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British Gas blocking moving gas supply to British Gas Evolve
matthewr882001
Posts: 1 Newbie
in Energy
Hi all,
British Gas is blocking me moving my gas supply over to their "online only" company "Evolve". Back at the start of September my energy supplier, PFP Energy, went into administration, along with several other small energy suppliers, due to the cost of gas sky rocketing, as everyone should be aware. So, Ofgem decided to place my electric and gas supplies with British Gas (from here BG). As chaos ensued, and we were looking at a massive energy cost increase I frantically searched for a cheaper supplier. None of the usual online energy switch companies could generate quotes, due to the volatile nature of gas prices. So I started searching myself, and everywhere I went I was getting quotes of upwards of £250 a month for both supplies, when we were previously paying £125 a month. When I was beginning to get desperate I stumbled upon a well hidden company called "Evolve", who are an offshoot of BG. They quoted me £166 a month for both Gas and Electric, locked in till Oct-23! So I frantically processed the switch from BG to Evolve. I received confirmation, and a request for opening meter readings, which I supplied. I had a closing bill from BG for £11.27, as I'd only been with them for a few days, which I paid straight away. All done and dusted... or so I thought... a long post follows, strap in folks.
Within a few days it came to light that the gas supply had failed to transfer over. I contacted Evolve using their webchat (they don't have a phoneline, they are online only) and they said the issue was at BG's end. So I contacted BG, and after 1 and a half hours on the phone they said they could see no reason for the transfer to fail. During this call, I was told that there was a likelihood that I would lose the tariff I signed up for with Evolve, but after 45 minutes of fighting they said it wouldn't an issue (foreshadowing?). They said to speak to Evolve again to get them to attempt the transfer again, which I did. I continued supplying meter reading as requested by Evolve, and their website showed my gas supply, along with the tariff I signed up for. With there being no reason for the failure everything looked ok.
On the 24th of November I received an email from Evolve saying they were changing their name to... "British Gas", giving the reason below...
"We've listened to our customers feedback and know that British Gas is a name they know and trust – and we know how important that is at a time when there's so much uncertainty in the energy market. What you think really matters to us, so we're changing our name."
This seemed a little fishy to me, almost like they were trying to hide Evolve. I'll continue to call them Evolve for clarity, but on paper they are now "British Gas". We'll come back to this later.
On the 10th of December I received a call from "British Gas", asking if I'd like to get smart meters installed. I'd been holding off on this for years, and I thought I'd finally bite the bullet and get them installed. I went thought the whole booking process for the appointment then the lady said, "that's the booking sorted for your gas meter". Cold sweat kicked in. I asked if the electric meter would be done at the same time to be told "we don't hold your electric supply, that is with the "other British Gas".
So I jumped back onto the "Evolve" website to speak to "James" on their webchat. He tells me the transfer had "failed" again, but they could see no reason, and for me to contact "BG" proper. Who once again, told me there was no issue and for Evolve to request the transfer again. I did this and I asked them to confirm that I wouldn't lose my tariff when the supply finally moved over. James confirmed this. He said he would speak to their "migration expert" and email me once this was done.
The email never materialised, so after Christmas (29th) I was back online talking to Evolve, asking where my email was. I was told "James" was dealing with it, but was on holiday till the new year. I said they had till the end of the first week of 2022 to get back to me or I was putting in an official complaint to them and Ofgem.
I received an email back from James on the 4th of January saying "Your Electricity has moved over to the new energy platform and your gas is still with British Gas, and we are moving all customers over to the new energy platform. Your gas will be moved over soon. Your accounts and supply are with British Gas. It is just taking time for both fuels to be on one account together. Your Electricity account number on the new energy platform is XXXXXX and your Gas is still with British Gas and your account number is XXXXXX.
We will be migrating both accounts this year into the New Energy Platform." I asked him again to confirm I will still keep my tariff, but he avoided this question.
In my mind, this says to me that BG are holding back gas supplies "because reasons".
I replied to James, "Are you saying that the reason our gas hasn't moved over isn't because of an error but because of a decision by British Gas to hold it back until a later date?"
James replied, "Yes, it is a migration over to the New Energy Project (NEP). British Gas have been migrating customers over in bulk and some have been moved over with duel fuel and some have not. I am afraid that your Electricity was only moved over to the new NEP and your Gas will be moved over this year."
"This year"
In April Ofgem will review the price cap, and it is my opinion that BG has made a conscious decision to hold peoples gas supplies with them in order that they don't end up losing out as prices increase. This is criminal. They changed the name of Evolve to "British Gas" to muddy the waters, so people don't realise what is happening. It is all very clandestine.
Now, something I need to mention. I've been paying Evolve £166 a month, but upon checking, this has only been going against my Electric. I have no direct debit setup with BG, and they've requested no meter reading for gas, which I've been sending to Evolve. So as far as I can tell I've not paid for any gas since October. I pointed this out to James and he said to speak to BG. I tried to today, but their offices are closed. I'm potentially looking at a bill in the hundreds for gas which in my mind I've paid Evolve for. I fear this is a tactic by BG to ensure I can't get them to move the supply over without paying this hefty bill.
I know this all sounds very "conspiracy theory", but I'm hoping someone out there has had a similar experience. Because going by James' emails, it sounds like I'm not the only person in this situation. Please let me know!
Many thanks
Matt
British Gas is blocking me moving my gas supply over to their "online only" company "Evolve". Back at the start of September my energy supplier, PFP Energy, went into administration, along with several other small energy suppliers, due to the cost of gas sky rocketing, as everyone should be aware. So, Ofgem decided to place my electric and gas supplies with British Gas (from here BG). As chaos ensued, and we were looking at a massive energy cost increase I frantically searched for a cheaper supplier. None of the usual online energy switch companies could generate quotes, due to the volatile nature of gas prices. So I started searching myself, and everywhere I went I was getting quotes of upwards of £250 a month for both supplies, when we were previously paying £125 a month. When I was beginning to get desperate I stumbled upon a well hidden company called "Evolve", who are an offshoot of BG. They quoted me £166 a month for both Gas and Electric, locked in till Oct-23! So I frantically processed the switch from BG to Evolve. I received confirmation, and a request for opening meter readings, which I supplied. I had a closing bill from BG for £11.27, as I'd only been with them for a few days, which I paid straight away. All done and dusted... or so I thought... a long post follows, strap in folks.
Within a few days it came to light that the gas supply had failed to transfer over. I contacted Evolve using their webchat (they don't have a phoneline, they are online only) and they said the issue was at BG's end. So I contacted BG, and after 1 and a half hours on the phone they said they could see no reason for the transfer to fail. During this call, I was told that there was a likelihood that I would lose the tariff I signed up for with Evolve, but after 45 minutes of fighting they said it wouldn't an issue (foreshadowing?). They said to speak to Evolve again to get them to attempt the transfer again, which I did. I continued supplying meter reading as requested by Evolve, and their website showed my gas supply, along with the tariff I signed up for. With there being no reason for the failure everything looked ok.
On the 24th of November I received an email from Evolve saying they were changing their name to... "British Gas", giving the reason below...
"We've listened to our customers feedback and know that British Gas is a name they know and trust – and we know how important that is at a time when there's so much uncertainty in the energy market. What you think really matters to us, so we're changing our name."
This seemed a little fishy to me, almost like they were trying to hide Evolve. I'll continue to call them Evolve for clarity, but on paper they are now "British Gas". We'll come back to this later.
On the 10th of December I received a call from "British Gas", asking if I'd like to get smart meters installed. I'd been holding off on this for years, and I thought I'd finally bite the bullet and get them installed. I went thought the whole booking process for the appointment then the lady said, "that's the booking sorted for your gas meter". Cold sweat kicked in. I asked if the electric meter would be done at the same time to be told "we don't hold your electric supply, that is with the "other British Gas".
So I jumped back onto the "Evolve" website to speak to "James" on their webchat. He tells me the transfer had "failed" again, but they could see no reason, and for me to contact "BG" proper. Who once again, told me there was no issue and for Evolve to request the transfer again. I did this and I asked them to confirm that I wouldn't lose my tariff when the supply finally moved over. James confirmed this. He said he would speak to their "migration expert" and email me once this was done.
The email never materialised, so after Christmas (29th) I was back online talking to Evolve, asking where my email was. I was told "James" was dealing with it, but was on holiday till the new year. I said they had till the end of the first week of 2022 to get back to me or I was putting in an official complaint to them and Ofgem.
I received an email back from James on the 4th of January saying "Your Electricity has moved over to the new energy platform and your gas is still with British Gas, and we are moving all customers over to the new energy platform. Your gas will be moved over soon. Your accounts and supply are with British Gas. It is just taking time for both fuels to be on one account together. Your Electricity account number on the new energy platform is XXXXXX and your Gas is still with British Gas and your account number is XXXXXX.
We will be migrating both accounts this year into the New Energy Platform." I asked him again to confirm I will still keep my tariff, but he avoided this question.
In my mind, this says to me that BG are holding back gas supplies "because reasons".
I replied to James, "Are you saying that the reason our gas hasn't moved over isn't because of an error but because of a decision by British Gas to hold it back until a later date?"
James replied, "Yes, it is a migration over to the New Energy Project (NEP). British Gas have been migrating customers over in bulk and some have been moved over with duel fuel and some have not. I am afraid that your Electricity was only moved over to the new NEP and your Gas will be moved over this year."
"This year"
In April Ofgem will review the price cap, and it is my opinion that BG has made a conscious decision to hold peoples gas supplies with them in order that they don't end up losing out as prices increase. This is criminal. They changed the name of Evolve to "British Gas" to muddy the waters, so people don't realise what is happening. It is all very clandestine.
Now, something I need to mention. I've been paying Evolve £166 a month, but upon checking, this has only been going against my Electric. I have no direct debit setup with BG, and they've requested no meter reading for gas, which I've been sending to Evolve. So as far as I can tell I've not paid for any gas since October. I pointed this out to James and he said to speak to BG. I tried to today, but their offices are closed. I'm potentially looking at a bill in the hundreds for gas which in my mind I've paid Evolve for. I fear this is a tactic by BG to ensure I can't get them to move the supply over without paying this hefty bill.
I know this all sounds very "conspiracy theory", but I'm hoping someone out there has had a similar experience. Because going by James' emails, it sounds like I'm not the only person in this situation. Please let me know!
Many thanks
Matt
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Comments
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matthewr882001 said:...They quoted me £166 a month for both Gas and Electric, locked in till Oct-23!...
...Now, something I need to mention. I've been paying Evolve £166 a month, but upon checking, this has only been going against my Electric. I have no direct debit setup with BG, and they've requested no meter reading for gas, which I've been sending to Evolve. So as far as I can tell I've not paid for any gas since October. I pointed this out to James and he said to speak to BG. I tried to today, but their offices are closed. I'm potentially looking at a bill in the hundreds for gas which in my mind I've paid Evolve for...Just on these points, do keep in mind that they did not ever lock in the £166, they only fixed the rate per kWh and estimated that £166 a month would cover your use based on what you told them. If you use more you would have to pay more...Similarly the £166 you've been paying that has only been used so far for your electricity should have left a balance on your account if the estimates of your use were accurate, but if you've been using more electricity than expected that balance will be lower.You were never paying them for both gas and electric, you were just paying £166 a month into the pot from which the cost of your energy use would be deducted...Regarding the switch, it does seem like you've got caught up in the internal switching going on between BG entities, I would suggest you make a formal complaint and tell them that you expect to be billed for the gas at the 'Evolve' rate from the time of the original switch. Also tell them you expect to receive the Ofgem mandated compensation for their failure to complete the switch in the allowed time.I would suggest you make the complaint to both BG and BG Evolve and let them figure it out from there.
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TL;DR - I was reading your user profile instaed which was very enlightening!matthewr882001 said:Hi all,
British Gas is blocking me moving my gas supply over to their "online only" company "Evolve". Back at the start of September my energy supplier, PFP Energy, went into administration, along with several other small energy suppliers, due to the cost of gas sky rocketing, as everyone should be aware. So, Ofgem decided to place my electric and gas supplies with British Gas (from here BG). As chaos ensued, and we were looking at a massive energy cost increase I frantically searched for a cheaper supplier. None of the usual online energy switch companies could generate quotes, due to the volatile nature of gas prices. So I started searching myself, and everywhere I went I was getting quotes of upwards of £250 a month for both supplies, when we were previously paying £125 a month. When I was beginning to get desperate I stumbled upon a well hidden company called "Evolve", who are an offshoot of BG. They quoted me £166 a month for both Gas and Electric, locked in till Oct-23! So I frantically processed the switch from BG to Evolve. I received confirmation, and a request for opening meter readings, which I supplied. I had a closing bill from BG for £11.27, as I'd only been with them for a few days, which I paid straight away. All done and dusted... or so I thought... a long post follows, strap in folks.
Within a few days it came to light that the gas supply had failed to transfer over. I contacted Evolve using their webchat (they don't have a phoneline, they are online only) and they said the issue was at BG's end. So I contacted BG, and after 1 and a half hours on the phone they said they could see no reason for the transfer to fail. During this call, I was told that there was a likelihood that I would lose the tariff I signed up for with Evolve, but after 45 minutes of fighting they said it wouldn't an issue (foreshadowing?). They said to speak to Evolve again to get them to attempt the transfer again, which I did. I continued supplying meter reading as requested by Evolve, and their website showed my gas supply, along with the tariff I signed up for. With there being no reason for the failure everything looked ok.
On the 24th of November I received an email from Evolve saying they were changing their name to... "British Gas", giving the reason below...
"We've listened to our customers feedback and know that British Gas is a name they know and trust – and we know how important that is at a time when there's so much uncertainty in the energy market. What you think really matters to us, so we're changing our name."
This seemed a little fishy to me, almost like they were trying to hide Evolve. I'll continue to call them Evolve for clarity, but on paper they are now "British Gas". We'll come back to this later.
On the 10th of December I received a call from "British Gas", asking if I'd like to get smart meters installed. I'd been holding off on this for years, and I thought I'd finally bite the bullet and get them installed. I went thought the whole booking process for the appointment then the lady said, "that's the booking sorted for your gas meter". Cold sweat kicked in. I asked if the electric meter would be done at the same time to be told "we don't hold your electric supply, that is with the "other British Gas".
So I jumped back onto the "Evolve" website to speak to "James" on their webchat. He tells me the transfer had "failed" again, but they could see no reason, and for me to contact "BG" proper. Who once again, told me there was no issue and for Evolve to request the transfer again. I did this and I asked them to confirm that I wouldn't lose my tariff when the supply finally moved over. James confirmed this. He said he would speak to their "migration expert" and email me once this was done.
The email never materialised, so after Christmas (29th) I was back online talking to Evolve, asking where my email was. I was told "James" was dealing with it, but was on holiday till the new year. I said they had till the end of the first week of 2022 to get back to me or I was putting in an official complaint to them and Ofgem.
I received an email back from James on the 4th of January saying "Your Electricity has moved over to the new energy platform and your gas is still with British Gas, and we are moving all customers over to the new energy platform. Your gas will be moved over soon. Your accounts and supply are with British Gas. It is just taking time for both fuels to be on one account together. Your Electricity account number on the new energy platform is XXXXXX and your Gas is still with British Gas and your account number is XXXXXX.
We will be migrating both accounts this year into the New Energy Platform." I asked him again to confirm I will still keep my tariff, but he avoided this question.
In my mind, this says to me that BG are holding back gas supplies "because reasons".
I replied to James, "Are you saying that the reason our gas hasn't moved over isn't because of an error but because of a decision by British Gas to hold it back until a later date?"
James replied, "Yes, it is a migration over to the New Energy Project (NEP). British Gas have been migrating customers over in bulk and some have been moved over with duel fuel and some have not. I am afraid that your Electricity was only moved over to the new NEP and your Gas will be moved over this year."
"This year"
In April Ofgem will review the price cap, and it is my opinion that BG has made a conscious decision to hold peoples gas supplies with them in order that they don't end up losing out as prices increase. This is criminal. They changed the name of Evolve to "British Gas" to muddy the waters, so people don't realise what is happening. It is all very clandestine.
Now, something I need to mention. I've been paying Evolve £166 a month, but upon checking, this has only been going against my Electric. I have no direct debit setup with BG, and they've requested no meter reading for gas, which I've been sending to Evolve. So as far as I can tell I've not paid for any gas since October. I pointed this out to James and he said to speak to BG. I tried to today, but their offices are closed. I'm potentially looking at a bill in the hundreds for gas which in my mind I've paid Evolve for. I fear this is a tactic by BG to ensure I can't get them to move the supply over without paying this hefty bill.
I know this all sounds very "conspiracy theory", but I'm hoping someone out there has had a similar experience. Because going by James' emails, it sounds like I'm not the only person in this situation. Please let me know!
Many thanks
Matt
Anyway, BG Evolve did not accept switch requests from existing BG customers (or other BG whitelabels)
- rather odd, I admit, as I think I recall BG moving some of their customers to BG Evolve in the early days (but I may be mistaken on that point)
Anyway, BG Evolve branding has now been axed:
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-10253817/British-Gas-Evolve-brand-scrapped-just-year-launch.html
- but you knew that didn't you?
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Yes, he mentions that in the middle of his post, but that doesn't alter the fact that Evolve did apparently accept his switch and moved his electricity across, so I'd say it is still worth firing off the complaints just to get BG to finish what they started and put both fuels in the one account on the same supplier ID...booshya said:
Anyway, BG Evolve branding has now been axed:
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-10253817/British-Gas-Evolve-brand-scrapped-just-year-launch.html
- but you knew that didn't you?
0 -
Btw, my understanding is that they need the electricity smart meter installed before they can install a gas smart meter.matthewr882001 said:
On the 10th of December I received a call from "British Gas", asking if I'd like to get smart meters installed. I'd been holding off on this for years, and I thought I'd finally bite the bullet and get them installed. I went thought the whole booking process for the appointment then the lady said, "that's the booking sorted for your gas meter". Cold sweat kicked in. I asked if the electric meter would be done at the same time to be told "we don't hold your electric supply, that is with the "other British Gas".0 -
They can install the gas meter but it will be dumb until the electric one is fitted.
0
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