Tomato Energy (Electric Only Supplier) - Too Good To Be True ?

Newbie_John

This discount is very ambigious, here's why:

1) I've seen version of 30% and 50% after 6 months
2) Not really sure if someone post on Facebook is really contractual?
3) It says "6 months late" but from what date?
4) It also refers to the moment when they finally bill you - what happens if they never do? Let's say you've used 1000kWh at 5p rate - but they have no idea at what rate - so will the 50% discount apply from 23p rate instead? 
5) As mentioned earlier - this offer is only valid if TE survives.

Simplest solution for them would be to issue everyone with a bill of 5p * total usage + standing charge - but the reason they're not doing it is that they hope they will still get more money. But then again if most of us are on Battery version, then most of the bills would be discounted 5p rates.

I'm just glad I never had the billing problem and winter is over so I can just sit and watch.. 

Bendo

coupleuk said:

Suddenly, they have sent me an email today - I welcome your thoughts on options;

Dear xxxx,

Our apologies for having left this so long without resolution.

Unfortunately when the billing team got back to me, they did advise that while your accounts are on the lifestyle tariff, we are unable to generate bills for them. We would only be able to do this if they were switched to Prime, which I know you opted out of.

​The query to get the third meter entry taken off your myWatts is still ongoing, so once this has been actioned I can update on that.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news in this instance.

Yours sincerely,

Depending upon how it is likely to suit you, and it may not if you use an eye watering amount at the cheap rate) you could simply tell that the above is nonsense and the only provision in their own terms is to bill your usage on an assumed profile.

I suspect though,  they stole the term from elsewhere and their systems probably can't even work it out.

Probably worth asking the question of what the assumed profile would put what %age of use at the cheap rate. Although you will probably be met with a blank face.

coupleuk

I had previously suggested a level 17p a Unit and 40p Standing Charge based on meter readings provided - they were going to "have a look" and come back to me, but never did and I'm guessing they've now forgotten it amongst the volumes of emails we've exchanged.

And, given their current dire state of affairs, I'm not suggesting that 17p to them again as I think they will be forced by circumstance to accept much less - if anything at all - because they are unable to generate / compile / collect any actual figures other than my supplied meter reads.

........... and the stupid thing is they DID report my usage on MyWatts for the first 6 weeks last September but have since flipped a switch and nothing has populated since.

HillStreetBlues

GingerTim said:

coupleuk said:

GingerTim said:

Asking them to give you 9 months' worth of free energy is certainly bold!

It certainly is - but given how far in the smelly stuff they are, my thinking is they'll be keen to remove as many "problem accounts" as they can.

They have already committed to offering 50% off any account not billed for 6 months and 25% (maybe 15% I cant remember) off any 3 months not billed. At 12 months they are free anyway.

So, it's not much of a leap for them to concede failure and move on.

Mind you, when they go bust I don't think the appointed SOLR will be beholden to any of those commitments? (beyond not charging you beyond the last 12 months).

I stand to be corrected by those more knowledgeable, as always!

It's a gamble, hold out hoping TE will stay afloat and either write off or greatly reduce amount.  SOLR will no doubt battle for as much as possible and won't honour any goodwill reductions that aren't in the T&Cs.

masonic

HillStreetBlues said:

GingerTim said:

coupleuk said:

GingerTim said:

Asking them to give you 9 months' worth of free energy is certainly bold!

It certainly is - but given how far in the smelly stuff they are, my thinking is they'll be keen to remove as many "problem accounts" as they can.

They have already committed to offering 50% off any account not billed for 6 months and 25% (maybe 15% I cant remember) off any 3 months not billed. At 12 months they are free anyway.

So, it's not much of a leap for them to concede failure and move on.

Mind you, when they go bust I don't think the appointed SOLR will be beholden to any of those commitments? (beyond not charging you beyond the last 12 months).

I stand to be corrected by those more knowledgeable, as always!

It's a gamble, hold out hoping TE will stay afloat and either write off or greatly reduce amount.  SOLR will no doubt battle for as much as possible and won't honour any goodwill reductions that aren't in the T&Cs.

Should it happen, the first thing you will need to do is provide a meter reading to SoLR, and that should definitely be backed up by photographic evidence. If you've had metering/billing issues with TE, then it is likely there won't be a series of validated reads available for industry flows, which puts you at greater risk of that change of supply read being adjusted downward, and more energy billed on the deemed tariff. The Administrators of TE would then need to negotiate a pennies to the pound price for SoLR to buy the customer debit balances from them. I expect both parties will consider the contractual value of those debts as a starting point, with SoLR negotiating downward for impairment and collection costs. But when it comes to billing you, the best you should reasonably hope for is time to pay if the bill is particularly large.

Bendo

Given there are no credit balances, just debts, no solr is going to take on the debts and Ofgem passing them that way knowing full well much of it won't be recovered and end up being recovered via SC increases its almost certain the administrator will take them on as is the only realistic way any of it will be recovered.

masonic

Bendo said:

Given there are no credit balances, just debts, no solr is going to take on the debts and Ofgem passing them that way knowing full well much of it won't be recovered and end up being recovered via SC increases its almost certain the administrator will take them on as is the only realistic way any of it will be recovered.

If you are right, then that will be a painful experience for those who don't pay promptly, as administrators have a nasty habit of washing their hands of such matters by quickly passing on to debt collection agencies. As we have seen from customers who had recently switched just prior to previous failures and were just waiting on a final bill.

colin79666

Well 5 months in I have just received my bills for January and February. Figures seem right.  A massive 99p discount applied to the January bill for it being so late  So it appears their systems are finally catching up. Now if only they would agree the final meter reading with Octopus so my old account can be closed…

coupleuk

colin79666 said:

Well 5 months in I have just received my bills for January and February. Figures seem right.  A massive 99p discount applied to the January bill for it being so late  So it appears their systems are finally catching up. Now if only they would agree the final meter reading with Octopus so my old account can be closed…

You should chase for the 15% promised by the CEO

Your Jan bill would be due first week February so it's 3 months late IE 15% OFF

Newbie_John

coupleuk said:

colin79666 said:

Well 5 months in I have just received my bills for January and February. Figures seem right.  A massive 99p discount applied to the January bill for it being so late  So it appears their systems are finally catching up. Now if only they would agree the final meter reading with Octopus so my old account can be closed…

You should chase for the 15% promised by the CEO

Your Jan bill would be due first week February so it's 3 months late IE 15% OFF

Not really, if you joined in January, your first bill would be due in March together with February one.