Get nectar points with a Sainsbury's Energy tariff

We all know Sainsbury’s as a supermarket chain, but did you know about its venture into the energy market? Sainsbury’s Energy claims to be “simple, rewarding and trustworthy,” but is it worth signing up with them? Read on and you can decide for yourself.

Whether you’re here to find out what to do after Sainsbury’s partnership with British Gas failed, or you’re looking for information about its deals in partnership with Npower and now EON Next, you can find everything you need to know below.

Who provides Sainsbury’s Energy?

Sainsbury’s Energy is a “provider” whose history is a bit of a tangled web. Until last year the provider worked in cooperation with British Gas. Now it operates as a partnership between Sainsbury’s and Big Six energy provider Npower - which itself has been taken over by Eon.

There may be some confusion, however, if you’ve been a Sainsbury’s Energy customer in the past. We’ll go into this further before we continue:

Is Sainsbury’s Energy closing?

It did close, but now it’s back! From 2011 up until last year, the provider existed through a partnership with the Sainsbury’s brand and another major energy provider - British Gas. This partnership fell through in February 2019, however, and the following April all Sainsbury’s Energy customers’ service was transferred to British Gas.

In April of 2019, the provider relaunched under the same name, this time partnering up with Npower instead of British Gas.

I was with Sainsbury’s Energy before last year - how was I affected?

In short, you weren’t affected by the transfer. British Gas not only supplied the energy that you were receiving beforehand but the sales and customer service as well, so your tariff would have been unaffected when you were automatically switched to British Gas.

Given that this transfer happened over a year ago, however, it’s likely that any special tariff you were signed up to with Sainsbury’s Energy has ended and you’ve been moved to British Gas’s Standard Variable tariff. This may mean that you’re now paying more than you were. For full details on changes to your tariff, contact British Gas or access your online account.

Beware exit fees when switching providerMost of the time when providers go bust, you’re transferred to a new one on a tariff with no exit fees attached and can then switch away at no cost. Unfortunately, as British Gas was already supplying your energy and the transfer doesn’t constitute a switch, this is not the case for you.

Sainsbury’s Energy reviews

Data from consumer review site Trustpilot offers a bit of an insight into how customers feel about the provider, though the numbers may not exactly seem to add up at first sight.

Sainsbury’s Energy reviews on the site are generally negative, with 74% of reviewers giving the provider the worst rating of 1 star. Only 17% of reviewers recorded having a positive experience with Sainsbury’s Energy.

It is true that customers are more likely to end up on Trustpilot when they have an issue to complain about, which leads to a disproportionate number of negative reviews across all providers.

It’s also true that Sainsbury’s Energy’s TrustScore is more respectable than the above numbers suggest, at 3.1 out of 5 stars, because of Trustpilot’s tendency of placing more importance on recent reviews, which are more positive for Sainsbury’s. Negative reviews, of which there are very few since the beginning of 2020, tended to focus on poor customer service.

Poor customer service, just don't reply to my requests. What's going on?

Recent reviews, however, give the impression that this problem has been addressed. Since February, the majority of reviewers have had positive experiences and given 5-star reviews, with customer service among the things most praised in Sainsbury’s Energy reviews.

We can only hope this continues and Sainsbury’s Energy customers remain as happy with their provider as they’ve become!

Sainsbury’s Energy Tariffs

In this section, we’ll take you through Sainsbury’s Energy’s tariff information and information about its fuel mix.

Fix and Reward Tariff

Sainsbury’s Energy highlights its new Fix and Reward Tariff. In fact, it doesn’t seem to be promoting any other tariff at the moment. Sainsbury’s Energy’s Fix and Reward Tariff is, first and foremost, promoted as a “cleaner, clearer electricity tariff”.

Here are a few of the features Sainsbury’s Energy puts forward as reasons why you should sign up to it:

• Fixed-rate deal - the price you pay won’t rise during your contract.
• Fixed monthly direct debit.
• Option of choosing single or dual fuel.
• Manage your account online or with the free app
• UK-based call centre
• Exit fee set at £30 per fuel
• Collect Nectar points on signup and more when you purchase (find out more below)

To get a quote, you’ll have to give Sainsbury’s Energy a call or get a quote on its website by entering your postcode and going through its online processes. This takes just a couple of minutes.

Fuel mix

As Sainsbury’s Energy works in partnership with EON Next, they have the same fuel mix. This means that 100% of the electricity they provide is matched with renewable energy sources.

*Note that the figures in this table may not come to 100% because of rounding. National figures are provided for illustrative purposes only. No claims are made as to their accuracy

Sainsbury’s Energy nectar points

If you’re a Nectar card user, there’s even more incentive to sign up with Sainsbury’s Energy. It’s another way you can build points and save yourself money at Sainsbury’s, with up to 10,000 Nectar points available when you sign up and more to be bagged as you spend.

How many points you collect depends on the tariff you sign up to. Here are the ways you can gather Sainsbury’s Energy nectar points:

*New customers earn 2,000 points per fuel when they sign up to the one-year tariff and 5,000 points per fuel when they sign up to the two-year tariff. You’ll be eligible once your supply has started and will need to tell Sainsbury’s Energy your nectar card number when you apply.

**Dual fuel customers earn 2 additional points on every pound spent in Sainsbury’s stores, or 1 additional point if you’re a single fuel customer, up to a maximum of 3,500 points per year.

If you’re not yet a Nectar member, you’ll need to sign up via the Nectar website. If you’ve already got a card, these are the steps you’ll need to take in order to claim your Sainsbury’s Energy nectar points:

1. Get a Sainsbury’s Energy quote.
2. Add your Nectar account details - you’ll need the card number, which if you don’t have to hand now you can add later.
3. Enjoy your rewards as soon as your supply starts.

Warm home discount

The Warm Home Discount is a scheme run by the government to help people who are at risk of fuel poverty afford their energy payments. Those eligible for the discount could get a rebate of up to £140 against their electricity bill.

Does Sainsbury’s Energy provide the Warm Home Discount?

Yes! If you qualify for it then you’ll receive the Warm Home Discount with Sainsbury’s.

Those who fall under the ‘Core Group’ should know already that they qualify for the discount as they will have been contacted by the government. These customers will have £140 deducted from either their first or second bill automatically.

There is, however, also a ‘Broader Group’ of those who are also eligible because they’re on low income or receive certain benefits. If you think you’re eligible, Sainsbury’s Energy encourages you to contact its support team and they’ll help you find out.

Get in touch with Sainsbury’s Energy

If you’re looking to contact Sainsbury’s Energy, there are a number of ways to do so. New and existing customers can get in touch with them on the following number:

If you don’t want to waste time listening to a call waiting tone or be passed from person to person until you get to speak to the right one, you can also request a callback by leaving your contact details and details of your query using Sainsbury’s Energy’s online contact form.

Don’t want to talk to a person over the phone? You can ask a quick question and get a quick answer by using its live chat service. If you don’t mind waiting for a response, you can also contact Sainsbury’s Energy via email.

Think you smell a gas leak?For gas emergencies there is a dedicated 24-hour line. If you think you smell gas or have any reason to believe you have a leak, call 0800 111 999 immediately.

Login

To manage their account, Sainsbury’s Energy customers can login to its mobile app, which offers the following features:

• Track how much you’re using and when
• Quickly submit your meter readings
• Use the built-in torch function to read your meter in the dark or in hard-to-reach places
• See your energy use across days/weeks/months as easy-to-read graphs
• Check estimated use for the future
• Access all your tariff information
• View your account history
• Contact Sainsbury’s Energy directly through the app

Smart meter roll out

Sainsbury’s Energy is committed to providing smart meters to all its customers in accordance with the government’s planned smart meter rollout You can still choose not to have one fitted, though certain tariffs require a smart meter and you may be switched to a different one if you refuse to let them install one for you.

The Sainsbury’s Energy smart meter roll out won’t cost customers a thing - they will install it entirely free of charge. If you have any questions about getting a smart meter installed, you can call Sainsbury’s Energy’s dedicated helpline on 0800 294 0880.

Priority services register

For customers with additional communication, access or safety needs, the Priority Service Register (PSR) is a way for energy companies to tailor their service to support you in the best way it can.

The service is free to join and Sainsbury’s Energy is among the providers committed to the promise. If you want to learn more about the service or join, then you can contact Sainsbury’s Energy. If you qualify you could be given priority service during power cuts, for example. The following types of person are eligible:

• People of pensionable age
• People with a disability or impairment
• People with a chronic illness or long-term medical condition (particularly conditions which cause reduced or limited vision, hearing or mobility)
• Households with young children
• Other vulnerable people

Members can also nominate another trusted person to handle their account if they would like, receive billing information in a format suitable to their situation, or have their meter moved for free to a more suitable location if needs be. For more information on help you could receive through the PSR, contact Sainsbury’s Energy directly on 0800 088 4127 or see its website.

Moving home

If you’re a Sainsbury’s Energy customer and about to move home in the near future, you are perfectly able to take your energy supply with you. All you need to do is give the Sainsbury’s team a call to let them know.

When you call, you’ll need to have the details of your new address to hand so that Sainsbury’s Energy can update your details and give you a re-quote.

Disclaimer: The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.