Switch made by money expert went so wrong!

lottebrace

I am writing to inform Money expert that when they called me to switch from Orbit Energy to British gas when Orbit had gone into administration that this should not have been done. 

I did question at the time that the government had said to wait and to let the new energy provider allocated take over but your expert said that is was ok now to choose where I go. So I agreed and went to British gas. However this has now gone crazy and has meant that I have spent up to now 6 hours on the phone trying to sort out a complete mess!!

Whilst the switch was happening Scottish Power pulled my gas back to them and then suddenly I am getting bills from both energy companies.

Neither company called me to check what was going on, and each blamed the other. Eventually I had to be part of a three way conversation with scottish power and British gas to sort it all out. It was all very stressful, and is still on going as I still have not received a bill from Scottish Power after three months, I keep calling them and each person tells me it will be sorted and it never is. After three months I have not received their welcome pack which they keep telling me is on its way. After three months I have had no communication from Orbit energy, i have called them three time as I still have not received my final bill, of which I am in credit £170. They cannot give me any time line on how much longer it will take.

With all the news of scary price rises I am petrified of the bill I will eventually receive from scottish power. 

I am having to do all the work here, where the energy companies don't appear to be doing anything. 

I am so concerned about the bill that is coming my way, but no one seems to be able to help.

I thought that Money Expert should be made aware of what is happening to me right now, and that the switch they offered me has just hindered my case.

MattMattMattUK

lottebrace said:

I am writing to inform Money expert that when they called me to switch from Orbit Energy to British gas when Orbit had gone into administration that this should not have been done. 

I did question at the time that the government had said to wait and to let the new energy provider allocated take over but your expert said that is was ok now to choose where I go. So I agreed and went to British gas. However this has now gone crazy and has meant that I have spent up to now 6 hours on the phone trying to sort out a complete mess!!

Whilst the switch was happening Scottish Power pulled my gas back to them and then suddenly I am getting bills from both energy companies.

Neither company called me to check what was going on, and each blamed the other. Eventually I had to be part of a three way conversation with scottish power and British gas to sort it all out. It was all very stressful, and is still on going as I still have not received a bill from Scottish Power after three months, I keep calling them and each person tells me it will be sorted and it never is. After three months I have not received their welcome pack which they keep telling me is on its way. After three months I have had no communication from Orbit energy, i have called them three time as I still have not received my final bill, of which I am in credit £170. They cannot give me any time line on how much longer it will take.

With all the news of scary price rises I am petrified of the bill I will eventually receive from scottish power. 

I am having to do all the work here, where the energy companies don't appear to be doing anything. 

I am so concerned about the bill that is coming my way, but no one seems to be able to help.

You will ultimately only be billed for what you use, make sure you keep track of your meter readings and stop wasting time calling them, let the process work it's way through then if it does not all mesh together in the end start a formal complaint, which if that does not resolve it means you can then raise it with the regulator.

lottebrace said:

I thought that Money Expert should be made aware of what is happening to me right now, and that the switch they offered me has just hindered my case.

You can be offered lots of things, it is up to you whether you choose to take them. In this case you should have evaluated the potential risks caused by being involved in a SoLR move and said no. 

JGB1955

It is unlikely that anyone from Money Saving Expert called you - looks like you've been scammed.

Detail_Merchant

lottebrace said:

I thought that Money Expert should be made aware of what is happening to me right now, and that the switch they offered me has just hindered my case.

It might be worth contacting Money Expert directly - this is the forum for Money Saving Expert - a different organisation (founded by Martin Lewis).
Here is an article about people confusing Money Expert and Money Saving Expert - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2016/04/warning-money-expert-cold-callers-are-nothing-to-do-with-moneysavingexpertcom/

One way of thinking about it could be:
Money Expert are experts at making money out of you (no impropriety implied), and
Money Saving Expert are experts at helping you save money.

Sorry to hear the switch has created so much hassle for you.

EssexHebridean

Others have already covered the fact that nobody from Money Expert will see your post here - although it may be that you are in fact saying that you have written to Money Expert - and you're posting here to make others aware? 

In the meantime though there's no need to be sitting worrying about how much your next bill will be - you can work out how much to expect by using your current unit rates which will have been communicated to you, and your meter readings. At least then you can be sure that you're budgeting enough to cover the bill when it arrives. I assume you are also saving your usual monthly amount that you were paying to your previous (now insolvent) supplier? 

MSE_JC

Hi @lottebrace,

Money Expert, the company you mention, is not associated in any way with MoneySavingExpert.com. You can find more information in this article:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2016/04/warning-money-expert-cold-callers-are-nothing-to-do-with-moneysavingexpertcom/

jimjames

JGB1955 said:

It is unlikely that anyone from Money Saving Expert called you - looks like you've been scammed.

The OP didn't actually claim that Money SAVING Expert had called them. It was an outfit called Money Expert, something completely different but apparently trying to confuse customers into thinking there is a connection.

london21

I sense you might have been scammed.

Be very careful with your personal details.

Scams are currently high at present.