Shell Energy Takes On Pure Planet Customers: What Happens Next?

What should Pure Planet customers do?

While it may be alarming to hear that your energy supplier has gone bust, there is actually little you need to be concerned about. It's important to know that Ofgem, the UK energy market's government regulator, has a safety net to ensure that no home has its energy supply cut, instead customers of a defaulted supplier will be smoothly transferred to Shell Energy to maintain the flow of energy. However, it may take some time for this transition to be officially completed, so in the meantime, we want to address any immediate concerns or questions that you might have.

What happened to Pure Planet?

Rather unfortunately Pure Planet is only the most recent supplier to have gone bust during the UK energy crisis, which has seen 10 energy suppliers cease trading since August 2021. The global gas shortage drove gas prices to an unprecedented level, but because of the energy price cap, suppliers have not been allowed to charge their customers a high enough amount to offset the wholesale costs of energy. The end result is that many suppliers are losing money so rapidly that they are unable to recover, leading to an unprecedented amount of suppliers going bust in such a short period of time.

Should I continue to pay Pure Planet by Direct Debit, Standing Order or direct payment?

This will depend on the state of your debt or credit that is owed to or expected from Pure Planet. It is important to clarify if there are any remaining payment issues before you stop making payments because if you owe money you could be given trouble later on, or if you were owed money there is a chance you could miss out on receiving it. Ofgem recommends that you continue making payments as you normally have until you are officially completed with the transition to the new supplier that it appointed to you.

If you've already cancelled payments then your Shell Energy will be able to help you set up a new payment process.

Should I take a meter reading?

Yes, you definitely should. While this isn’t an official obligation, we highly recommend that you take a reading on your energy meter and record it just in case you need a situation arises where you need to provide your new supplier with a recent meter reading. This will help your transition to Shell Energy go more smoothly.

For smart meters, the same idea applies, you should take a reading and not worry about compatibility concerning your newly appointed supplier. If they have to, Shell Energy will simply treat your smart meter as a traditional meter when they come over to take their own readings. Remember, you can always switch suppliers later on.

What will happen if I am in credit or debt to Pure Planet?

Most energy suppliers will honour any credit that you have had with your supplier at the time that it went bust. The exact timeline for this payment to be made is not very exact, but once you have been completely transitioned to your new supplier they should be in contact with you shortly to organize this.

In regards to any debts owed to Pure Planet, this may change depending on the new supplier that you have been appointed by Ofgem. In some cases, your debts are transferred to the new supplier and in some cases, you will need to continue paying off your debts to your previous supplier even after they cease trading. You can find out more about this once your new supplier has been announced by Ofgem and you can reach out to them to confirm the process.

Are my bills going to go up with Shell Energy?

Generally, yes, you will be placed on what is referred to as a "deemed" contract, which will be automatically assigned to you and could be a much higher price than your previous energy plan. However, once you are in contact with Shell Energy you will be able to request more information about which energy plan they want to assign you and even ask them to switch you to one of their less expensive options.

What rate will I pay under my new contract?

As mentioned above, there is a good chance it will be a higher rate than you are accustomed to paying. To avoid this we highly recommend you get into contact with Shell Energy soon and discuss with them which energy plan you prefer to be on going forward.

On the other hand, it's important to know that you will be able to switch energy suppliers at your own whim at that time, so if you would like to you can give us a call at 0330 818 6223 and we can find you the best energy plan for your needs.

When will Shell Energy contact me?

This can be a process that takes several weeks so you will need to be patient, but they should be in touch shortly. They may reach out via post or phone so be sure to check that your contact information is up to date. If it isn't then you should initiate contact yourself and reach out to Shell Energy customer service.

How will Shell Energy contact me if I am moving?

Shell Energy will reach out to you at your current address listed with your previous supplier. What this means is that if you are moving they will reach out to your previous address with some potentially important information, as such it is our recommendation that you have all your mail from your previous address redirected to your new one.

Can I switch suppliers right now?

While it is understanding that your first reaction to this news is to rush into finding a new supplier, that's actually the opposite of what you should do. Switching to a new supplier to quickly could cause some confusion between your old supplier, the supplier that you've been appointed by Ofgem, Shell Energy, and the new supplier that you've selected for yourself. These issues can range in anything from minor inconveniences to serious problems regarding your home's power supply

Do I have to stay with my appointed supplier?

Nope, pending any contracts that you are currently signed on for, you can leave Shell Energy as soon as the transfer is complete. If you do decide to switch immediately your exit fees will be waived, so if you don't like the supplier appointed to you it would be a good idea to switch sooner than later.

What are Shell Energy's tariff plans?

Shell Energy has a range of tariffs that you could typically choose from, you can find the annual costs associated with each of these tariffs below, however, we'd like to flag that as a result of the energy crisis tariff pricing has been shifting rapidly and as such these prices may be slightly outdated. For more detailed information about these tariffs included specific rates and fees, you can check our Shell Energy tariff page.

Below you can find the cost information associated with these tariffs.

Shell Variable Rate Tariffs

Shell has one standard variable tariff available at the moment. Variable rates have an advantage in the form of flexibility to switch to different plans/providers. The disadvantage however is a risk of higher prices than fixed tariffs due to market fluctuations.

The costs associated with this tariff can be seen here:

Shell Fixed Rate Tariffs

Shell currently has 2 fixed rate tariff plans which differ mainly in the time period the tariff is fixed for. We have an overview of them down below.

The pricing on these tariffs can be seen here:

Shell Economy 7 Tariffs

Shell also has Economy 7 plans available for people who have an economy 7 meter.

As mentioned previously, these tariffs have two separate unit rates, one for peak hours of consumption and another for off-peak.

Pricing on these tariffs can be seen here:

Who was Pure Planet?

A newcomer to the UK energy market, Pure Planet was founded in 2017. Their mission statement was clear and refreshing. In an era where many of us have no idea how the cost of our energy is calculated, Pure Planet aimed to offer consumers "Fair, transparent pricing with Zero Markup". As well as 100% renewable electricity and 100% carbon offset gas. Their mantra was "Zero Markup, Zero Guilt, Zero Hassle".

Rather than deal with a call centre, customers could manage their own accounts via their online portal or the supplier’s own "award-winning" mobile app.

They had a modest range of tariffs incorporating one fixed rate tariff, and one variable rate tariff. They promised that EV drivers could "Charge without being overcharged — whenever you like, day or night". They had also partnered with boiler cover and homecare specialists Hometree to offer boiler servicing, central heating and home cover.

Furthermore, when it comes to switching to Pure Planet, they promised to offer the "fastest switch in the industry", guaranteeing a switch in 17 days.

Pure Planet Fuel Mix: Was Pure Planet Really Green?

Not all green energy suppliers are created equal. And getting to know a supplier’s energy fuel mix is a good way of ascertaining their commitment to renewables. Especially when it comes to their gas.

Pure Planet’s electricity fuel mix was 89% wind and 11% sun, with a tiny bit of hydroelectricity thrown in for good measure. While they did not offer renewable biomethane like other suppliers such as Bulb and Good Energy, they did offer 100% carbon-offset gas. This meant that the carbon generated in sourcing the gas is offset by other projects such as planting trees or helping overseas territories convert to renewable energy.

Pure Planet did not support hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and did not buy gas from fracked sources.

Was Pure Planet any good? What their customers said

Pure Planet had some impressive tariffs and a good, clean energy fuel mix. Nonetheless, the lack of direct support via telephone or email may have beeb disconcerting to some customers. While you could get support via your customer portal, or your mobile app as well as the Pure Planet Community, some consumers might have worried that they would be unsupported by Pure Planet.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what Pure Planet’s customers said about them online.

According to Citizens Advice’s energy supplier rankings, Pure Planet were ranked 25th out of 38 suppliers at the time of writing.

Though this may give some consumers pause, it’s worth noting that a lack of data on call centre wait times (because they have no call centre) may be what dragged their average down.

Pure Planet customer reviews

A look at Pure Planet’s Trustpilot page made for much more reassuring reading. On this platform, Pure Planet had an aggregate customer score of 4.6 out of 5, placing them squarely within "Excellent" territory.

At the time of writing, Pure Planet has 12,800 customer reviews. Of which:

• 9,637 (75%) were "Excellent"
• 1,695 (13%) were "Great"
• 530 (4%) were "Average"
• 175 (2%) were "Poor"
• 636 (5%) were "Bad"

Positive reviews focused on fast, easy switching as well as excellent communications with the company when changing suppliers. One reviewer stated that it "feels better" to be using renewable electricity. Other reviews laud the favourable rates for dual fuel customers, while some state that they find the app easy to use. Despite the lack of a contact centre, most customers do not feel out of the loop, with one stating, "I am very pleased with their attitude and service".

However, like all suppliers, Pure Planet had some negative reviews to their name.

Negative reviews focused on issues sending meter readings, leading to billing inaccuracies, "non-existent" customer service (with one reviewer complaining about the use of chatbots), and long waits for issue resolution.

How to contact Pure Planet to know more about the current situation?

As Pure Planet do not have a contact number or email address, customers’ first port of call is to use the "Wattbot" chatbot on Pure Planet’s website. If this is not sufficient to resolve your query, you can submit a query online either through your customer portal or using the mobile app. Customer service agents are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm.

Read more about different UK energy suppliers:

• Click Energy
• Bulb
• Bristol Energy
• Utility Warehouse

FAQ

Should I do anything now that Pure Planet has gone bust?

Shell Energy will soon be in touch with you to discuss the new plan that you will be put on. You could ask them if there are any other options available for you as well.

Should I switch supplier now?

Now is not the best time to switch supplier. Currently, prices are at an all time. If you change to a different supplier the chances of finding cheaper prices are slim.

I was in the process of switching from Pure Planet, what will happen?

You don´t need to worry if you are still in the middle of the switching process. Everything should be carried out normally by Pure Planet and your new supplier.

Will my rate go up at Shell Energy?

There is a lot going on in the energy market, with the recent energy crisis and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia putting pressure on energy prices. Your new plan at Shell will therefore probably be higher than your current one.