Energy Suppliers

[chroniclard]

Switched to them 6 months ago, not checked recently how they compare, to be honest I dont really pay much attention to utility bills.

 

[Hyburnate]

We're with them, still cheaper overall but haven't responded to an e-mail sent weeks ago.

Looking at moving shortly. Only been with them for a month.

 

[glenimp617]

SO Energy look good, cheaper and it's fixed for 12 months. I really hate winter and summer bills. I'd rather have a set amount going out each month.

It's alright OFTM saying their unit prices are the lowest, yet when including their membership fee they are more expensive.

 

[Kaka]

I'm with So Energy on their fixed tariff and they seem ok at the moment. I haven't had to contact them for anything though.

 

[MissJen]

I have been with Bulb for almost a year now. I am happy with them. Clear pricing and clear bills. I like that it is a rolling contract kind of thing too, I can easily jump ship if I need to. Far better than the British Gas experience I had previously.

 

[wesley]

Am moving back to british gas from outfox the market now. havent got the switch date yet.

i joined out of the market in January this year so 11 months. they increased the price 4 times, double the DD for the winter period. i emailed them twice and got no reply for 2 weeks. i decided it was enough and the latest price wasnt much less than the BG.

i'll get the smart features back with british gas so really overall i'm not losing or saving anything.

i regretted moving to out of the market. shame

 

[ChrisD.]

I've just done the same, plus my HomeCare has been upgraded FOC, so I now get plumbing and electrical cover.

I don't have smart meters and it is a smart meter tariff. I assume BG will want to install them, if they do, am I tied to specific providers afterwards?

 

[PiKe]

Don't let BG install a smart meter unless its SMETS2

 

[jpaul]

and it is a smart meter tariff.

Interesting what is the tarif ?is it very preferential ?
After earlier post which suggested better deals with smart contracts, I was unable to find out how much better via the compare sites, or, find out details of such contracts

 

[ChrisD.]

Don't let BG install a smart meter unless its SMETS2

Why is that?

Edit, never mind, just Googled it. Thanks.

Interesting what is the tarif ?is it very preferential ?
After earlier post which suggested better deals with smart contracts, I was unable to find out how much better via the compare sites, or, find out details of such contracts

Energy Plus Boiler Cover Oct 2019.

I signed up via MSE Energy Club. About £10 a month more expensive than if I'd keep switching between all the little providers who keep putting their prices up, in exchange for a fixed 12 month tariff with a big company.

 

[Duke]

Another letter, text and email from First Utility pushing the smart meters again. Making it looks like you must do something -

No chance of having one of these until all suppliers can use them. Can't wait to leave FU next month when out of contract.

Another phone call from them added to block list..

 

[jpaul]

Energy Plus Boiler Cover Oct 2019.

looks like that maybe gas only - closest I could see ? https://www.britishgas.co.uk/aem6/c...ine-Table-Energy-Plus-Protection-Dec-2019.xls
... and, they increase standing charge to 'disguise' boiler protection ?

I wondered what the electric price per unit is ? that's the tricky one at the moment ?? I want 10p !

edit: ok had a look at the BG one EnergyPlusProtectionJan2020
looks like cost p/m for me would be within £2 of bulb but fixed until Jan2020
specifies : a good mobile signal for the obligatory smarty meter install
: ????

If we can’t take you onto Central Heating Breakdown cover
If we realise during sign up or at a breakdown visit that we can’t take you onto Central Heating Breakdown cover we may contact you and give you 30 days to switch both fuels to one of our other available tariffs

are you obliged to get a gas safety certifcate cp12 from BG ?

 

[ChrisD.]

It's whatever was listed on the MSE Energy Club. I'd be highly surprised if you could find electricity at 10p.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

I think you would be lucky to find anything much less than 13p these days.

 

[jpaul]

Looking at this MSE stuff

Do we make money from this?
Some suppliers pay comparisons and collective schemes, so we give roughly half of this back as cashback - that's £25 for a dual-fuel switch and £12.50 for single fuel.
Much of the rest pays our data & switch suppliers, pays the team who work on this, and hopefully leaves some profit.

I'd prefer to put £50 in my pocket and go direct, like joining Bulb.

They talk about their system notifying you when there is a better deal at which point they get another £50 if you say yes ...
end result, say an average bill of £1K per year, 5% of your energy costs go to MSE.
This parasitic middle-man is not very efficient.

must admit I turn off when he/Lewis is on TV, it's like the shop better, or eat better, all patronizing programmes, with participants who, you wonder, are they naive, or just playing along because they are being payed to participate.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Running a massive site like MSE isn’t free, they rely on affiliate type links to pay the bills. Some of the deals they have are unique bespoke mass switches, that requires staff to negotiate etc.

You also don’t get £50 going direct, it’s a referral from an existing customer, that’s a very different propersition. There are also other parts of the site that talk about Quidco etc.

They are usually upfront about what they are getting commission for. Nor do they say the deal they are presenting is the absolute cheapest price.

It’s no different to sites like uswitch or moneysupermarket but switching with those sites gets you nothing. The different is MSE also has a journalistic and social media element unlike the pure commercial sites this also costs money to keep the lights on.

I can only suggest a tin foil hat for the last part of your pose...

 

[HungryHippos]

I went with MSE on my last switch because I didn't want to go with Bulb, and I wound up with a decent 12 month fix on EDF and £25 cashback. No complaints here at all and it was paid as promised. At least MSE was transparent about them getting a kickback and why.

I used to go with compare the market but they have stopped doing the meerkats

 

[jpaul]

I have used compare the market to find other deals, and when I was with Npower (prior to bulb) rang them and said I was thinking of leaving because
I could get a cheaper deal elsewhere, and gave them specific details ... I think they gave me £40 credit which I was happy with,
used same types of strategy with virgin media for broadband too. .. just honesty.

I don't know how the energy market works in other countries, but the market is now underwriting the failures of the smaller companies, complimented by the birth of the switch sites, whether this produces a more efficient economic solution, the jury's out.

I can only suggest a tin foil hat for the last part of your pose...

you are a fan of Lewis' journalistic style ? I hope ITV make some significant advertising revenue from him, for allowing him that platform, half an hour of prime time viewing LOL

 

[bloodiedathame]

Interesting looking back over old statements to see what I was paying (prices in pence/kWh):
From December 2017 to December 2018 we used:
Gas: 11819 kWh
Electricity: 8200 kWh (we charge our Nissan Leaf at home)

2012 - Npower

Elec Day: 23.11 and 16.85
Elec Night: 5.35
Elec Standing: N/A

2013 - Co-Op

Elec Day: 16.08
Elec Night: 7.74
Elec Standing: 19

2014 - SSE (New house)

Elec: 13.37
Elec Standing: 14.09
Gas: 4.52
Gas Standing: 14.09

2015 - Ovo

Elec: 11.03
Elec Standing: 28.77
Gas: 3.97
Gas Standing: 24.66

2016 - Flow

Elec: 10.403
Elec Standing: 20.55
Gas: 2.253
Gas Standing: 18.371

2017 - Tonik (Green)

Elec: 12.97
Elec Standing: 23
Gas: 2.92
Gas Standing: 20

2018 - Tonik (Green)

Elec: 12.92
Elec Standing: 23.25
Gas: 2.66
Gas Standing: 22

 

[ChrisD.]

Fair play to Breeze, I’d been with them for a year and post switch they refunded me promptly. They also took a direct debit post refund, a day before they cancelled the direct debit. I contacted them and they’ve refunded it right away.