Social Energy Supply Limited (‘Social Energy Supply’) enters the supplier of last resort (‘SolR’) process
Social Energy Supply Ltd (‘Social Energy Supply’) is ceasing to trade, however Social Energy Ltd (‘Social Energy’) will continue to operate and provide benefits to our customers. Ofgem, the energy regulator, has appointed a new supplier for all of our supply customers.
Customers need not worry, their supplies are secure and funds that customers have paid into their accounts will be protected if they are in credit.
Ofgem have now appointed British Gas Trading Limited (‘British Gas’) as your new supplier. This transfer has taken effect from Saturday 20th November, which means British Gas will bill you from the 21st November. The team at British Gas have likely been in touch already. Please see their website for further details (https://www.britishgas.co.uk/solr#faqs).
This will help make sure that the process of handing customers over to a new supplier, and honouring customers’ credit balances, is as hassle free as possible for customers. Support and advice is available on the Ofgem website for both domestic customers and non-domestic customers. Alternatively, if customers need additional support in England and Wales, they can call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 or email them via their webform. In Scotland, they can contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660 or email them via their webform. Advice will also be shared on Ofgem’s twitter @ofgem and facebook channels.
How is the Supplier of Last resort chosen?
This process is managed by Ofgem; please see their website for more information.
My Credits & Balances
What will happen to my Feed-in-Tariff (FiT)?
Your FiT will remain with whoever your FiT provider is. Social Energy Supply is not a FiT provider.
What will happen to my Social Energy Supply Export tariff?
If you were receiving a Social Energy Supply Export tariff from us, you will need to make arrangements with British Gas for the sale of electricity exported from your property to the grid. You are free to choose whichever supplier offers you the best deal. You do not have to choose the same company as the one which supplies electricity to you. Here is a link to their Smart Export Guarantee section of their website here
What if I have a credit balance or I am waiting for a credit refund after a final bill?
If you are in credit after your final bill has been produced, this balance is protected and will be moved to your new account with British Gas.
What happens to any outstanding payments/debts due to Social Energy Supply?
We collect the final outstanding balance after issuing your final bill. If there are any issues with collecting your direct debit, we will continue to arrange payment. For customers that pay by cheque or bank transfer new account details will be provided. Any credits earned will be held on your account until your debt balance has been paid. Please look out for further email correspondence on this.
What will happen to my Direct Debit?
After your final bill balance direct debit is taken, we will not take any further payments from your bank account. If British Gas work with the same payment provider as we do, GoCardless, then your direct debit will be transferred to them, which means you don’t need to do anything. If, British Gas do not work with GoCardless, we will cancel your mandate and they will be in touch with you separately to set up a new payment method.
On going supply
As a Social Energy Supply customer what do I need to do to ensure a continued supply?
The only thing we require is a meter if you do not have a smart meter. Please provide us with a meter reading via the Social Energy app today. For customers with a connected smart meter, we have taken a remote meter reading. We will produce your final bill – this can take up to 4 weeks, but we will work hard to arrange this for you as soon as possible.
How long will it take to transfer my account to British Gas?
The switch has taken place already. British Gas became your supplier from Sunday 21st November.
What happens if I’m in the process of switching supplier?
If you are in the process of switching suppliers, you should contact your new supplier if you have any concerns about whether you have successfully transferred yet. Otherwise please contact your appointed supplier.
What happens if I’ve recently switched supplier?
If you have already switched supplier, you do not need to do anything. We will be in touch regarding any outstanding amounts owed in the form of a final bill. If your account is paid up to the date of your switch, you will not need to take any further action.
What happens if I’m moving to a new house?
If you’re about to move to a new house, then British Gas will now be managing your energy supply. They will be in contact with you in due course and you will need to notify them regarding a change of address. If your move out date was before Social Energy Supply went into administration, assuming you notified us of your move, we will be contacting you with a final bill in due course.
If you aren't sure who the supplier is at your new property, see the Finding your gas or electricity supplier guide. Once you know who the supplier is for your new property, contact them and ask to be put on their cheapest tariff or shop around and switch if you want to. You won’t be charged exit fees.
Will my smart meter still send meter readings?
Yes, as part of the change of supply the readings will be sent to British Gas from the transfer date of the 21st of November 2021.
Who can I contact for additional information about my supply?
If you need any information regarding your energy supply, you will need to contact British Gas. Here is a link to their contact page should you need it.
If you’d like more information you can also take a look at Ofgem’s Safety Net FAQs.
What do I do if there is something wrong with my gas or power supply?
If you can smell gas or believe there is a gas leak, call the National Gas Emergency line immediately on 0800 111 999. The National Gas Emergency line is free of charge and available 24 hours a day.
Can I still access my account?
You can still access your account via your Social Energy App. We will notify you before making any changes to your access.
What do I do with an upcoming meter appointment?
All meter appointments have been cancelled and you will need to discuss with British Gas.
Who are the administrators?
On 23 November 2021, Howard Smith and Steve Absolom of Interpath Limited were appointed Joint Administrators of Social Energy Supply Limited.
Please note their appointment does not impact any other group companies (including Social Energy Limited) which continue to trade as normal.
Will I need to contact the Administrators directly regarding my energy supply?
Social Energy staff are assisting the Administrators with final billing.
We do not expect you will need to contact the Administrators regarding your ongoing energy supply as this will be dealt with by your new energy provider, British Gas, who you should contact in the first instance. On the basis your final bill is collected by Direct Debit, or by your usual method, as set out above, it is unlikely the Administrators will need to make direct contact with you.
The Administrators have however set up a dedicated website http://socialenergysupply.ia-insolv.com which includes further information and contact details for their team, should you however need to contact them directly.
SOCIAL ENERGY LTD equipment customers
I thought you couldn’t provide grid services to customers not on supply?
Our tech team have been working hard to make this possible. The Social Energy Hub will be able to manage when your energy is either stored, imported or exported onto the grid. By doing this your hub is optimising your battery to 1. Save you as much money as possible. 2. Reduce the cost of your energy 3. Provide grid balancing services, which National Grid pays for – we then pass 70% of this back to you through a bank transfer and 4. To maintain the life span of your battery.
How do I continue to earn credits?
The good news is that to be eligible for grid services payments through Social Energy Ltd you don’t need to make any changes. You need to keep your system plugged in and connected to the internet as before.
You may also be eligible for a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff if you are not receiving a Feed-in-Tariff payment. A list of suppliers who offer a SEG tariff is available here
What about my contract? How does this change my contract?
When you signed up to Social Energy Supply you agreed to the Terms and Conditions of Supply and a Grid Services Agreement.
The Terms and Conditions of Supply laid out how we would operate as a supply business. As we'll no longer be a licensed energy supplier, these will cease to be binding.
The Grid Services Agreement is between you and our sister company, Social Energy Limited. This agreement will continue to apply. However, it has been amended to reflect the fact that you no longer need to be a Social Energy Supply customer to earn smart hub benefits. The amended agreement also sets out how Social Energy Limited will pay you for the benefits as Social Energy Supply will no longer be delivering them as a credit on your supply bill. You can find the amended Grid Services Agreement on our website.
What changes have been made to the original Grid Service Agreement?
The main difference to the Grid Service Agreement is the fact that you are no longer required to be with Social Energy Supply as your supplier. Please read through the GSA (Grid Service Agreement) on our website
Do I have to agree to the amended Grid Service Agreement?
Social Energy Limited have sent all customers a detailed explanation of the changes. As laid out in that correspondence, if Social Energy Limited don’t hear from you within 30 days, they will assume you are happy to be bound by the amended grid services agreement and will continue to use your equipment to perform grid services, where eligible, and make payment directly to you for this.
Can I cancel my Grid Service Agreement?
You are free to terminate your agreement, within this 30-day period by emailing support@social.energy.
Outside of this initial period, Social Energy Limited ask you to give 2 months’ notice to terminate the agreement in accordance with the agreements standard terms.
If you were to terminate under either circumstance, Social Energy Limited would no longer operate your system and you will lose out on any future credits.
What happens if I terminate the Grid Service Agreement with you?
You will still have the benefit of your battery to save you money on your own energy bills. However, Social Energy Ltd will no longer use your hub to optimise your battery, which means that these savings will be reduced and any additional benefits from the use of your system to provide Grid Services will cease. As you purchased the equipment from a third party, your purchase agreement with them [and any related finance agreement] will still remain in place.
What happens to my pay-back period?
As you are saving money through avoiding the cost of importing energy, this period will actually decrease with the recent increases in energy prices, provided that you do not terminate your Grid Services Agreement with Social Energy Ltd. Social Energy Limited have tried to be as clear as possible on the email on how your benefits are impacted, so please be sure to go through each part of the email from Social Energy Limited – which details any benefits and the changes to how your benefits will be passed through. There are three main points:
1. You need to apply to a SEG (Smart Export Guarantee) provider for an export tariff, to be paid for any consumption exported to the grid.
2. Your self consumption, which is the biggest benefit from your system, will continue to operate and be optimised by the Social Energy Hub.
3. Your Grid services benefit will continue and we will send you a bank transfer monthly.
What happens to my warranty for my system?
There won’t be any changes to the warranty of your system. As long as you keep your hub connected, Social Energy Limited will continue to manage your system in a way that protects it and ensures its longevity.
What are Grid Services?
Social Energy are the only supplier to offer credits for balancing the National Grid. This means your battery, in a group with other Social Energy customer batteries, is being used to provide fast frequency response for the National Grid. The grid must maintain a frequency of 50hz which will fluctuate based on the power situation in the UK. Too much energy within the grid will cause the frequency to go over 50hz and not enough can result in it going below 50hz if there isn’t enough power. Your battery will be used to help maintain the frequency which you will receive credit payments for when helping to provide this service
Is that the same as Export?
No, this is a further credit you can get paid for when your system send energy off to the grid. Some of this will happen when you are grid balancing, some if this will happen when there is a lot of sunshine or you don’t need the energy in your property. You can get this paid alongside your Grid Services payments – If you're not already getting paid for this through a Feed in Tariff, you just need to have a look around for a SEG provider and approach them to get you registered on their system.
Is that the same as Trading?
Trading is separate again, and was the smallest of the savings you made with us. This was where electricity prices vary throughout the day and the hub is working to make sure it's buying your electricity at the cheapest time of day and selling at the most expensive. The hub was also buying as much as possible at low cost times and avoiding the peak rate network costs. This saving worked out at an average of £3.22 per customer per month which you may be able to make back through looking around for a cheaper tariff but this is something we are not able to pay going forward as we are no longer an Energy Supplier.
Do British Gas have an export tariff & What do I need to do?
Yes, there is a link to their website for Smart Export Guarantee here. We advise you to shop around and find the best deal as you don't have to move to British Gas for your export, a list of suppliers who offer a SEG tariff is available here
What this means for your Social Energy earnings - Economy 24
- You need to keep your battery switched on and connected
- You’ll continue to benefit from self-consumption
- Grid services will continue to be provided and paid by Social Energy Limited on a quarterly basis
- Your Grid Services Agreement will change to reflect that you no longer need to be a customer of Social Energy Supply (LINK GSA)
- To receive payment for your exported energy, you need to sign up to a Smart Export Guarantee tariff with a SEG provider. a list of suppliers who offer a SEG tariff is available here
- Grid trading services will no longer be available - this makes up the smallest part of your Social Energy savings
What this means for your Social Energy earnings (Better Together)
- You need to keep your battery switched on and connected
- You’ll continue to benefit from self-consumption
- Social Energy’s Export Tariff will no longer be available – instead we will provide and pay a Grid Services credit on a monthly basis
- To receive payments for your exported energy, you need to sign up to a Smart Export Guarantee tariff with a SEG provider
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.