Ashmere Solutions Ltd T&C’s
Terms & Conditions
The following document sets out our terms and conditions, which come into effect when a customer engages Ashmere Solutions for our energy switching service.
Please contact our Customer Services team on 0204 5196500 who are happy to help if you have any further questions about these terms and conditions, or anything else.
It is important that you read these terms and conditions carefully. By using our services, you signify that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. Do not use our service if you do not agree to these terms.
Price Comparison / Switching Service
Ashmere Solutions offers, as well as energy saving hardware and solutions, a price comparison / switching service to UK businesses. To be eligible to use this service you must be;
- Eighteen years or older (if a sole trader);
- Able to meet the credit scoring requirements of any supplier (if applicable)
- A UK resident business
We reserve the right to refuse to provide our services to any customer as our discretion.
Ashmere Solutions endeavours to seek, identify, negotiate and secure competitively priced energy contracts. Energy prices are obtained from a panel of energy suppliers using price books provided by them.
The customer agrees to provide Ashmere Solutions with accurate information to allow for quotes to be obtained – including estimated or actual usage of energy, contract end dates and other unspecified factors that may influence prices and quotations.
The provision of a quote by a supplier via our service does not constitute an offer to the customer each supplier will have their own T&C’s attached.
If the customer accepts a quotation and a contract is executed between the customer and the supplier, this contract is binding.
The supplier may be entitled to refuse to accept a customer’s offer of acceptance at their discretion, at any time.
If the customer and supplier wish to enter into a contract, Ashmere Solutions will organise the contract between the customer and the energy supplier for the purchase and supply of the energy services. This is our energy switching service.
Ashmere Solutions will not be responsible for any delays or failures caused by either the customer, Ashmere Solutions, the proposed supplier or any existing supplier in relation to effecting either a transfer of supply or renewal of supply.
Ashmere Solutions makes no guarantees as to either the quality of the service suppliers operates, or the prices obtained at quotation.
Energy prices fluctuate daily and whilst we attempt to help secure competitive rates to enable switching or renewal, we cannot guarantee any quote is the cheapest.
The customer is reminded that ultimately it is their responsibility to validate the accuracy of any quotations presented. Also, it is the customers responsibility to ensure that the contract(s) have been submitted to the supplier and will go live. This is usually represented by receiving/accepting communication from either the new or old supplier to confirm that the switch/ renewal is occurring.
The customer acknowledges that they are entering into a contract with a supplier for the provision of energy supply and not with Ashmere Solutions. The customer agrees that Ashmere Solutions is not liable in any way for any dealings, contracts or transactions between the customer and the supplier and that any such transactions, contracts, dealings or payment obligations are the customers responsibility and risk.
Ashmere Solutions is an independent company and energy brokerage and that we are not instructed by the customer to act as their agent or representative.
Charges
Ashmere Solutions is paid directly by our suppliers and receives a commission for securing and finalising the contract between the customer and the energy supplier. This is usually by way of an uplift that is applied within your unit cost for energy.
The cost of Ashmere Solution’s service is therefore included within the cost of the energy contract that you agree with the supplier.
For example, we may secure a price for electricity at 15 pence per KWH and apply a 0.75p uplift. The contracted price we would offer would therefore be 15.75p. Our commission would be calculated as 0.75p multiplied by your annual energy consumption and multiplied by the contract term.
Our uplifts depend on the size of contract, length and other factors such as credit risks. Our average uplift is a few percent of your total energy cost and typically under 1p.
Because we get paid by suppliers, we only offer prices from those suppliers on our panel.
Further information on how much commission we expect to receive on a contract can be found by contacting our customer services team. All commissions will be disclosed to you on both the telephone when arranging the contract and again written within the contract itself.
Duplicate contract fees
If a customer enters into a contract with a supplier and uses the Ashmere Solutions swtiching service, this contract must be accepted as legally binding. In the event the customer enters into another contract with another supplier, and the contract we facilitated fails to proceed to live status, Ashmere Solutions will receive no fee for its services from a supplier and will have incurred time and loss.
In those circumstances, Ashmere Solutions reserves the right to charge the customer a one off “failed contract” fee of £1000 per meter, or the total value of commission we would have earnt on the contract introduction (per meter) – whichever is the higher figure. This is in addition to any charges the supplier may also attempt to recover for the failed contract. It is important that once you have entered into a contract with a supplier that you honour that contract and do not enter into duplicate contracts with other suppliers.
A “Win Back” is where we introduce you back to your incumbent supplier (renew) after beating another price from another supplier you have agreed to move too. By winning back the contract you are effectively cancelling the contract you have agreed to leave your incumbent supplier and renew again with them.
Change of Tenancy Notifications and Fees
Where a customer uses our energy switching service but decides to move premises mid contract the contract will terminate. This is called a “change of tenancy” or “COT”. Our fees are adjusted by the supplier if a COT occurs. Its therefore important that you notify Ashmere Solutions at least 14 days before the end of your energy contract in the event that you are moving premises and a COT will occur.
Failure to notify will incur a fee for the loss / reduction in commission the supplier pays us. If this occurs, we reserve the right to at our descretion charge the customer a one off “failed contract” fee of £1000 per meter, or the total value of commission we would have earnt on the contract introduction (per meter) – whichever is the higher figure.
Failure to go live
If a contract fails to go live (commence supply) due to the customer failing to provide us with information or documentation requested by either us or the supplier, or through a failure of a supplier or a supplier refusing to accept supply, Ashmere Solutions reserves the right to charge the customer a one off fee of £1000. Critical information required, but not limited too – signed letters of authority, current supplier information, meter numbers, contract start or end dates, termination notifications, supplier ceasing to trade / onboard contracts and banking details including setting up direct debits or standing orders with a new supplier.
Cancellation of Contract due to insolvency
If you or your current supplier fails, and you enter insolvency or your supplier enters the supplier of last resort (SOLR), Ashmere Solutions fees may be clawed back by the supplier. In those circumstances we will charge a fee of £1000, or the total value of commission we would have earnt on the contract introduction (per meter) – whichever is the higher figure – LESS commission paid for the part of the contract that has been fulfilled. We may at our discretion agree to waive those fees if, for instance,the customer instructs Ashmere Solutions to introduce another contract.
