The Student Energy Group + Corona

booper

My son has recently moved into a new rental and requested to switch his energy suppliers to Octopus. Electricty switch went smoothly, whilst the current gas supplier objected. He investigated with the landlord to find the previous tenants had gas supplied via The Student Energy Group - TSEG (but not electricity). So, son contacts TSEG, sets up a temporary account and is told they will lift the objection to the swtich by 26th June - great...let Octopus know, they request again, the switch is again objected to...Contact TSEG again....to be assured that the objection will be lifted by 2nd July....so, on 3rd July ask Octopus to try again...once again there is an objection. Find out from TSEG that the gas supplier they use is Corona - a look on Corona website shows that they are a commercial / business supplier, so probably should not be supplying a residential flat, although I guess that the business it is supplying is TSEG...he has contacted TSEG again today, they admit there is an issue with getting Corona to lift the objection, and this has happened with other accounts too, and they will again request Corona lift the objection...he is still waiting to hear as does not want to ask Octopus again until he is sure it will go ahead. In the meantime, he has received an invoice from TSEG for gas, which he has paid as he did not want this to be a reason for another objection! He is currently on a 'deemed contract' so being charged above the rate he would be with Octopus. Anyone else experienced this? Looking for reassurance that it was eventually resolved and how long it took! He has so far been promisted £60 in compensation...

masonic

I think he should raise a formal complaint against TSEG now. This will allow him to escalate to the Energy Ombudsman if not resolved within the next 8 weeks. Check that this deemed contract is not above the energy price cap for his region.

Suppliers cannot object to a switch without a valid reason. I can't see any harm in contacting Corona directly. They have a freephone number for complaints. They might not be willing to deal directly with the end-consumer, but you never know - you might learn something about the reason for the objection, such as TSEG not paying them. This could assist with your complaint against TSEG.

booper

Thanks, formal complaint done, he had already complained, but it is definitely a formal one now. Shame he has to wait 8 weeks before complaining to Ofgem, really hoping it is resolved before then! He might contact corona, but it's all been quite stressful for him! 

Scot_39

Energy Ombudsman - not Ofgem.

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

https://www.energyombudsman.org/how-we-can-help/energy-suppliers

booper

Thanks for this. 

born_again

booper said:

Thanks, formal complaint done, he had already complained, but it is definitely a formal one now. Shame he has to wait 8 weeks before complaining to Ofgem, really hoping it is resolved before then! He might contact corona, but it's all been quite stressful for him! 

8 weeks will be from date of 1st complaint.
Formal complaint means nothing. As a regulated industry. If complaint is mentioned, then they have to log it as such. Failure is a big no no & will see them in trouble.

Scot_39

The key is mentioned.

Specifically mentioned.

A general whinge or this needs fixing or I am not happy to telephone support does not necessarily constitute the start of a complaint handling process.

After failure to resolve issues during a call, at one stage EOn staff specifically asked if I wanted to raise a complaint.  When I said yes I was given a reference number etc. 

When I said no they just logged the issue - the last time was when they sent meter sc rates for a dd account. Now if they billed me same, that would have been a complaint.

And many such customer service calls do see the issue people are "complaining" about resolved, without entering formal complaints process.

booper

That's useful to know, thanks, TSEG are saying the objection has been lifted, the Octopus account is looking promising but not quite there yet! I do wonder though if they rely on students not having the wherewithal to pursue it and end up just staying with them...luckily my son has had parental support to help him persist and insist it is dealt with. 

happylamptree

Hi there, I have just found this forum because I'm in this EXACT situation. I'm trying to move to Octopus but the previous tenants used TSEG, and TSEG are using Corona to supply. I rang them on the 1st July to try and switch away, and was told I would be free to leave on the 4th. It is now the 14th July and I have gone back and forth countless times being told different things by different TSEG employees, some saying it would definitely be sorted the next day, and another saying they don't know who told me that and that it would take 10 days minimum! They have told me that they are trying to free up the switch but that Corona are blocking it and they don't know why. It's such a frustrating situation, especially as it's my first time sorting out my own bills after living in student houses for three years. I'm just wondering if you know what your son had to do to finally get them to sort it out?

booper

It took perseverance and raising a complaint....he contacted them almost daily via the online chat and sent emails to complain. It looks like the switch is finally going through, will know for sure tomorrow as the date Octopus has given for completion. All I can say is do not give up. Here's the first complaint email he sent, I've removed the excerpts from the online chat but he basically included anything where they said the objection would be lifted and on what day...

Attachments: invoice and paid receipt; pictures of gas meter taken today.

 

Hello,

 

I am enquiring as to the reason for you objecting to my request to switch my gas supply to Octopus.

 

I made contact with you on 27th June 2025, and an excerpt of the chat is below, which clearly stated the switch would be possible from the 2nd July 2025:

 

Online Chat with xxxxx on 27th June 2025.

 

(11:50:49) xxxxx: 

 

(11:55:43) xxxxx: 

 

I received an invoice on 2nd July 2025 and this has been paid via bank transfer, and I emailed a copy of the bank transfer receipt – it is attached again here. So there is no outstanding debt, other than what will be the final bill. In fact, the estimated use on the bill is above the actual use as shown on the attached picture; this is because although the tenancy began on 15th June 2025, we have only just fully moved in.

 

I have taken advice from the CAB, Martin Lewis, and Ofgem websites, which indicate that according to the supplier licence, SLC 14, that:

 

households don't have to give any form of notice to switch supplier, or to cancel a fixed contract.

 

Providers can only object to a customer moving to a new supplier if one or more of the following apply:

 

·         The customer is in debt to the losing supplier.

·         The new supplier and the losing supplier have agreed that the switch was initiated in error.

·         The customer asks the losing supplier to object to the switch.

·         The customer has a fixed term contract, which won't end on or before the date of the proposed switch – Ofgem however adds that this is more in relation to suppliers collecting early exit fees and that switching before your fix ends isn't enough to hold up the process.

 

None of the above apply, so please explain why the switch has been objected to again?

 

I do not wish to seek legal advice, but this may well be my next step if the objection is not lifted today.

 

I look forward to hearing from you with the news that the objection has been lifted.

booper

He complained again, with extracts from further online chats, and ended it with this, after which it seemed to be lifted - as I said, will know for sure tomorrow. He has been offered compensation and will be following this up as it has only been mentioned in an online chat not via email. 

To resolve this issue I want the objection to be lifted and I want confirmation that it has actually been lifted – not just false promises that it will be lifted – and I want this to be resolved by the end of the working day on Tuesday 8th July 2025.