Erroneous Transfer - Important Refund!

MarkB7612

Check your tariff after rejoining from an erroneous transfer!

Hi everyone,

I am with Octopus dual-fuel and secured a large refund recently. I thought I'd share my experience.

We had a 2 year fixed rate with Octopus. Then we had an erroneous transfer to British Gas. It took months to rectify (got a little rebate for the delay).

We eventually rejoined Octopus in the middle of the energy crisis. Our bills were larger than normal and we paid heavily like everyone else and thought nothing of it.

Our bills kept increasing, despite our light usage and I realised we had rejoined Octopus on a variable rate after the erroneous transfer, despite our previous fixed tariff still being applicable.

I contacted Octopus multiple times, and again after several months, many denials and apologies that they couldn't reimburse, I mentioned the Energy Ombudsman, and they quickly realised that they could in fact re-appraise our usage on our much lower fixed rate terms and reimburse the difference.

We were paying £250/month and were still hundreds in debt. After they recalculated, we were nearly £1000 in credit.

Get back that money you're owed!

[Deleted User]

Your post doesn’t stack up. There is an Ofgem-approved Code of Practice for Erroneous Transfers:

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/

The underlying principle is that you are switched back to the original supplier on your old contract terms and all monies paid to the erroneous supplier are refunded in full. You pay the old supplier as if you had never left.

MarkB7612

Exactly, that is what should have happened!
But I was transferred onto a variable rate at Octopus.
Hence the need for an account reappraisal!

[Deleted User]

The bit that doesn't make make sense is that it took ‘months’ to transfer you back to Octopus. By the sound of it neither supplier treated it as an erroneous transfer: that is, it was treated as a simple switch of supply.

MarkB7612

We were moved to British Gas erroneously in January 2022 and weren't reinstated with Octopus until August!
Apparently BG kept ignoring the Octopus requests.

[Deleted User]

In that case, British Gas is in breach of its Supply Licence. I assume that you received all the compensation specified in the Code of Practice plus a refund of all the money paid to British Gas? These are known as 'Guaranteed Performance Standards' payments.

MarkB7612

Nope! Received a small payment for the delay, but wasn't aware of that. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, I appreciate it.

[Deleted User]

MarkB7612 said:

Nope! Received a small payment for the delay, but wasn't aware of that. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, I appreciate it.

In that case neither supplier has treated your transfer as anything other than a supplier switch which is why Octopus put you into its variable tariff.