Updated September 2023
Terms and Conditions of Service for Joe Compare
Welcome to Joe Compare! Here, we break down the crucial terms and conditions that apply when you use our switching service.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Services team at 01382 553119 – we’re here to help.
1. Price Comparison / Switching Service
- Your business must be UK-based.
- If you’re a sole trader, you must be at least eighteen years old.
- You must meet any credit scoring requirements set by the supplier (if applicable).
We retain the right to refuse our services at our discretion.
When you choose to use our services, Joe Compare will make every effort to identify, negotiate, and secure competitive prices. We obtain these prices from a panel of suppliers, using price books provided by them.
To ensure accurate quotations, please provide Joe Compare with precise information, including estimated or actual usage, contract end dates, and other relevant factors that may influence your quotes.
It’s important to note that a quotation from a supplier through Joe Compare does not constitute an offer to you. Each offer will come with its own set of supplier-specific terms and obligations.
If you accept a quotation and enter into a contract with a supplier, that contract is legally binding, and you cannot revoke your acceptance. Suppliers may also refuse an offer at their discretion.
Should you and the supplier decide to proceed with a contract, Joe Compare will facilitate the process, which includes arranging the contract between you and the supplier for the purchase and supply of services.
Joe Compare is not accountable for any delays or failures caused by you, Joe Compare, the proposed supplier, or any existing supplier concerning the transfer or renewal of supply.
Please be aware that Joe Compare cannot guarantee the quality of service provided by suppliers or that the prices obtained through quotations are the lowest available. Prices can fluctuate daily.
Remember, it’s your responsibility to validate the accuracy of quotations and ensure that contracts are submitted and go live. Typically, confirmation from either the new or old supplier indicates a successful switch or renewal.
Your contract is with the supplier, not Joe Compare. Joe Compare bears no liability for any transactions, contracts, or dealings between you and the supplier. You assume all responsibility and risk for these transactions and obligations.
By using our service, you agree that Joe Compare is an independent brokerage and does not act as your agent or representative. Furthermore, Joe Compare is not responsible for the provision of supplier services.
2. Charges
Joe Compare receives compensation directly from suppliers in the form of a commission for securing and finalising contracts between customers and suppliers. In the case of energy supply, this commission is typically included as an uplift within your energy unit cost.
For example, if we secure an electricity price of 16 pence per kWh and apply a 0.9p uplift, the contracted price offered would be 16.9p. Our commission is calculated as 0.9p multiplied by your annual energy consumption and the contract term.
The amount of our uplift varies based on factors such as contract size, duration, and credit risk. On average, our uplift is a small percentage of your total energy cost, typically less than 1p.
Since our compensation comes from suppliers, we only offer prices from those on our panel, which currently includes over 90% of UK business suppliers based on customer numbers.
For precise information on the expected commission for a contract, please get in touch with our customer services team.
3. Duplicate Contract Fees
Should you enter into a contract with a supplier through Joe Compare’s service and subsequently enter into another contract with a different supplier, but the contract facilitated by Joe Compare does not proceed to live status, we will not receive a fee from the supplier and will incur costs.
In such cases, Joe Compare retains the right to charge you a one-off “failed contract” fee of £750 per meter or the total commission value we would have earned on the contract introduction per meter – whichever amount is higher. This fee is in addition to any charges the supplier may seek to recover for the failed contract. It is essential to honor the contract you have entered into with a supplier and avoid duplicate contracts with other suppliers.
4. Change of Tenancy Notifications and Fees
If you engage in a contract through Joe Compare and decide to change premises mid-contract, the contract will terminate, known as a “change of tenancy” or “COT.” Suppliers adjust Joe Compare’s fees in such cases.
Therefore, it is crucial to notify Joe Compare at least 14 days before your contract’s end if you plan to change premises and a COT will occur. Failure to notify Joe Compare will result in a fee to compensate for the loss or reduction in commission paid by the supplier.
If you have completed over 50% of your contract term (up to the date of the COT), a failure to notify fee of £500 will apply. If you have completed less than 50% of the contract term (up to the date of the COT), a failure to notify fee of £750 will apply. Joe Compare reserves the right to waive these fees in exceptional circumstances.
5. Failure to Go Live
Should a contract fail to go live (commence supply) due to your failure to provide requested information or documentation, or if a supplier refuses to accept supply, Joe Compare may charge you a one-off fee of £750. Critical information includes signed letters of authority, current supplier information, meter numbers, contract start or end dates, termination notifications, a supplier ceasing to trade, onboard contracts, and banking details for setting up direct debits or standing orders with a new supplier.
6. Failure of a Supplier
In the event that your current supplier fails, and you transition to a supplier of last resort (SOLR), Joe Compare’s fees may not be paid by the failing supplier. In such cases, we will charge a fee of £750 (if our fees are not already paid by more than 80%) to cover our lost fees. We may choose to waive these fees if you instruct Joe Compare to introduce another supplier to take over your SOLR contract.
7. Auto Renewal
If you have provided delegated authority (DA) to Joe Compare to renew your contract on your behalf, our Auto Renewal terms and conditions also apply and are binding.