Tomato Energy

[Gadget Geek]

I've had a reply from Good Energy:

We've come across an issue with your switch to us. We're really sorry about this.
It looks as though you have a switch to another supplier that hasn't been completed yet. This switch needs to be finished before we can move your supply to Good Energy.

Once your other switch is complete, please let us know by replying to this email so we can pick up with helping you join Good Energy.

Surprise, surprise . . . no reply from BG, even though I contacted them first.

 

[johnb80]

Ive just called British Gas, the customer support operator said were not on their system yet (even though we had a welcome email) and until we had a welcome pack and a final bill from TE we were still with TE on their tariff. He gave me that in an email too.

 

[Everest]

until we had a welcome pack and a final bill from TE we were still with TE

hmmm... don't hold your breath on that one - are TE still in existence enough to produce a final bill?

 

[johnb80]

hmmm... don't hold your breath on that one - are TE still in existence enough to produce a final bill?

I have absolutely no idea, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I am doing daily meter readings and uploading them to Tomato just in case.

 

[Martkarin]

I am with Tomato and been paying the variable direct debit, so final bill shouldn't be a shock, when its all sorted. So l phoned Eonnext today to see if l could switch to them. They told me the switch to BG completes tomorrow, so Wednesday they will request switch from BG.
This was confirmed when l checked my account with BG for my gas today, electricity account has been added and goes live tomorrow.
I agree with all previous negative comments regarding BG, but l chose them on cost rather than customer service , they were the cheapest when l renewed.

 

[Gadget Geek]

I had an email asking for the final reading. Whilst I was flipping through the menus on the meter, I noticed that BG is now showing as the supplier.

 

[Gomev]

My experience is mainframe based where there are not CSV extracts that you can just run, you can write a program easily enough to do that but it's extracting the right data from what are usually complex structures that is the problem. A house that becomes an HMO started as a simple mpan/address/person then people come and go, meters may change, people may be associated with other addresses in the database either consecutively or concurrently. Then the house is split up and you potentially have multiple mpans 'live' etc.etc.
SQL is great for writing extract processes because the way the data is linked but hierarchical databases don't work that way.
All that said I would expect that these days these new energy companies would probably use an off the shelf package to manage billing, although if it's on SAP there would still be a monstrous bill to transfer the data.

Quite. There are reasons for red tape and bureaucracy certainly within the financial world. Imagine if a mistake were to be made and all of a sudden your money disappeared or you weren't able to access it. I'm sure we can all remember times when various banks had IT problems and people were unable to access their accounts. Rushed changes could be a disaster without going through rigorous testing runs. Checks, and sign offs were an important necessity but did add time to even a simple change involving someone's money. On a very very very rough average there are 80 million payment card transactions per day in the UK. Imagine processing those and somebody makes a mistake and they all go wrong or can't be processed. The fallout of that could be horrendous.

It seems to me like some of you guys are emulating plumbers, breathing in through your teeth when looking at a job like this and then explaining how expensive it's going to be.
In an earlier life I was Network Manager for a technology college, we merged with two other secondary schools. Each establishment was handling data in different ways with different programs. I accept the numbers were smaller (3000) put the complexity of the data was much greater. Each location the data was extracted into CSV files, post processed into the format we needed to import into our SQL database. I had 1 day on each site and then 3 days on our new site and the job was done. I dont buy into all the complexity outlined above. HMO's is nothing more than MPAN number associated with a person at an address, the same address would appear for additional MPAN's and people, no big deal here.
Maybe I'm blinkered but a 'can do' attitude is needed as opposed to 'can't do' for everyones sake.

I could think the same about any skilled qualified professionals doing jobs. Electricians for example, it's only connecting a few wires isn't it, Network manager, just running a few cables etc etc.
Total nonsense of course, but a little knowledge can sometimes be a dangerous thing.

 

[johnb80]

I also got an email requesting the final reading

I could think the same about any skilled qualified professionals doing jobs. Electricians for example, it's only connecting a few wires isn't it.

Yep but in the right order etc.

Network manager, just running a few cables etc etc.

Hell yes and managing the data, the 50+ servers, UPS, Disk Arrays, 3000 users, security, WAN access, safeguarding and those dratted cables, wifi and fibre. After lunch we put our feet up and drink black coffee

Total nonsense of course, but a little knowledge can sometimes be a dangerous thing.

It can indeed but it does allow you some thoughts into the ongoing process and enables the bullshit sensor.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Oh, and still no response from BG, not even an automated one. 4 days and counting.

 

[johnb80]

Oh, and still no response from BG, not even an automated one. 4 days and counting.

From BG's standpoint, why would they contact you? They have you on an expensive tariff, captive audience, it's not in their interest to contact you at all.