Possible Energy supplier switch scam

drm650

I am currently a customer of Octopus Energy, but last Wednesday received a message from them saying they were sorry to see I was leaving them.  However if I wanted to stay I had to let them know by Thursday.  As the email didn't arrive until late afternoon I couldn't contact them until the Thursday morning.  I have to say it was quite a difficult conversation because I thought the lack of notification was unacceptable and that I had not asked to move in the first place!  It took a long time for them to finally let me know that the supplier who was requesting the move was EON, and they didn't know who the customer involved was.  I did manage to get them to cancel the move.  On the following Monday I received a letter from EON welcoming me so I contacted them.  It was not my name on the letter, but obviously my address.  After waiting to get through for an hour I finally spoke to one of their agents.  They were still expecting me to transfer but after I explained they too cancelled the move.  This apparently isn't uncommon.  They believe the person named on the letter was a 'broker' who would get a commission from the transfer.  They also said they would be reporting it to OFGEM.  I'm still confirming with Octopus that nothing has actually changed.  Has anyone else had the same experience.  I'm concerned that anyone who just ignored the notifications would end up on a poor flexible rate.

[Deleted User]

This is what is known as an Erroneous Transfer of Supply. Follow the advice here:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-supply/youve-been-switched-to-a-new-energy-supplier-without-your-agreement/

One of the unintended consequences of Faster Switching is that suppliers and consumers will have less time to stop an ETS. If the transfer had gone through, Octopus would take back your supply and you would be charged as if you hadn’t left.

CanNeverThinkOfAUsername

This does happen a lot, normally when people apply to switch they will put in the wrong door number, or the suppliers system may pick up the wrong MPAN supply number. A number of silly mistakes can happen. There is something called a 'ET', so if the supply did move, it can be sent back to the old supplier again, on the old tariff, and it will be billed like it never left.

I have heard, in the past, or brokers trying to switch people to earn money. But i have not heard this happen for a very long time.

[Deleted User]

And the vast majority of people at the moment would not be financially impacted by a switch - they wouldn’t be put on some “poor flexible rate”.

As others have said though, it’s well known and easy to deal with.