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Bust energy suppliers

Making your money go further
swill453
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Bust energy suppliers

#451727

Postby swill453 » October 20th, 2021, 5:01 pm

Since the Gas and Electricity thread is locked, I thought I'd start a new one for info on providers going bust and what happens next.

I am/was with Igloo, and (as advised) didn't cancel my Direct Debit. They took another monthly payment from me on Monday, but I note that their web site is still up and running, and my "dashboard" is showing the payment as a credit.

So probably worth taking a snapshot of the account page as proof of payment so it can't fall down the cracks.

Scott.

staffordian
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451742

Postby staffordian » October 20th, 2021, 6:06 pm

Ditto for me with Utility Point (UP).

There was mixed advice regarding whether or not to cancel the direct debit. I initially did so, but EDF's FAQs for ex UP customers implied they would put customers on a higher tariff if there was no direct debit in place. Rather than test this (my assumption had been that they would simply ask me to complete a new DD mandate when they took over the account) I asked my bank to reinstate the original mandate, which they did.

I had an automated acknowledgement from UP, but at that stage the claim date for the September payment had passed so I missed that payment - hardly an issue as I have a three figure credit balance.

Today however, the usual DD to UP was claimed from my account. However their account summary page is and has always been wrong. It always shows a credit of £0, and only by drilling down the the statement page does the true figure appear. Snag is, this has not been updated to reflect any usage or payment credits since the August statement so there is no way of confirming they have this latest payment.

It's over a month since UP went bust and other than a round robin email from EDF welcoming us, we have heard nothing from them. Does anyone have an indication of how long it takes for customers to be transferred to a new company?

Arborbridge
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451748

Postby Arborbridge » October 20th, 2021, 6:17 pm

When Tonik went bust, my transfer to Scottish Power was reasonably quick.

However, I still do not have a final bill for the period April to October last year! Every few weeks I would receive an email from Scottish Power saying they would be in touch when they had the information. That went on for a few months, and then ceased altogether.

My fear is that the administrators will agree some phoney figure which bears little relationship to the readings I reported. In this case Scottish Power will simply say they cannot do anything because they have to go by what the previous company said the situation was - I've heard it's happened previously in these circumstances. Then there's a protracted argument with a brick wall.

Arb.

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451777

Postby Gersemi » October 20th, 2021, 8:36 pm

staffordian wrote:
It's over a month since UP went bust and other than a round robin email from EDF welcoming us, we have heard nothing from them. Does anyone have an indication of how long it takes for customers to be transferred to a new company?


When Yorkshire Energy went bust last year on 05/12/2020, it took until 07/02/21 for me to get my first bill from Scottish Power. It took until 07/03/21 for my credit to be applied to the new account.

staffordian
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451813

Postby staffordian » October 20th, 2021, 10:10 pm

Gersemi wrote:
staffordian wrote:
It's over a month since UP went bust and other than a round robin email from EDF welcoming us, we have heard nothing from them. Does anyone have an indication of how long it takes for customers to be transferred to a new company?


When Yorkshire Energy went bust last year on 05/12/2020, it took until 07/02/21 for me to get my first bill from Scottish Power. It took until 07/03/21 for my credit to be applied to the new account.

Thanks.

Time to forget about it for a while then, I guess.

didds
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451884

Postby didds » October 21st, 2021, 8:50 am

We were with Green - went bust.
various messages about not deleting DDs, will be advised of hand over to a new supplier.
Green continued to ask for readings, and taking DDs.
Emails from Shell about how they will be taking over, and to await further announcements - then nothing more
Email from green yesterday saying my account with them is now cancelled.

So Ive no actual idea now what Shell are doing, and account details with them, what happened to my Green CRedit balance (though I see assurances in other threads etc), what tarriff we are on, what the DD each month will be, how to contact them etc etc, and how to submit readins

Limbo land. The lights still come on so we havent been cut off (yet?) at least, but whats to say we arent just on some horrendous tarriff to be faced weith some enormous bill in a few months time when they decide to bill us?

swill453
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451887

Postby swill453 » October 21st, 2021, 9:00 am

didds wrote:Limbo land. The lights still come on so we havent been cut off (yet?) at least, but whats to say we arent just on some horrendous tarriff to be faced weith some enormous bill in a few months time when they decide to bill us?

I think the Supplier of Last Resort isn't allowed to put you on a tariff higher than the price cap.

Scott.

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451892

Postby didds » October 21st, 2021, 9:12 am

swill453 wrote:I think the Supplier of Last Resort isn't allowed to put you on a tariff higher than the price cap.

Scott.


but what if other deals elsewhere are lower than Shell's tarriff that I cannot move to because my Shell account is not yet set up fully etc?

didds

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451893

Postby didds » October 21st, 2021, 9:13 am

spoke to shell just now.

I cant do anything until I receive email from shell wrt completion and account details.

they cannot tell me when that will happen other than its "soon" - but cannot provide any definition on "soon" (eg this week/month/year etc)

didds
Last edited by didds on October 21st, 2021, 9:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

Stompa
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451894

Postby Stompa » October 21st, 2021, 9:15 am

didds wrote:We were with Green - went bust.
various messages about not deleting DDs, will be advised of hand over to a new supplier.
Green continued to ask for readings, and taking DDs.
Emails from Shell about how they will be taking over, and to await further announcements - then nothing more
Email from green yesterday saying my account with them is now cancelled.

So Ive no actual idea now what Shell are doing, and account details with them, what happened to my Green CRedit balance (though I see assurances in other threads etc), what tarriff we are on, what the DD each month will be, how to contact them etc etc, and how to submit readins

Limbo land. The lights still come on so we havent been cut off (yet?) at least, but whats to say we arent just on some horrendous tarriff to be faced weith some enormous bill in a few months time when they decide to bill us?

I think this will tell you which tariff you're on:

https://www.shellenergy.co.uk/blog/post ... -customers

and this will enable you to find the rates:

https://www.shellenergy.co.uk/energy/tariff-information

It ain't gonna be cheap though!

didds
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451895

Postby didds » October 21st, 2021, 9:19 am

Stompa wrote:
It ain't gonna be cheap though!



I suspect not wherevre I go. My concern is that there may be a cheapoer tarriff out there to switch to, but I cant switch to them until Shell are completed etc - but Shell cant tell me when that will be...

swill453
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451899

Postby swill453 » October 21st, 2021, 9:32 am

didds wrote:
swill453 wrote:I think the Supplier of Last Resort isn't allowed to put you on a tariff higher than the price cap.

but what if other deals elsewhere are lower than Shell's tarriff that I cannot move to because my Shell account is not yet set up fully etc?

In normal times that might be a concern, but right now Martin Lewis is saying there's not much better than the cap around. Certainly if you wanted a fixed price deal they're at least 30% more than the cap.

Scott.

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451928

Postby didds » October 21st, 2021, 10:53 am

Thanks for your assurances Scott - muchly appreciated

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451974

Postby staffordian » October 21st, 2021, 12:43 pm

I think EDF must have been reading my moaning above :D

Just had an email from them.

Still only in general terms saying it will take some time to sort things out, but reassuring customers about credits, direct debits and also stating which tariff we're on, which, unsurprisingly is their standard one.

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451979

Postby didds » October 21st, 2021, 12:50 pm

swill453 wrote:[
In normal times that might be a concern, but right now Martin Lewis is saying there's not much better than the cap around.
Scott.



So... my ignorance showing here and thus trying to educate myself.

the cap appears to be based on some concept of an "average bill", not by pence per KW and daily standing charge. [ as reported in various google searches anyway]

Given my Shrell tarriff is charged by pence per KW and daily standing charges... how do I know if it is "the cap"? Or in reverse, how does Shell know its charges do not exceed the cap on a standard tariff?

didds

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#451999

Postby staffordian » October 21st, 2021, 1:49 pm

didds wrote:
swill453 wrote:[
In normal times that might be a concern, but right now Martin Lewis is saying there's not much better than the cap around.
Scott.



So... my ignorance showing here and thus trying to educate myself.

the cap appears to be based on some concept of an "average bill", not by pence per KW and daily standing charge. [ as reported in various google searches anyway]

Given my Shrell tarriff is charged by pence per KW and daily standing charges... how do I know if it is "the cap"? Or in reverse, how does Shell know its charges do not exceed the cap on a standard tariff?

didds


The way it's quoted does seem difficult to understand, and to me seems to be one of those things which has been so dumbed down as to be incomprehensible.

Somewhere, (on the Martin Lewis forum IIRC) I found a link to a table of rates - which, by the way, are not UK wide but vary by region - but realistically, I think all you can do is search on the Shell website for their standard variable tariff details and take it as read that it complies with the cap.

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#452278

Postby daveh » October 22nd, 2021, 3:18 pm

didds wrote:
swill453 wrote:[
In normal times that might be a concern, but right now Martin Lewis is saying there's not much better than the cap around.
Scott.



So... my ignorance showing here and thus trying to educate myself.

the cap appears to be based on some concept of an "average bill", not by pence per KW and daily standing charge. [ as reported in various google searches anyway]

Given my Shrell tarriff is charged by pence per KW and daily standing charges... how do I know if it is "the cap"? Or in reverse, how does Shell know its charges do not exceed the cap on a standard tariff?

didds


Its cos the government/OFGEM think we are all stupid and can't work out what we would pay from the actual tariff so it is always quoted as this many pounds per year for an average user. I'd much prefer to be quoted a cost per unit of energy and a daily standing charge so I can work it out properly. (To be fair SSE quoted it like that when they said the variable tariff was being increased recently - the standing charge has been decreased by a wopping 0.01p per day, to 27.4p per day, so a saving of an outstanding 4p a year. The energy charge has increased from 18.98p/unit to 20.84p/unit so my ~ electricity usage will now cost £417 plus the standing charge which will take it to £517) It is just for press releases it seems to be always quoted as the annual cost for an average user. I fact looking at the OFGEM site they don't want to tell me what the CAP price is either

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#452298

Postby gryffron » October 22nd, 2021, 4:05 pm

daveh wrote:
didds wrote:the cap appears to be based on some concept of an "average bill", not by pence per KW and daily standing charge.
Given my Shrell tarriff is charged by pence per KW and daily standing charges... how do I know if it is "the cap"? Or in reverse, how does Shell know its charges do not exceed the cap on a standard tariff?

Its cos the government/OFGEM think we are all stupid and can't work out what we would pay from the actual tariff so it is always quoted as this many pounds per year for an average user. I'd much prefer to be quoted a cost per unit of energy and a daily standing charge so I can work it out properly. ... fact looking at the OFGEM site they don't want to tell me what the CAP price is either

Ah but the legal cap IS based on what an "average user" pays OVERALL. So it doesn't matter how they balance the standing charge and cost/unit, It's entirely up to the provider how the payments are split, as long as the "average user" ends up paying the correct amount. The standing charge could be all of an "average user"'s bill, or zero. Hence why you can't find the cap figures quoted separately.

This means of course that if you are a significantly above/below average user, you could find a difference in prices. Although, since the providers are losing money on every customer, they probably wouldn't want to take you on anyway.

Gryff

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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#452301

Postby daveh » October 22nd, 2021, 4:18 pm

gryffron wrote:Ah but the legal cap IS based on what an "average user" pays OVERALL. So it doesn't matter how they balance the standing charge and cost/unit, It's entirely up to the provider how the payments are split, as long as the "average user" ends up paying the correct amount. The standing charge could be all of an "average user"'s bill, or zero. Hence why you can't find the cap figures quoted separately.

This means of course that if you are a significantly above/below average user, you could find a difference in prices. Although, since the providers are losing money on every customer, they probably wouldn't want to take you on anyway.

Gryff


That's interesting to know as I'm a significantly low user (2000kWh/year approx. electricity only*) though with SSE (I'm on the CAP tariff at the moment) that is an approx. split 20% standing charge 80% energy. It may be worth having a look at options ahead of the next CAP recalculation to see if i can get cheaper. Though as you say its not in the companies interest to take new people onto the CAP tariff as they are losing money on every unit of energy they sell - though i guess they are losing more on gas than electricity.

* my heat is mostly provided by wood, which I source, cut, chop and dry/season myself.

Moderator Message:
minor edit to fix quotes (chas49)

didds
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Re: Bust energy suppliers

#453110

Postby didds » October 26th, 2021, 9:31 am

meanwhile Shell are still setting up my new accont, Green have cloised my old one , and ive no way to find out anything (like annual consumption... I had a note of it and cannot find it now)

Im (along with thousands of others obviously) stuck in this purgatory/limbo until such a time as Sheel deign to provide with a way to liase with them. I did call last week and the repeated message is there is nothing "they" can do until my account is set up, that that will be "soon", but there is no defintion of what "soon" actually means in reality. Its very frustrating.

more coffee needed.


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