Accounts being moved without being authorised ????

victohorta

I have a real problem now.  I received an email from my energy supplier that announced my supply was moving to another supplier !  News to me - I didn't start the switch !  I complained to them but they didn't do anything for 10 days and meanwhile my meters have been moved off my account.  I complained again and now they say they are going to get the supply account back.

No contact from the new "supplier" so they don't know my email address.

Anyone else had this problem ?  What else can I do other than complain ?  I don't think contacting the new "supplier" will do much as they don't know me.

Help !

Inbetweeners

Who was the old, and who is the new supplier?

Brie

Possibly someone mixed up the address when applying for a switch to the new provider. 

I suggest you take readings regularly until it's sorted so there's no confusion about your bills.  Very possible you will receive something addressed to someone else or even "occupier" in the post saying you owe money for a few days.  You could pay or you could point out that you never had a contract with them.  (paying is likely to be easier)

victohorta

Update :  I found a standard letter on the Citizen's advice web site.  Very helpful.  I'm relieved as this must be a common event to warrant a standard letter of complaint.

Hoenir

We've no idea what the event is though. 

pseudodox

When I switched to EDF from OVO the agent on the phone at EDF input the wrong postcode - seems he was not familiar with the phonetic alphabet and though Zulu was spelt with an X  (I blame Xerox!).  This caused a bit of a mix up regarding the switch - no doubt the house at the other postcode a couple of streets away found they were suddenly being switched a new supplier.  It got sorted.  But this was a result of not being able to do a switch online at the time where you could input and double check the information being recorded.

Gerry1

pseudodox said:

When I switched to EDF from OVO the agent on the phone at EDF input the wrong postcode - seems he was not familiar with the phonetic alphabet and though Zulu was spelt with an X  (I blame Xerox!). 

Fat fingered more likely, Z and X are adjacent.

victohorta

pseudodox said:

When I switched to EDF from OVO the agent on the phone at EDF input the wrong postcode - seems he was not familiar with the phonetic alphabet and though Zulu was spelt with an X  (I blame Xerox!).  This caused a bit of a mix up regarding the switch - no doubt the house at the other postcode a couple of streets away found they were suddenly being switched a new supplier.  It got sorted.  But this was a result of not being able to do a switch online at the time where you could input and double check the information being recorded.

AND not having a requirement that the switcher actually is the current account holder.  e.g. by sending an email to the  email address listed for the current account holder AND waiting for a confirming reply.

MP1995

This may be one of the very few downsides of faster switching. It now happens in the days so there is no time for confirmation and this is what can happen.

BarelySentientAI

victohorta said:

pseudodox said:

When I switched to EDF from OVO the agent on the phone at EDF input the wrong postcode - seems he was not familiar with the phonetic alphabet and though Zulu was spelt with an X  (I blame Xerox!).  This caused a bit of a mix up regarding the switch - no doubt the house at the other postcode a couple of streets away found they were suddenly being switched a new supplier.  It got sorted.  But this was a result of not being able to do a switch online at the time where you could input and double check the information being recorded.

AND not having a requirement that the switcher actually is the current account holder.  e.g. by sending an email to the  email address listed for the current account holder AND waiting for a confirming reply.

Can you imagine all of the complaints when you try and switch supply for a house you've just moved into, and the supplier emails the old occupant for permission then gets ignored?

FreeBear

MP1995 said:

This may be one of the very few downsides of faster switching. It now happens in the days so there is no time for confirmation and this is what can happen.

On the plus side, the OP is in line for mandatory compensation for an erroneous transfer. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/get-compensation-problems-switching-energy-suppliers