PFP Energy customers transferred to British Gas: what now?

What should PFP Energy customers do?

As of right now, if you have not yet been contacted by British Gas, your new supplier, there is nothing to be done as a customer, besides take a meter reading. As you will see, everything is being taken care of, so there is no need to panic or look for measures to take – your energy will be supplied to you as usual, for instance.

What happened to PFP Energy?

PFP Energy is one of the many suppliers who have gone bust as a result of the current gas market climate. Indeed, as a consequence of post-Covid-19 activity reopening, the demand for gas has surged in the past few months. Since this is happening at the same time as a lack of gas supply in Europe and beyond, this means that wholesale as prices have drastically risen in the UK.

Since energy suppliers have to respect a certain price cap for their customers, the weakest suppliers have not been able to survive in this context, and have therefore had to officially go bust. PFP Energy was the 5th energy supplier to disappear in 2021, following a trend that started as early as January of that year.

Will my supply be interrupted?

Ofgem, the energy market regulator, has appointed British Gas to be the supplier that will take over all 82 000 domestic and 5600 non-domestic customers who used to belong to PFP Energy.

Therefore, your supply will not be interrupted at any point in time, and you will not be noticing any difference in that respect.

Should I continue paying PFP Energy meanwhile?

The general consensus is that yes, you should continue to pay your old supplier, and that therefore you should not be cancelling any payment method such as direct debit, standing order, or direct payment. You will be able to cancel whichever method is relevant for you once British Gas has come into contact with you and helped you setup your account details properly.

Should I take a meter reading?

Yes, and this is the only real step you have to actively take besides waiting to be contacted. Taking a meter reading as early as possible will help make any payment or contract subscription process go more smoothly. This applies whether or not you are planning to switch from British Gas to another supplier in the future.

What happens if I was in debt or credit to PFP Energy?

Depending on your situation, you may be owed money, or owe money to, PFP Energy. Since they have gone bust, it is understandable to wonder whether or not you will have to pay British Gas instead, and whether they will pay you if needed.

In terms of credit (money PFP Energy owed you), British Gas has declared it is ready to honour this credit on behalf of PFP Energy, and therefore pay back the appropriate sums to all affected customers. In the case of debt, the details will be worked out on a more case-by-case basis, so you’ll have to wait until you are contacted to know exactly if and how you will pay this debt off.

British Gas to take over: will my bills and rates go up?

Depending on the energy plan you has under PFP Energy, you may end up temporarily paying more when you are transferred over to British Gas. The idea is that they have appointed all then ew customers automatically to a “deemed” contract. This deemed contract may correspond to the supplier’s most standard tariff, meaning it is unlikely to be their cheapest deal.

You will however be free to shop around for other, better deals, but only once British Gas has properly set up your account and its details. You may stay with British Gas or look elsewhere if and when you do this.

Who chose British Gas as a replacement?

Ofgem is the regulatory authority which, in this current context, is making sure all consumers affected by the crisis still receive their usual supply of energy. As such, it is up to them to decide which energy suppliers are appointed to take over from different suppliers who have gone bust. British Gas was chosen to receive all old PFP Energy customers, just as they have previously done so for MoneyPlus Energy, Simplicity Energy, and more recently this month, Peoples’ Energy.

When and how will I be contacted by British Gas?

Waiting to be contacted by British Gas is the main thing customers are currently being asked to do. Unfortunately, no specific date has been set for this. However, one can imagine that British Gas are doing everything they can to make sure that each and every customer is being taken care of properly and in as short a time frame as possible.

In terms of the method of contact, one thing to note is that the supplier will be using your home address as it is currently stated in official documents. If you have recently moved house, or are in the process of doing so, make sure your old address links back to your new one, or that the change has been made official.

Can I switch supplier immediately? [[Switching suppliers]

No, you cannot switch suppliers before you have been contacted by British Gas. If you have, or once they do, then you are free to browse the different offers which either British Gas or other active suppliers are currently offering energy consumers.

If you were already in the process of switching from PFP Energy or from another supplier who has now disappeared, then not to worry, as long as the request to switch has been properly received and processed, you will switch as planned.

British Gas tariffs in 2021: what are my options?

Once British Gas has contacted you and given you information regarding, amongst other things, how your credit and debt will be dealt with, you will be able to move to an energy deal other than British Gas’s “deemed” contract. you can of course switch suppliers entirely, but if you wish to stay with British Gas, here are its main energy plans to date:

British Gas’s variable tariff rates

A variable tariff follows the price evolutions of the British energy market, meaning that from month to month, you will not be billed the same way. This implies some uncertainty, but also means that you will be able to take advantage of the decreases in the cost of energy, since they will be reflected by your tariff.

British Gas’s fixed rate tariffs

On the opposite end of variable rate tariffs, fixed rate tariffs allow you to know exactly how you are being billed, since this cost does not change over period during which the tariff is set to be fixed. This period usually spans either 12 months or 24 months, after which the energy plan will change over to a variable rate tariff.

British Gas’s Prepaid tariffs

Prepaid tariffs allow customers to pay for specific amounts of energy that they plan to consume on a given period.

British Gas’s Economy 7 tariffs

Economy 7 tarifs let you pay different rates according to the moment of the day during which you have consumed energy. Day rates correspond to on-peak and off-peak times, considered to be the moments of the day when British consumers typically consume either a lot of or very little energy.

Were PFP Energy any good?

PFP Energy was founded in 2015. It was one of the smaller energy suppliers in the UK, with around a thousand customers. PFP Energy was based in the docklands area of Ashton-on-Ribble in Preston, central Lancashire.

As we can see, PFP Energy had some admirable goals. But were they, from an energy consumer’s point of view, a good supplier?

That’s a tricky one to answer as every energy consumer has a slightly different idea of what makes a “good” supplier. However, we can take a look at their tariffs and prices as well as the lived experiences of real customers to help you to make your own decisions about the brand.

PFP Energy reviews

On PFP Energy’s Trustpilot page, the brand had an aggregate score of 3.9 out of 5. This put the brand at the upper end of “Great” and into the realm of “Excellent”.

Out of 3,600 reviews left by customers:

• 2,024 (56%) were rated “Excellent”.
• 670 (19%) were rated “Great”.
• 194 (5%) were rated “Average”.
• 139 (4%) were rated “Poor”.
• 573 (16%) were rated “Bad”.

As we can see, 75% of reviewers rated PFP as above average. That’s a very respectable score for such a small supplier.

Positive reviews often noted how quick and easy it was to make the switch to PFP. Many also mentioned that they had had positive interactions with customer service staff. Many mentioned the team member they spoke to by name, with the same handful of names popping up over and over again which is always a good sign. Positive reviews commonly described customer staff as knowledgeable, helpful, warm, and friendly. Reviewers mentioned fast and decisive issue resolution and a personal, sympathetic approach to customer service.

Some customers also liked the website’s design and ease of use.

Negative reviews included high prices and inaccurate estimated bills. Difficulty supplying meter readings was also mentioned, as was frustration dealing with the website’s chatbots and getting through to a member of the customer service team.

How long did it take to switch to PFP Energy?

Most PFP Energy customers were able to switch within 15 days. Of course, at Papernest, we can manage your switch from end-to-end to make sure it’s as fast and hassle-free as possible. If your switch takes longer than 15 days, you are entitled to £30 in compensation.

What made PFP Energy different?

As we can see, being a non-profit organisation that puts customers before shareholders was a big part of what makes the company different from other suppliers. Its investment in community projects and charitable endeavours was a great incentive for the ethically minded to help them to do good while also saving money on their energy.

How green was PFP Energy?

Did PFP Energy’s commitment to renewability match its commitment to communities and its customers? Unfortunately, although PFP Energy did offer one 100% renewable energy tariff, it did not yet have a completely renewable energy fuel mix.

In fact, most of its energy (over 70%) came from burning natural gas. While this is much cleaner than burning coal, it is nonetheless using a finite resource.

PFP Energy fuel mix

PFP’s full energy fuel mix was as follows:

• Coal 6.3%
• Natural gas 72%
• Nuclear 8.2%
• Renewables 8.3%
• Other fuels 5.2%

PFP Energy: What other services did they offer?

As a smaller supplier, PFP Energy was fairly light on additional services. It didn’t offer things like boiler cover (at least, not yet). However, it did participate in some schemes that may have been of benefit to customers.

Did PFP Energy have smart meters ? What smart meter did PFP Energy use?

Yes, PFP Energy used smart meters. A smart meter can help energy consumers to take control of their energy bills by closely monitoring their usage. A smart meter comes with an In Home Display Unit that allows you to see how much energy you’re using in real-time. What’s more, it saves customers from having to report their monthly meter readings in order to keep bills and direct debits accurate. Energy usage data was transmitted directly to PFP Energy, so there are no more inaccurate estimated bills. Ever.

PFP Energy had stated that it exclusively installed SMETS 2 meters. These are the second-generation meters that will still remain fully functional, even if you switch energy suppliers in the future.

Did PFP Energy do business energy tariffs?

Yes, PFP Energy did offers business energy tariffs for small businesses and corporate businesses. Rates were negotiated on an individual basis. Your rates would depend on your location, how much energy you used, and your peak energy load hours.

How could you apply for the Warm Home Discount with PFP Energy?

If you’re an elderly or otherwise vulnerable energy consumer, the Warm Home Discount can give you a discount of £140 on your energy bills to cover the colder months from September through to March.

All energy companies are obliged to offer this discount once they have over 250,000 customers. Some smaller companies offer this voluntarily. However, PFP Energy was, unfortunately, not one of them. However, their prices were reasonably low, so you would probably have gotten a better deal with them than with a larger supplier, even with the Warm Home Discount.

When something goes awry with your energy supply, or you simply need someone to clarify or explain something to you, you need to be able to get in touch with your supplier.

So, how easy was PFP Energy to contact?

You could get in touch with them by calling 01772 395777 or sending an email to hello@pfpenergy.co.uk. According to Citizens Advice, the average wait time to speak to a customer service representative was 4 minutes and 37 seconds. 96.2% of emails were responded to within 48 hours.

How to complain about PFP Energy

If you had a complaint about PFP Energy, you could contact them using the phone number or email address above. You didn’t necessarily have to complain in writing. If, however, you preferred to send your complaint in the post, you could send it to:

PFP Energy
Edward VII Quay
Navigation Way
Ashton-on-Ribble
Preston

PR2 2YF

PFP Energy: How to pay

The best, and cheapest way to pay for your energy is by direct debit. However, you can pay your bills online, or over the phone.

How to refer a friend to PFP Energy

PFP Energy had not yet disclosed its referral scheme, or any benefits it offers. Although its quote page did ask if you’d been referred by a friend.

How to cancel PFP Energy

If you wanted to switch away from PFP Energy, you didn’t even need to cancel. Just contact the Papernest team and we would arrange your switch for you, and work with your new supplier to get things moving as quickly as we can.

Our opinion on PFP Energy

Overall, PFP Energy was a very decent supplier with a strong ethical focus and good value for money. It’s just a shame that they were never able to have a 100% renewable energy fuel mix.

Call us today on 0330 818 6225. We’re available from 8am to 6pm.

Would you like to know more about energy suppliers? Great! Check out our these related articles:

1. Eon
2. Octopus Energy
3. Coop Energy
4. npower

FAQ

Can I choose a new supplier right now?

Until you have been contacted by your appointed supplier (if you used to be a PFP Energy customer, this new supplier is British Gas), you may not switch suppliers. You have to wait until British Gas sends you the appropriate information regarding the "deemed" contract you have automatically been given, at which point you can work out any details such as credit and debt payment, etc. Only then will you have all the necessary information to switch suppliers properly, and this switch will not cost you any exit fees.

Why is British Gas taking over my contrat?

As you used to be a PFP customer, you are part of the group of customers who have been assigned, as their replacement supplier, British Gas. Ofgem, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, is the one who made this decision, just as it has dealt with other suppliers going bust. British Gas is simply one of the stronger, more stable energy firms, meaning it has the capabilities to deal with this extra amount of customers, provide them with energy, and take over their contracts.