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Spark Energy
Spark Energy specialises in providing gas and electricity for tenants and landlords and is rolling out smart meters (23/10/09).
Spark Energy, based in Selkirk in the Scottish borders, specialises in providing gas and electricity for tenants, landlords and property management firms.
It pays commission to estate agents and property management companies who switch their properties to Spark. Tenants can, however, switch away if they wish.
Energy prices
Spark Energy guarantees to match or better the standard tariffs of the “big six” energy suppliers. It says it is able to offer lower prices because it uses “leading-edge technology” and has minimised operating costs.
Smart meters
From 1 October, Spark Energy has started providing smart meters for every property. These smart meters come with energy usage display units, so customers can see how much energy they are using.
Customer services
Spark has UK-based customer services, and says it pays its customer service team “substantially more than the competition” to ensure good service.
What to do if your estate agent tells you you’re with Spark
When you agree to rent a property, you will sign a contract or “tenancy agreement” with an estate agent and provide bank details to set up your rent payments.
Spark says that if it provides energy to the property, then at this point “it’s normal for bank details to be supplied [to Spark]” and that this point should be covered in your lease.
Your estate agent should make you aware of this fact, but it’s definitely worth checking the small print of your contract and ensuring you understand any direct debit documents before signing them.
If you find out you are with Spark, it would be a good idea to compare energy tariffs to check whether you could get a cheaper deal elsewhere. While Spark says it will always be cheaper than the standard tariffs of the “big six”, standard tariffs are rarely the cheapest deals on the market anyway.
Switching should be fairly straightforward and according to Patricia Scott, Spark’s director of sales and marketing: “There will be no charge to the customer for leaving whether or not they have a smart meter.”
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