Energy Suppliers

b0rn2sk8 · 22 Sep 2021 at 14:40

the shadow said:
Green is gone

It will be interesting to see if my switch goes though then, going onto the SVR will not be the end of the world at the moment though.

jpaul · 22 Sep 2021 at 14:54

HungryHippos said:
but according to EDF whatsapp chat, they are as follows on the SVR for ex-UP

pretty much what the bulb variable rate is

BigBoy said:
making smart meters a prerequisite of a tariff is not circumventing anything

if, like e-on, their cheapest fxied contracts all demand a smart meter , you leave customers with no choice, that's preferential pricing to compel customers.
more expensive non-smart contracts, provide addtional profit margin that can subsidise both the meter(via profits) and the smart contract prices
not convinced the code you described is guaranteed to be satisfied.

BigBoy said:
1, No they are not subsidising tariffs to fulfil obligations, obligations are meters on the wall/meter box, i.e a percentage of customers accepting a FREE smart meter. By FREE it means FREE, they cannot and are not allowed to charge to undercut or even increase pricing to cover the cost or entice customers to have a smart meter. The cost of install HAS to come out of business profits as per the Smart Metering Code Of Practice all suppliers have to agree to and Ofgem are monitoring this very closely, if anything its hard now to be a supplier than ever before.

whats the percentage of households with a smart meter~~covid vaccination~~ now

Semple said:
There are non invasive methods such as pulse counting,

still aren't any economic < £50 solutions here afaik -
you can home brew something with a Rpi/Ucontroller with a battery pack and wireless.
Pulse count is the only way you can log accurate data from different days to really see what, using the cooker/washing-machine/espresso-machine is adding to the demand when you are using them

jpaul · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:01

Richie said:
According to big BoJo, this is a temporary issue caused by the global economy waking up and all turning the kettle on at the same time.

yes - I listened to his rhetoric and wondered what his contribution to the downing street bill is.

Semple · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:04

jpaul said:
still aren't any economic < £50 solutions here afaik -
you can home brew something with a Rpi/Ucontroller with a battery pack and wireless.
Pulse count is the only way you can log accurate data from different days to really see what, using the cooker/washing-machine/espresso-machine is adding to the demand when you are using them

I've just built one for about £5 in parts - yet to test, but copying someone else's design and that's been confirmed to work.

A battery pack isn't feasible either. As the microcontroller will need to be on 24/7 (otherwise no point capturing the data) it'll drink a decent amount of battery each day. You might get away with a few days on a big pack, but would be annoying having to keep recharging every few days.

Semple · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:07

Semple said:
I'm a day before you! Switching from Green to Sainsburys/Eon on 3rd October.

My switch has all been confirmed by Sainsburys/Eon, so i'm hopeful if they do go under, then the switch can still happen.

BBC are reporting that Green have now folded.

PiKe · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:15

BeatMaster said:
Just noticed Octopus have pulled the SVR option. Our fixed tariff runs out in October, and was planning to go onto it which was the default option - still hoping that’s the case. Guess it’s been removed to avoid any new customers coming over on it

Just dont renew, you'll roll onto the SVR one.

the wopster · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:22

Avro have gone under as well, shall I look for a company to switch to or wait until after I’m transferred to another provider

Azza · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:23

Avro and Green gone.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1440679307861315602

How very annoying.

darkgen · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:33

Managed to switch to eon:next Online v7, fixed for 12 months, on Sunday with the following unit rates and standing charges. Judging by the comments and other tariffs on offer; looks like I've managed to get a good deal!
----- UR SC
Elec 19.9 - 16.4
Gas 3.9 - 19.2

HungryHippos · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:38

Well AVRO is dead, so no wonder they charged me after I left them, then didn't refund me my final balance :eek:

So now I'll have to chase up whoever the SOLR winds up being, I'm hoping it's EDF so at least it's just one company I have to speak to then

lookitsjonno · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:40

The removal of these challenger brands is sure going to stifle competition in a winners market

friddela · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:41

Your new supplier will put you on a special ‘deemed’ contract. This means a contract you haven’t chosen.

Deemed contracts can be more expensive so your bills could go up. But Ofgem will try to get the best possible deal for you if you’re in this situation.

Deemed contracts can cost more because the supplier takes on more risk. For example, they might have to buy extra wholesale energy at short notice for new customers. So they charge more to make up for it.

Sit tight and wait to be contacted to protect any credit balance you may have. When contacted, ask to be put on the cheapest tariff or shop around and switch if you want to. You won’t be charged exit fees.

Going to be annoying when Igloo inevitably go bust and I'm put on a 'deemed' contract. Will this have to be under the energy price cap?

As others have said, no fixed deals at the moment! Ah well, should have gone with one of the big companies, never mind.

Uther · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:42

Avro gone pop too.

labcoattech · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:43

Been with Bulb for over a year now, is it worth switching suppliers?

cheesyboy · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:46

friddela said:
Going to be annoying when Igloo inevitably go bust and I'm put on a 'deemed' contract. Will this have to be under the energy price cap?

As others have said, no fixed deals at the moment! Ah well, should have gone with one of the big companies, never mind.

The government will need to subsidise some of these. A responsible energy company will have hedged much of their expected energy needs in advance, but an extra few million customers being dispersed around the industry will force them to buy at outrageous rates whilst constrained by the price cap.

IvanDobskey · 22 Sep 2021 at 15:51

Avro gone bust then, just after I switched to them

unbelievable bad luck. Can I switch to someone else immediately?

I guess I lose the £82 they took as first payment too.

HungryHippos · 22 Sep 2021 at 16:04

IvanDobskey said:
Avro gone bust then, just after I switched to them unbelievable bad luck. Can I switch to someone else immediately?

I guess I lose the £82 they took as first payment too.

I don't think you'll lose it, any credit has to be sent to the next supplier and that supplier will owe it to you.

They owe me money as well, so once I know where it's going, I can track it down and get it back I think

booyaka · 22 Sep 2021 at 16:05

labcoattech said:
Been with Bulb for over a year now, is it worth switching suppliers?

You can do so if you wish.

I'm with Bulb and for now - I'll see what happens. Even getting moved to SOLR (supplier of last resort) - I'll then switch from there to wherever is most suitable.

I think trying to jump just now, with the market in turmoil, is a bad idea. Just my personal opinion mind you.

IvanDobskey · 22 Sep 2021 at 16:06

HungryHippos said:
I don't think you'll lose it, any credit has to be sent to the next supplier and that supplier will owe it to you.

They owe me money as well, so once I know where it's going, I can track it down and get it back I think

Any idea if I can switch to someone else yet?

b0rn2sk8 · 22 Sep 2021 at 16:08

IvanDobskey said:
Any idea if I can switch to someone else yet?

You can’t switch until your new supplier picks you up. There is very little reason to switch until you know that the new pricing will be compared to the wider market. If you get put on the SVR then you’ll not get anything better by switching anyway.

The current advice from all the consumer gurus like Martin Lewis is not to switch if you end up on the SVR because the SVR is cheaper than anything else and looks like it will be for some time.