National database for electric and gas

MixupAddress

The energy databases are completely mixed up, contain wrong addreses and meter numbers stopping consumers from switching energy suppliers and causing them stress and inconvenience. If addreses are mixed up even when the energy ombudsman has become involved the consumer is still the one that suffers because they have to wait 6 to 12 months to see if the details are changed on websites.

From reading posts on this site it is obvious nothing is changing. The energy ombudsman is paid by the suppliers so will help get a problem sorted but can't recommend the energy companies change their procedures and the energy companies are not learning from their mistakes. 

Who can make them accountable and insist they put procedures in place to check the data is corrected on a regular basis. 

Ildhund

The bodies responsible for maintaining these databases are contracted to Ofgem, so the supplier has no say. The electricity one is maintained by Elexon, the gas one by XOServe. With 50 million meters to keep track of, it's not surprising that a few go astray.

It's just not true to say that these databases are 'completely mixed up'.

MixupAddress

I have had to endure several months trying to sort out the issues and so have other people. I'm sure you would feel the same in that situation. I have 25 years experience querying databases to rectify issues like this and I know the state a lot of databases are in. It's simple to put procedures in place if experienced staff with this type of knowledge are employed. Maybe something to propose if you are in contact with the bodies that maintain them. 

spot1034

I have a slightly different issue. I moved suppliers three weeks ago on 30 August. On that day, the national database for gas was already showing the new supplier for my address. I did not check electricity that day, although it was clear that the new supplier already had control of my smart meter and had updated it accordingly. A few days later I did a check of the electricity database by going to the UK Power Networks site (network operator in my area) and the new supplier was shown. All well and good you might think, but now, a couple of weeks later, if I put my address into Compare the Market's comparison site which shows suppliers for any property, gas has been changed to the new supplier but the old supplier is still shown for electricity at my address. How can this be, so long after the switch when the operator's own site has shown the correct status for at least a couple of weeks? Where are Compare the Market getting their information from? It doesn't particularly bother me what's shown but does this mean that there is some process that has not been fully completed, and would it be worth me contacting my old supplier? I'm wondering about Ofgem's rule about compensation being payable if the supply isn't switched within 5 working days. 

Ildhund

Comparison sites use third parties to query the national database. CtM apparently use Electralink, according to a comparison I just did: "... using info from trusted sources: Electralink for electricity and Xoserve for gas."

Scot_39

Siundzlike potentialky the third party potentially caching the database - or if you like holding an earlier snapshot of the info.

Especially if address queried recently.

The same way your browser might cache a favourite website - to save bandwidth - and in past time and cost.

Ildhund

Scot_39 said:

Siundzlike potentialky the third party potentially caching the database ...

If I've decoded that correctly with my Polish spellchecker, yes, I agree with your suspicion. It's a little bit alarming that the EAC they hold for me (the Estimated Annual Consumption that comparison sites can use in the absence of more accurate data) is from last November.

MixupAddress

Even though I went through the energy ombudsman they said they could only correct the supplier I raised the complaint against. Nearly all energy suppliers and comparison sites still contain the wrong address. I was told I would have to contact each one individually which seems totally unfair or it might take 6 or 12 months to get updated on other sites. I think they have held the addresses since the flats were built 9 years ago so will never get updated. I have tried contacting a couple and I am getting nowhere. I also think it is a cache issue. They also said they are not bound by data protection issues.