Any one know how to escape from Student energy group? Want to switch supplier in new flat

rocklobster_2

Daughter and her friend have moved (back in Aug!) into a flat at uni. Tenants, via an agent who hasn't been all that useful.

They haven't managed to get registered with an electricity provider yet - network check reports they are supplied by Tomato energy, but they don't provide energy to the area. Finally they've managed to find out that they are provided by "student energy group" (edited to correct this - it’s actually group not company) who are near impossible to talk to, and very expensive. (they give hilarious price estimates on their website!). Tomato won't talk to them beyond confirming they support "the student energy group" at that address. 

They claim to not be an energy provider (fine, that's tomato) but a "bill splitting service". My daughter doesn't want or need this service. Obviously there is an outstanding bill to pay, and an attempt to move to Octopus failed as the current supplier refused the switch - fair enough, there is a debt there, but given they can't pay Tomato directly, and Student energy group appear impossible to deal with or contact (they've been on hold for over an hour again - apparently first in the queue all that time) it's proving impossible to make progress.

Anyone dealt with them? Advice? Kinda stuck, and they are getting really worried about being landed with a massive bill. (They've taken to sitting in the dark to save energy until I pointed out how little the LED lights actually use :-( )

QrizB

A sticky situation.

From what you say, your daughter and her flatmate(s) have not signed up with either Student Energy Company or with Tomato. If that's the case, they should be on a deemed tariff, which can be no more expensive than the Ofgem-capped SVT.

Have they received any communictions at all from either Tomato or Student Energy Company? If not, and if (as you say) Student Energy Company don't hold a supply licence, there's no way that Student Energy Company can be their energy supplier. I guess it's possible that the previous tenants were customers of SEC (sorry, not typing that in full again) but if there's no contract with the current tenants, they can be ignored.

I would write to Tomato Energy (in a way you can refer to in the future; email or letter, not web chat or phone) explaining that the DNO supplier check shows them to be your supplier, and ask to set up an account. Then see what they say.

rocklobster_2

Yeah tried going via tomato. They won’t set up an account as they don’t offer domestic services in that area (Canterbury). They just say they supply energy to SEC for that address and to go via them. Arghh. 

Daughter has sent them (SEC) an email confirming they want to switch away, they’ve never agreed to anything with either tomato or SEC and they just want a final statement to allow them to move. Not holding out much hope but we shall see. They are impossibly to talk to!

SEC are clear they are not an energy supplier just a “Bill splitting service”. Tomato make it clear they won’t deal with end users in this area. It’s a mess!

rocklobster_2

From their website they have the bellow terms. Tomato seem to stick to the clause in there that “You will only ever have contact with TSEG under this agreement”. Fine, except my daughter doest have an agreement! Never has, doesn’t want to. Happy to pay for what they’ve used but that seems impossible :-/ 

We are The Student Energy Group Ltd (“TSEG”), a company incorporated in England with company number 13543923 and which has its registered office at 4th Floor, Regent House, 50 Frederick Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, B1 3HR. Its registered VAT number is 388 7680 25.
Tomato Energy Limited is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 09735768 with its registered office at Devonshire Business Centre Aviary Court, Wade Road, Basingstoke, England, RG24 8PE. Tomato Energy are regulated by the ‘Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets’, more commonly known as OFGEM.
TSEG is working under a white label contract with Tomato Energy to supply you with gas and electricity under Tomato Energy’s supply licences.You will only ever have contact with TSEG under this agreement. 

Xbigman

Surely the legal position is that you are in a deemed contract with Tomato whether they like it or not. TSEG being a bill splitting service you have never signed up to are irrelevant. I would start an official complaint with Tomato that they are failing to open a deemed contract account for you. If they say they can't then offer to switch away, they just have to stop objecting. 

As I typed the above a few questions occurred. How do you put in meter readings? And is this some sort of student accommodation or is it private rental?


Darren

rocklobster_2

That’s what I thought - but tomato refused outright to do anything, not even take a meter reading. 

Readings are apparently supplied to student energy group who then submit them to their partner, tomato. The bill then goes to student energy group (and seemingly no one else) who then whack a massive premium on it and split it between all the signed up students in the property. They are no signed up students so they won’t talk to us. If we sign up we accept their terms which we don’t want to do. The simplest option might be to sign up, but we really don’t want to do that, they appear to be an awful bloodsucking company and the worst co Pa y I’ve ever had to deal with (and that’s speaking as someone who uses virginmedia!)

Presumably (hopefully!) the previous students who set this up have paid up to their leaving date - certainly they told the water company so fingers crossed. Can’t even get that confirmed. 

Any yes, private tenants in a two bed flat. They happen to be students, but it’s just a normal private rental via an agency. 

QrizB

Don't sign up, whatever you do.

Just let the bill roll, but take (and make a record of) your meter readings. And a note of the Ofgem capped tariff for the region.

You've made every effort to register an account with Tomato. If Tomato come after you for payment at any time in the next six years, you'll have evidence of how much you owe, and will be able to contest any bill.

And if they don't bother you for six years, you'll have had a year of energy for free.

cannugec5

“If You did not sign up to Our services but We already supply energy to Your Property, We will begin treating You as if You’d entered into this contract when You become responsible for the energy bills at Your Property under a Deemed Contract.

In these circumstances, deemed tariffs will apply until either:

• You agree a new tariff with Us;
• You transfer to another supplier;
• Somebody else takes or has responsibility for Your property;
• Your supply is disconnected”

Taken from the TSEG energy terms and conditions. 

It reads to me that the tenants already have a deemed contract whether they signed up or not. In which case they need to acknowledge that, pay the bill and switch ASAP.  
It appears the same as moving into any other property when you have to deal with the incumbent supplier (although I acknowledge TSEG is not the actual supplier they are acting as such) 
In short the tenants and yourself might not want there to be any contract with TSEG but by moving in to the property one now exists. 

QrizB

TSEG don't hold a supply licence, though, so they're not able to impose a deemed tariff IAW the energy acts.

(I am not a lawyer and if anyone knows better, please correct me.)

Without the backing of statute law, a contract can only exist with the agreement of both parties. I don't see the OPs child having agreed to be supplied by TSEG?

matelodave

I'm guessing that this one is for a lawyer or possibly the student accommodation services of their uni/college to advise on rather than random guesses from well meaning forumites.

What does the tenancy agreement have to say on the subject as I guess you need to check that they haven't agreed to something in there regarding energy supplies or suppliers.

QrizB

... and if it turns out that there is a deemed contract, it should be at the Ofgem capped SVT, not any fictitious tariff that TSEG might choose to impose.