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Gas supply switched without permission.

Jimrod
Jimrod Posts: 35 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
Hi guys,

I'm not sure how common this is but I recently had a "Sorry you're leaving" message from my current gas supplier (EDF), the problem being I've used them for years and done nothing to change, contacted no-one etc. After weeks of back and forth they said they'd sort it and I won't have any problems... Today I receive a letter saying "Sorry but your new supplier says they have a valid contract with you so we can't change back, you'll need to contact them" - But I have no idea who "they" are, I've signed nothing, spoken to no-one, given no details. How exactly does this happen with zero permission from myself??

I'm in two minds of tracking them down, going mental, threatening legal action etc or simply saying fine, no-one can bill me, let's wait until they get in touch and then let them know my thoughts! 

Any advice? How do I even find out who my supplier is? How can they do this without my say so? Surely that should be illegal?? As it stands I now have no idea who is supplying my gas, my contract with EDF has been terminated and I guess I could be cut off ay any time?

Thanks in advance for any help!
«13

Comments

  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,888 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    www.findmysupplier.energy
    Never pay on an estimated bill. Always read and understand your bill
  • Jimrod
    Jimrod Posts: 35 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Robin9 said:
    www.findmysupplier.energy
    Thank you - this is what is says...



    Gas Supplier:Npower Gas Limited- Closed
    Gas Transporter:Independent Pipelines Limited

    Where there is currently no recorded Gas Supplier the previous Gas Supplier information will be displayed if a Gas Supplier has previously been registered at this Supply Meter Point. You must have a contract with a Gas Supplier in order to consume gas through the pipeline provided by the Gas Transporter, if you believe you do not have a Gas Supplier, or are still unsure please contact your Gas Transporter (indicated) for advice.



    So I presume it was Npower - yet it says there's currently no recorded gas supplier?

  • Jimrod
    Jimrod Posts: 35 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 25 October 2023 at 9:41PM
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    This is not the fault of the supplier, it's usually down to someone switching and selecting the wrong address (yours) from the drop down menu. 
    If you have been 'back and forth' with EDF for weeks, then why did you not ask them who has applied to take over the account from them?
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Mstty
    Mstty Posts: 4,209 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    I presume you were on the standard variable rate tariff. With the reduced government rates.

    So you probably haven't been pulled out of a good fix rate so you could just wait for the letter to arrive to the occupier from whoever it has been switched to.

    Do you know how to read your gas meter and convert that into kWh and pounds and pence so you can budget in the mean time?
  • Jimrod
    Jimrod Posts: 35 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 23 February 2023 at 8:36AM
    macman said:
    This is not the fault of the supplier, it's usually down to someone switching and selecting the wrong address (yours) from the drop down menu. 
    If you have been 'back and forth' with EDF for weeks, then why did you not ask them who has applied to take over the account from them?
    I did, and they didn't say, just said they would deal with it and last week I had the letter saying it was no problem, no disruption for me etc. Yesterday I had the letter saying it was refused because I was locked into a valid contract with the new supplier. I'm not sure how I can be locked into a contract because someone simply clicked the wrong address on a drop down menu - no correspondence at all, no bank details, no emailed or posted forms; doesn't sound like much of a contract to me.
  • Jimrod
    Jimrod Posts: 35 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Mstty said:
    I presume you were on the standard variable rate tariff. With the reduced government rates.

    So you probably haven't been pulled out of a good fix rate so you could just wait for the letter to arrive to the occupier from whoever it has been switched to.

    Do you know how to read your gas meter and convert that into kWh and pounds and pence so you can budget in the mean time?
    Yeah, all EDF's tariff's had changed down to one standard option from memory last time I tried to change it, that was my other option to just wait and see. The checker site says I actually have no current supplier but that Npower were the last so I'm not sure what'll happen with that! I'll check the meter and make some notes... Thank you.
  • Hi,
    did you have a DD set up, if so where is it going now?
  • Jimrod said:
    macman said:
    This is not the fault of the supplier, it's usually down to someone switching and selecting the wrong address (yours) from the drop down menu. 
    If you have been 'back and forth' with EDF for weeks, then why did you not ask them who has applied to take over the account from them?
    I did, and they didn't say, just said they would deal with it and last week I had the letter saying it was no problem, no disruption for me etc. Yesterday I had the letter saying it was refused because I was locked into a valid contract with the new supplier. I'm not sure how I can be locked into a contract because someone simply clicked the wrong address on a drop down menu - no correspondence at all, no bank details, no emailed or posted forms; doesn't sound like much of a contract to me.
    Speak to the ‘new’ supplier. Clearly, someone is paying them and it isn’t you! Offer to send them a photo of your meter which shows the meter serial number. Ask them to treat the transfer as an erroneous transfer as per Standard Licence Conditions.

    The ‘new’ supplier is legally required to put you back into the position that you would have been in had the erroneous transfer not taken place. Any money that you pay goes only to the ‘old’ supplier for the energy that you have used. Do not be fobbed off by CS staff that have never read a Supply Licence.

    If the ‘new’ supplier is unwilling to take any action then make a written complaint and ask it to issue a Deadlock Letter. You can then escalate your complaint to The Energy Ombudsman.

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