How to keep your switch on track and get a refund if you are out of pocket
REST assured your supply will not be interrupted in a switch – if a problem arises it will be administrative.
BE clear with the supplier you are switching to about how you want an issue resolved. Explain clearly, in writing if necessary, what trouble has arisen and how it should be sorted out.
RELY on the Energy Switching Guarantee to support your argument. To find out the exact rules and which suppliers are signed up visit energyswitchguarantee.com.
ASK for a refund if you are paying more on an old tariff due to a delayed switch that would have saved you money – in addition to compensation for inconvenience.
DEMAND a realistic amount of compensation. A supplier is unlikely to pay hundreds of pounds, even if you feel like you have wasted as many hours trying to find a solution.
CITE incoming rules from Ofgem, that would put compensation at around £30 per problem.
KNOW that after eight weeks of battling with a supplier, or if it rejects your complaint, you can defer to the Energy Ombudsman for an impartial and legally-binding decision.
The Energy Ombudsman orders suppliers to pay a financial reward to customers in roughly three-quarters of the cases it assesses. Visit ombudsman-services.org/ energy or call 0330 440 1624. You can also try free complaints resolution service Resolver – visit resolver.co.uk.
TRY using an automatic switching service for energy. These include Look After My Bills, Labrador, Switchd and Flipper.
If a switch goes wrong in future, it is likely to help you sort out a difficulty because they provide an ongoing service.