British Gas Reviews: Give your feedback

psarinuk · 26 May 2016 at 1:14PM

Thanks for the email address. I've sent the email and received a reply already that cashback team @ moneysupermarket would be looking into this, expect delays as they are relying on the supplier.

Will keep you posted.
Thanks again.

Former_MSE_Roxanne · 26 May 2016 at 1:36PM

Ellie2758 wrote: »

I received an email from the Cheap Energy Club today telling me that my gas switchover has been unsuccessful.

I contacted BG who assure me that the switch took place at one property in February and the other in March.

Has the Cheap Energy Club decided to join in this Kafkaesque farce now?
Or, is it more British Gas madness?

Hi Ellie2758,

The cashback comes from your supplier paying the switching referral fee and confirming the switch outcome to us. If you've received an email saying that we've heard your switch was rejected when it wasn't, it sounds like your supplier's just given us the incorrect info.

If you drop us an email to energyclub@moneysavingexpert.com, we can chase up the cashback payment for you.

SnakeDoctor_2 · 26 May 2016 at 3:56PM

footyguy,

When I said 'is there an organisation out there that you can sign-up with and they will take on the painful process of switching for you' I wasn't meaning a supplier, I was meaning a sort of comparison site that would go one step further and manage the switch for you.

Just after my original post I saw an article on https://www.swuto.com/uk/ and Hengus (thank you) has pointed me to http://flipper.community/ Initial reading implies that these 2 are just what I was talking about and I will seriously consider using one of these in the future.

As for 'taking responsibility' I use comparison sites every few months and switched 4 times in the last 4 years; and each switch has been painful so I don't understand how I could take more responsibility.

victor2 · 26 May 2016 at 9:03PM

Out of interest, I looked at Flipper, comparing it to what I've done for a relative, who cannot manage her utility accounts since being widowed not so long ago. Of course I don't charge anything, but one of the hardest things I've found to explain is how her monthly usage is doing compared to a year ago.
It is no use talking in kWh, as I might as well be speaking Chinese. Actual cost is a more realistic comparison, along with assuring her she is on track to financially cover her annual usage.
I see from Flipper's FAQs:

This email will information about how much you have spent on your new tariff, and how much you’d have spent if you’d not switched with Flipper. It also then shows exactly how much joining Flipper has saved you.

You can excuse the English error, but I wonder if they use the OFGEM approved method of comparison, which most people using this forum know is seriously flawed. It would most probably give results suggesting the customer has made greater savings than they would have achieved if they'd even let their energy supplier recommend one of their own tariffs. However, it would have been a realistic comparison to what it would have cost the customer if they'd done absolutely nothing.

Flipper will cost the customer their fee and not save them anything IF they are capable of doing the comparison/switch themselves. However, as that is too much for many people to handle, for a small fee Flipper will do it for them. You would assume Flipper have experienced staff who can handle the problems with switching we see people report on here.

Ellie2758 · 26 May 2016 at 9:54PM

Thanks Roxanne

I have emailed you regarding this latest error on British Gas's part.

System · 27 May 2016 at 10:18AM

I confess to being a serial switcher and there have been some issues. For example, a gas switch to Ovo last year failed as I was a returning customer and the 'computer' cancelled the transfer as it could see an old account in my name. I am not sure what 'value-added' a third-party could do then I couldn't do for myself? I switched my gas tariff on Wednesday and will save the massive annual sum of £5.71 by doing so. Will the third-party provide this level of scrutiny? i doubt it.

footyguy · 27 May 2016 at 12:12PM

SnakeDoctor,

With switching sites typically earning around £30 per fuel per switch, I'm sure those sites will keep you switching

(even if it means using the regulatory method of comparing prices to ensure maximum switching)

Do any of those sites offer cashback?

Oldsoldier · 30 May 2016 at 9:52AM

Oldsoldier wrote: »

Just posted this on an another thread before finding this one.

Switch (from OVO) initiated 4 Feb for both Gas and Electricity and since then have had 10 emails from British Gas giving different start dates including one cancelling the Gas switch which meant I had to initiate a re-start of the process - they simply emailed me telling me it was cancelled! I wasn't the only one as a subsequent general email from the MSE Energy Club confirmed.

Gas meter reading requested 16 Mar which was given - Electricity meter reading has never been requested.

I registered my on-line account weeks ago, but as at today's date neither switch was shown as complete so I tried to phone and check - very long waiting times so I gave up and phoned OVO to ask if I'd left them............. !! Very helpful young lady checked the national database accessed by all utility companies and she told me my Electricity Supply transferred on 18 Mar (without a meter reading) and Gas was transferring today - I wonder if anyone at British Gas knows? Anyway, to be helpful I logged in again and gave both up-to-date readings for today - perhaps someone will pick them up!

Oh and I apparently have 2 Gas Accounts and 2 Electricity Accounts, all with different numbers - be interesting to see how they sort that one out over the coming weeks."

Finally, my 'savings' are now over 10 months not 12 - and as I had timed the switch to coincide with the end of a previous 'Fix' I've had several weeks during a high use period paying the highest tariff to my previous supplier. Not happy and a lesson learnt - about British Gas and unfortunately the MSE Energy Club who try so hard and generally do a great job!

After several more emails and phone calls I seemed to have it sorted - first statement downloaded on 3 May - one dual account, gas backdated to 17 Mar and electricity to 29 Mar - 8 weeks after I first applied! Then on Friday I had an email from the Cheap Energy Club telling me they couldn't pay cashback for my elec switch because British Gas had informed them it hadn't happened! Here we go again

!!! Oh and of course nothing has been credited to my Nectar account so I'll have to sort that out as well.

Former_MSE_Roxanne · 31 May 2016 at 10:17AM

Oldsoldier wrote: »

After several more emails and phone calls I seemed to have it sorted - first statement downloaded on 3 May - one dual account, gas backdated to 17 Mar and electricity to 29 Mar - 8 weeks after I first applied! Then on Friday I had an email from the Cheap Energy Club telling me they couldn't pay cashback for my elec switch because British Gas had informed them it hadn't happened! Here we go again !!! Oh and of course nothing has been credited to my Nectar account so I'll have to sort that out as well.

Hi Oldsoldier,

We get the cashback and the updates from your supplier. I'm sorry to hear that your supplier appears to have provided us with incorrect details following your switch. If you drop us an email to energyclub AT moneysavingexpert .com we'll chase this up with British Gas.

I'm afraid there were no automatic nectar card points available for switching to this tariff. For more information on British Gas and its nectar card rewards schemes, please see British Gas's website:
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/SignUpForNectar/

psarinuk · 6 June 2016 at 12:55PM

Result:
After emailing the cheap energy club, I got a response from them today, "Some good news on this! British Gas have now got back to us to confirm that your switch has fully completed.
This means that we'll be able to pass on the outstanding cashback to you. This should be paid in the next couple of weeks and go into your bank account with the reference EnergyClubCashBk."

Happy days. Thanks to all.

British Gas Reviews: Give your feedback

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