scottish island to England into a new house with both gas and electric. British Gas were suppliers to the previous owners. They only offered a Fixed contract and was unable to speak to a human to request a variable tarif so asked another supplier to quote and accepted their variable quote. I had signed with BG due to desperation then used the cooling off period and cancelled the contract. My electric is being transferred but BG have objected to the Gas transfer. I did setup a DD with BG which the first month has been paid. Why would BG object to gas but not to electric. I have not received a letter stating BG have objected. What can I do?

jbuchanangb

When you move in to a house in England you are automatically on a deemed contract with the incumbent supplier. There is no such thing as signing on in desperation. There is no "cooling off period". The procedure is to read the meters, notify the supplier of the date of occupation and the meter readings. This can be done on the phone or in writing, but usually not online. Once this account is open, then there is the opportunity to switch supplier, but in current market conditions, advice is NOT to switch. There is also no concept of "electricity being transferred". An account cannot be transferred from one property to another. Account is closed at one and a new account opened at the other.

So when your chosen alternative supplier contacted BG to process your switch request, if you did not already have an account with BG, then BG were right to object to the switch request. It is also unlikely that an alternative supplier will enrol you as a new customer on their standard variable tariff at the moment. If you can unravel the situation, I suggest trying to to stay with BG for both types of energy, on their standard variable tariffs. Or if an electricity switch happens and gas doesn't, stay with alternative supplier for electricity (hopefully on SVT) and stick with BG for gas on SVT.

dogshome

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

Curiousgirl1

dogshome said:

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

That’s wrong. All contracts have a cooling off period, whether it’s changing supplier or just changing tariff with an existing supplier.  If the OP cancelled the fixed price tariff with BG within 14 days of agreeing it, they would simply be put onto the SV tariff 

[Deleted User]

Curiousgirl1 said:

dogshome said:

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

That’s wrong. All contracts have a cooling off period, whether it’s changing supplier or just changing tariff with an existing supplier.  If the OP cancelled the fixed price tariff with BG within 14 days of agreeing it, they would simply be put onto the SV tariff 

Are you sure this Is correct?  I am struggling to find any regs/rules that state this (i.e. applying to deemed contracts).

I would have thought that if the OP is persistent they can revert back to a SVT on the grounds of the wrong information given by British Gas CS. 

Curiousgirl1

[Deleted User] said:

Curiousgirl1 said:

dogshome said:

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

That’s wrong. All contracts have a cooling off period, whether it’s changing supplier or just changing tariff with an existing supplier.  If the OP cancelled the fixed price tariff with BG within 14 days of agreeing it, they would simply be put onto the SV tariff 

Are you sure this Is correct?  I am struggling to find any regs/rules that state this (i.e. applying to deemed contracts).

I would have thought that if the OP is persistent they can revert back to a SVT on the grounds of the wrong information given by British Gas CS. 

Agreeing to a fixed tariff with an existing supplier is entering into a contract with T’s & C’s. Regardless of whether your changing suppliers or not you still have 14 days to change your mind 

[Deleted User]

Curiousgirl1 said:

Agreeing to a fixed tariff with an existing supplier is entering into a contract with T’s & C’s. Regardless of whether your changing suppliers or not you still have 14 days to change your mind 

Still struggling to find anything in my T&C (for Eon Next) applicable to the situation the OP finds themselves in.  But I am happy to take your word that this is indeed the case although it makes anyone's case stonger if you can quote chapter and verse to them.  For the OP ideally this would have to be somewhere in BG's T & C.

JJ_Egan

Would it not be under OFsomebodys rules as well .

Gerry1

Submit a formal complaint by Royal Mail and get a free Certificate of Posting.  State that you were mis-sold and ask for a complaint number and deadlock letter.  With luck, that should do the trick.  If not, go to the Ombudsman upon receipt of the deadlock letter or after eight weeks if they don't send one.

MWT

Curiousgirl1 said:

[Deleted User] said:

Curiousgirl1 said:

dogshome said:

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

That’s wrong. All contracts have a cooling off period, whether it’s changing supplier or just changing tariff with an existing supplier.  If the OP cancelled the fixed price tariff with BG within 14 days of agreeing it, they would simply be put onto the SV tariff 

Are you sure this Is correct?  I am struggling to find any regs/rules that state this (i.e. applying to deemed contracts).

I would have thought that if the OP is persistent they can revert back to a SVT on the grounds of the wrong information given by British Gas CS. 

Agreeing to a fixed tariff with an existing supplier is entering into a contract with T’s & C’s. Regardless of whether your changing suppliers or not you still have 14 days to change your mind 

Agreed, this is entirely correct.

You can't escape the deemed tariff, but once you agree to a different tariff you are forming a new contract so the cooling-off period applies.

If you use that right to cancel it puts you back on the deemed tariff of course, but the right to cancel the new fixed tariff contract is certainly there.

[Deleted User]

Curiousgirl1 said:

dogshome said:

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

That’s wrong. All contracts have a cooling off period, whether it’s changing supplier or just changing tariff with an existing supplier.  If the OP cancelled the fixed price tariff with BG within 14 days of agreeing it, they would simply be put onto the SV tariff 

Surely, deemed contracts have no cooling off period. I would also suggest that there is no cooling off period when an existing customer switches a tariff. I know that if I contact Octopus today and change my Electicity tariff that the change will be implemented at midnight under SLC24 - Mutual Variation of Contracts. I have yet to receive an email saying that I have 14 days to cancel.