SWITCHING TO GAZPROM MARKETING & TRADING RETAIL

We are dedicated to try to make your switch to Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail (GMTR) as pain free as possible. There is however an industry standard process that every gas supplier must abide by.

1. Contract
If our quote is acceptable to you the next step is to request a contract. You will receive the contract by return post with a freepost envelope. It is important that you also enclose a copy of your correspondence terminating your existing contract. When we have received your signed contract, we will telephone you to ensure that that the contract is signed by an authorised signatory, that you still wish to proceed and to ask you several basic credit questions.

2. Confirmation
We will then send through a confirmation file to Xoserve so they can notify your transporter that we would like to supply your site(s). We will request that supply commence on the final day of your contract with your current supplier.

3. Withdrawal
Xoserve will then send a withdrawal notice to the current supplier. If the current supplier accepts this withdrawal the site will go live with GMTR on the date requested.

4. Objection
The current supplier is entitled to object to your site withdrawing if you are still under contract to the supplier or if there is an outstanding debt on your account with them. If your current supplier objects we will inform you (or your Energy Broker, if you have one).

An objection will delay the transfer process by 7 working days, unless the objecting supplier admits that that they raised the objection in error within 3 working days.

5. Live Date
A site can commence supply a minimum of 14 working days after confirmation, but no more than 30 days. Once we have a definite ‘live’ date we will write to you with details of our welcome pack which details emergency procedures, how to provide meter reads, etc.

6. Transfer Read
When we have a live date we will ask a Meter Reading Agency to read your meter(s) as close to that date as practical. The read that they provide will also be sent to your previous supplier. The previous supplier will bill up to that read and we will start billing from it.

VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT)

The information contained below is for your general guidance. Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail (GMTR) is unable to guarantee its accuracy.

Supplies of fuel and power are subject to the standard rate of VAT(17.5%) unless there is a provision for the reduced rate (5%) for qualifying use or a zero-rate applies. The legal provisions for the reduced rate are in the VAT Act 1994, Section 2 (Annex A).

Qualifying use is domestic use and use by a charity for its non-business activities.

GMTR will apply the standard rate to all supplies unless we are in procession of a signed VAT Declaration Certificate. The validity of the certificate is the customers’ ultimate responsibility, although GMTR are obliged to take reasonable steps to ensure that the certificate is valid. A customer who gives an incorrect certificate may be liable to a penalty from HM Customs & Excise, who do periodically inspect these certificates.

If you have any doubt that you qualify for reduced rate VAT you should contact your local VAT Office. Call 0845 010 9000 for the National Advice Line or click the attached link for more information: www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/vat/fuel-power.htm

METER READINGS

Transfer Read
On the date you transfer to Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail, your meter(s) should be read by a Meter Reading Agency (unless a domestic meter), who will then pass the reads to both your previous supplier and to Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail, to ensure a smooth transfer of your account.

However, we recommend that customers take their own meter read around the transfer date, so that in the unlikely event that the Meter Reading Agency does not manage to obtain an actual read, we have your customer read to start your account on. Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail will then contact your previous supplier with your customer read, to ensure a smooth transfer.

Monthly Readings
A Meter Reading Agency will visit all sites using over 293000 kWh per annum (10,000 therms) on a monthly basis and take actual meter reads for Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail to use on our monthly invoices. These will normally be taken between 25th-31st of each month.

Those sites using under 293000 kWh per annum will be visited on a 6 monthly basis for actual meter reads. The month of this visit will vary from site to site, depending on when the last actual read was taken.

Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail encourages customers using under 293000 kWh per annum to contact our customer services department at the end of each month with their own customer reads, so that your monthly invoices are always based on actual reads. These should be received between 27th – 2nd of each month to ensure they are used on your next invoice.

Click for for the online Meter Read Form

You can contact us via:

When you transfer to Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail, you will receive a welcome pack that includes several meter read forms for this purpose. If you require more blank meter read forms, these can be downloaded from this web site, or please contact the above telephone number.

In your welcome pack, you will also receive a countersigned copy of your contract, which will detail your annual consumption in kWh, so you will be able to calculate how often your meter will be read by a Meter Reading Agency.

If you are in any doubt about your account, our customer services department will be happy to assist you.

How to Read Your Meter
To take your own meter reading, you will simply need to read from left to right, including any zeros at the front, but not including any decimal or “red” digits at the end.

E.g If your meter looks like this 0 0 5 4 8 2 , 6 5

your meter read will be 005482

If You Receive an Estimated Invoice
If your invoice has been estimated, and you would prefer for us to re-invoice you to a customer read, please contact us immediately so that we may amend your account before the direct debit is taken.

The direct debit is drawn 10 days after the invoice has been raised, so please try to contact us in the first few days.

BILLING AND PAYMENTS

Meter Reads

Gas invoices are raised on a monthly basis and normally go out around the 5th or 6th of each month. If a site uses over 10,000 therms per year then a meter reading agency will visit each month and take a meter reading which then gets sent to us and we will use that read on the next invoice. Sites that use under 10,000 therms a year are read once every six months so we would invoice using estimated reads for months in between unless we received a customer read. Customer reads can either be rang through to us on 01625 540011 or faxed on 01625 540022 or sent via the web page. Please can you ensure these reads are provided before the 5th of the month to ensure they are picked up in the billing process.

Amendments

If you receive an invoice with an estimated read you feel is too high or too low we can credit the original invoice and send you a new one using a customer read you provide. Payments are made 10 days after the invoice date so any disputes should be brought to our attention as soon as possible to avoid any incorrect payments being made.

Calculations
The invoice is calculated using the following formulas;

meter reading X correction factor X 2.83 X CV / 3.6 = kWh in cubic feet

meter reading X correction factor X CV / 3.6 = kWh in cubic meters

Please see the section ‘gas terms’ for explanations of these terms.

CCL is Climate Change Levy and is a tax that was introduced by the government in April 2001. This is charged on all commercial properties and is shown on the invoice separately from VAT,

Payment

All methods of payment are by direct debit unless previously arranged. The payment terms are 10 days after the invoice date. Further information regarding the Direct Debit process and your safeguards using this payment method can be found here

We also offer a budget plan service where we can calculate a fixed monthly payment for individual sites that will be reconciled each year. Please contact the Sales Department sales@gazprom-mt.com for further details.