Energy Suppliers

Woogie · 25 Jan 2018 at 08:41

bloodiedathame said:
I just noticed I got a slapped wrist for posting a referral link. Forgot that they were outlawed. Maybe there would be an argument for legitimising them, having them on a sticky list, instructions are to use the link at the top, when you use it you post that you've used (link), then it gets put to the bottom of the list.

I think the idea is to Trust any links on request rather than dropping one and hoping people click it.

pastymuncher said:
Just a heads up but we had a email from Bulb a couple of weeks ago that they are likely to be increasing their prices in March. Just as well there are no fee's for leaving them but usually when one increases prices they all do. Money supermarkets energy saving club keeps putting Outfox the market as my cheapest option now at £85 per year cheaper than Bulb but I am really not comfortable going with such a new company. Been there before and got stung with abysmal customer service as more and more joined. They also have a group switch going on with EDF and another company but I really can't see why they are bothering as they are both significantly more expensive than Bulb for me. I will never go back to EDF and their useless customer service anyway.

I had a similar one from British Gas a month or two ago. I would also rather pay a slight premium on a more known company than a newer one, Especially when at the end of the day its a premium of £7 a month in your instance or 23p a day across the year.

Duke · 25 Jan 2018 at 13:20

From BBC

Newcastle energy supplier stops trading

Future Energy, a regional energy supplier with about 10,000 domestic customers mainly in Newcastle, has ceased trading.

Ofgem said customers should not switch supplier, but to "sit tight, take a meter reading and wait until your new supplier contacts you."

Rob Salter-Church, Ofgem’s interim senior partner for Consumers and Competition, said:

“If you are a customer of Future Energy there is no need to worry as we will make sure your energy supplies are secure and your credit balance is protected.

“Ofgem is working to choose a new supplier as quickly as possible for you. Whilst we’re doing this, our advice is to ‘sit tight’ and don’t switch. You can continue to rely on your energy supply as normal – in fact the only thing that will change is that you’ll get a new supplier.”

Vanquish-Storm · 25 Jan 2018 at 14:19

Still with Bulb and I received the email about the price possibly going up. Like someone already said if bulb put the price up then they all will. At least I know I can trust bulb to lower their price if they can.

Also, it was annoying to find out information about wholesale energy pricing - I was honestly not aware it was one fixed price for all suppliers despite varying cost for renewable and none. Seems like I am subsidising the use of none renewable by paying for renewable.

ChrisD. · 20 Feb 2018 at 12:12

I have recently switched to Breeze, no issues at all.

LeeUK · 20 Feb 2018 at 15:26

Solarplicity are a waste of time. My switch was meant to take place 9th Feb, but as of yet I've heard nothing.

pastymuncher · 28 Feb 2018 at 10:28

Got a email from Bulb this morning notifying me of a 2.8% price increase. They are keeping the standing charge at the same rate, gas is going from 2.52p per kwh to 2.73p per kwh and electricity from 13.51p per kwh to 13.56p per kwh which based on their yearly estimate of my usage only bumps me up £15 a year so they will still be the cheapest option for me.

Vanquish-Storm · 1 Mar 2018 at 16:06

pastymuncher said:
Got a email from Bulb this morning notifying me of a 2.8% price increase. They are keeping the standing charge at the same rate, gas is going from 2.52p per kwh to 2.73p per kwh and electricity from 13.51p per kwh to 13.56p per kwh which based on their yearly estimate of my usage only bumps me up £15 a year so they will still be the cheapest option for me.

I got the email with a 2.8% rise the other day.

Elec from 13.34p to 13.35p

Gas from 2.62p to 2.78p

Standing charge the same for both 24.56p per day

Not the cheapest for me at the moment BUT I am currently still going to say with unless someone is a lot cheaper with the same service.

Michelle Horne · 3 Mar 2018 at 12:07

I more or less change every year and never take the advice of the comparison sites as they are all in one way or another biased towards whoever is backing them.

One to steer very clear of is Sparke Energy. This outfit does not know it's arse from its elbow.

I am currently with Oneselect by far the cheapest of all the suppliers I could find and I have not had a single problem.

andicole0 · 3 Mar 2018 at 12:19

We were passed onto Sparke by our last tenant and they have been poor. We are currently selling the flat so we haven't bothered changing. Not to be recommended.
I have heard good thing about Bulb as an Eco supplier.
Andi.

Michelle Horne · 3 Mar 2018 at 12:36

andicole0 said:
We were passed onto Sparke by our last tenant and they have been poor. We are currently selling the flat so we haven't bothered changing. Not to be recommended.
I have heard good thing about Bulb as an Eco supplier.
Andi.

Watch out for Spark. They send me a final bill then said I owed a bit more and then tried it again on till I got the regulator involved but it did not end there. Two years after we had sorted things out with them we got letters, telephone calls and text messages from a debt collector trying to collect a £50 debt supposedly owed to Spark. We again got the ombudsman involved and our local paper before it was, well we hope, SORTED.

Stay well clear of Spark.

andicole0 · 3 Mar 2018 at 12:42

@Michelle Horne Yes similar issue here stupid estimated reading based on a reading from when our tenant was still resident not the readings when they left.
Andi.

Michelle Horne · 3 Mar 2018 at 12:44

My big concern with this company is what if they are adopting these procedures for elderly people or people with mental problems?

It's nothing short of extortion.

pastymuncher · 4 Mar 2018 at 13:08

andicole0 said:
I have heard good thing about Bulb as an Eco supplier.
Andi.

Bulb has been brilliant for us. Excellent customer service and you supply meter reads on the 1st/2nd of the month and get your monthly bill a day or two later. They use 100% renewable electricity and I believe 10% green gas. The thing that gets me about the electricity (from any supplier) is that we pay a higher rate for electricity up here due to supposedly higher delivery/infrastructure costs yet Morayshire is the dumping ground for windfarms. I can see two massive ones from our house, one of which is being expanded for the second time, there is another being built just a couple of miles away soon and there are many more awaiting planning permission. Despite this we still pay a higher rate. It really winds me up!!

robj20 · 4 Mar 2018 at 15:21

I'm thinking I might stay with bulb for a while they may not always be the absolute cheapest but I'm not too concerned about £20 over the year more expensive.

Together were pathetic and still haven't sorted anything of my account out.

topgun06 · 5 Mar 2018 at 15:40

I'll be sticking with bulb for the time being also.

Azza · 23 Mar 2018 at 21:03

Started the switch to Tonik the other day.

bloodiedathame · 23 Mar 2018 at 21:20

Tonik have been good for me, just renewed with them for a year. They've also just asked when I'd like a smart meter installed. Taking advantage of that so I can do Econ7 and have the Nissan Leaf charge at the cheap rate.

postmanfw · 23 Mar 2018 at 23:36

changed to Outfoxthemarket.com at the end of January and all be great so far...only "catch" i have found is having to pay upfront for bill based on estimation but then its refunded to account if over.

Came from paying 22p a unit (scottish hydro) to 10.5p a unit so i am happy miner

pastymuncher · 25 Mar 2018 at 13:33

They keep coming up the cheapest for me at £101 per year cheaper than Bulb but I am not keen with swapping to a new company only to find that they go downhill rapidly as more and more pwople sign up with them. I have been down that road before and paid dearly for it. For the time being I am sticking with Bulb.

Is that right what you said? They bill you based on estimates and then refund the difference? If that's true then I will never switch to them. Why can't they just ask for a meter read at the end of the month and bill you for what you have actually used anstead of fannying around? That's what Bulb and many other do and it works brilliantly.

postmanfw · 25 Mar 2018 at 21:56

Sorry worded it badly... That was the first time bill only... After that yes they get meter readings and base the bill upon that.

Hydro do about half there bills on estimated readings as the man only comes twice a year to read it though you can give them online if you want.