Economy 7 Smart Meter problems switching suppliers, no functioning heating system

LunarViolet

Hi everyone

I am at my wits end and i genuinely do not know what to do. 

I was with EDF on an economy 7 tariff on a smart meter. No issues at all. Switched to British Gas. They switched me to a single tariff without my knowledge or consent. Day one of switch i noticed it but was told i needed to let the meter "activate" - 2 weeks later still same so i filed complaint. Manager by email told me she had switched me back to economy 7 but refused to send a smart meter engineer out as it could be done remotely. However, meter still broken. I have a 5 port meter, night storage heaters run off the off peak supply which currently has no power. Everything i use is being charged at single rate. Immersion heater for hot water is pre-programmed for off peak hours too. 

Complaint yielded no resolution and the compaints handler said there was nothing she could do as british gas didnt support economy 7 smart meters, something they failed to tell me before switching and despite having it in writing from her that it would not be a problem and she could solve it. I rang british gas anonymously and spoke to their sales team who advised when i told them of my circumstances that ofgem had told them not to take on any customers with a smart meter on economy 7 because their heating systems stop working, a fact ofgem denied on the phone to me. 

I had the complaint re-opened and didnt hear anything at all for 3 weeks so in desperation i switched supplier hoping it would solve the problem. 

Have gone to e-on next. EDF refused to have me back saying my meter was "too complex" despite the fact that they had been supplying me for 3 years prior.

Switched over. Same problem. They are also refusing to send a smart meter engineer out to fix the issue because they say my meter is single rate, ive sent pictures to prove it isnt. Ive got bills going back 11 years to prove it isnt. 

Rang ofgem who wont help, rang citizens advice who told me i have to open another complaint which will take 8 weeks, then it goes to deadlock and then the ombudsman takes over and that could take a further 6 months, and that means that i would go all the way through winter without any functioning heating system. No gas. No secondary heating source. 

I am on the priority services register as i am both disabled and autistic. 

What can i do? Its causing me so much stress and anxiety. 

Any help very welcome. 

Gerry1

I'd expect Octopus to be far more helpful.

Email smart@octopus.energy and see what they say.  They can't be worse than BG and EDF !

LunarViolet

Would they take me with essentially a broken system?

CSI_Yorkshire

Many people have found them more helpful than other suppliers.

It's no guarantee, but asking can't hurt.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

couple of points,

E7 is not complex, it's E10,

BG now have you as single rate, so when trying to switch new supplier will pick that up.

You will need to explain to new supplier the mess you're in.

Good luck.

LunarViolet

Just rang Octopus, they have said if i switched, i would switch to them on single rate and i need to stay with my current supplier until its fixed. Thanks anyway everyone!

Not sure how its okay that British Gas can break someones heating system and get away with not fixing it. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

you'll need to get it fixed before using heating, or will be very expensive.

LunarViolet

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

you'll need to get it fixed before using heating, or will be very expensive.

Its already very expensive. Everything is using the daytime rate. British Gas are trying to bill me £215 for a single month of July. I am refusing to pay it. 

Gerry1

You should have contacted the smart meter experts using the link I provided, not customer services.

CSI_Yorkshire

LunarViolet said:

Just rang Octopus, they have said if i switched, i would switch to them on single rate 

So you switch to them on single rate and then ask to move to E7?

Gerry1

LunarViolet said:

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

you'll need to get it fixed before using heating, or will be very expensive.

British Gas are trying to bill me £215 for a single month of July. I am refusing to pay it. 

That will only cause more problems.  You'll automatically lose any DD discounts so it'll be even more expensive.

I'd switch to Octopus because they're the ones most likely to fix it, providing you contact the right people.  (However, if you're in debt BG will block your switch.)

I'd then use the small claims procedure to reclaim the amount BG overcharged you by billing you on the single rate tariff.