Move electricity from business to domestic tariff

smile82smile

I moved into my bungalow in 2017 and have been on a business tariff ever since. I have 3 metres which all have the same tariffs and standing charges. It isn’t a business and is a domestic property but my energy supplier has always said I’m unable to move to a domestic rate. My bills are extortionate (£1300/month) and I’m so fed up. How or who can move my metres to one and accept me as a domestic customer? I’m currently with smartest energy who don’t answer e mails let alone calls. 

Please can someone advise?

MeteredOut

Can you give some background to the bungalow and how you ended up on a business tariff. With 3 meters, it doesn't sound like your standard property.

Robin9

@smile82smile  When does the present contract run out ?

QrizB

Smartest Energy https://www.smartestenergy.com are a business-only supplier and wouldn't be able to change you to a domestic tariff, even if you qualify.

Yes, please give some more info on your property.

If you switch to a supplier that serves both commercial and domestic customers you might be able to change it to a domestic supply.

Keep_pedalling

Sounds like you have a 3 phase supply and the previous occupier was running a business from there. Your supplier should not be ignoring you and should not be continuing to charge you business rates. I would be putting in a complaint to OfGem and stop paying the bills until this is resolved.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/making-complaint-about-your-energy-supplier-or-network-operator

Robin9

@Keep_pedalling

As smartestenergy don't do domestic what can they (smartest) do >?

I'm with @QrizB - swop to someone like BG who do both - if the OP is out of contract then the sooner the better. He could well be paying £1 a unit

Gerry1

Keep_pedalling said:

I would be putting in a complaint to OfGem and stop paying the bills until this is resolved.

Ombudsman, not Ofgem.  But probably futile considering that smartest can't supply residential customers.

MWT

Keep_pedalling said:

Sounds like you have a 3 phase supply and the previous occupier was running a business from there. Your supplier should not be ignoring you and should not be continuing to charge you business rates. I would be putting in a complaint to OfGem and stop paying the bills until this is resolved.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/making-complaint-about-your-energy-supplier-or-network-operator

The onus is on the customer to switch to a supplier that has a domestic supply licence, rather than staying with one that doesn't... Can't complain to the Ombudsman without actually trying to switch away...

smile82smile

The old owners might’ve had their home as an office for their business, but it is a bungalow with some disused outbuildings. The old vendors informed me the business rates were more cost efficient and the number of metres was due to having day, night and unrestricted (?) tariffs. My tariffs are all the same. With quarterly standing charges of £100 per meter and 33p/kwh. 

Is that more efficient than a domestic contract? Perhaps my usage is crazy high because of an electrical mishap in the wiring? I’ve had an electrician come out only to tell me he hasn’t seen a complicated set up like this before so can’t help. It’s a 2800sqft home, I’m not even sure what an electricity bill should be.

Sorry guys.. I appreciate many of you are probably laughing at my lack of knowledge hence why I figured you might be able to help!

many thanks in advance

smile82smile

PS

i am now out of contract and when I contacted a broker she recommended I wait until march when prices will further reduce and that I would end up paying more with a domestic contract. What do you guys think?

JSHarris

Any chance of a photo of your incomers, meters and consumer units (please blank any personal info)?

That way I could have a stab at trying to understand the setup, whether you're on a single or three phase supply and possibly suggest options to convert it to something that might tidy things up and allow you to have a single domestic meter.