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[galba]

Online Energy Saver 6 isn't for everybody - dual fuel only and possible termination fee. And when in 2010 does it expire ??


"Online Energy Saver 6 in an online capped price tariff where customers benefit from a price that is guaranteed to remain a minimum of 3% cheaper than ScottishPower standard monthly Direct Debit prices for gas and electricity until 2010
Online Energy Saver 6 was launched as a gas and electricity tariff on the 16th July 2009 when it replaced Online Energy Saver 5.
** Customers may be subject to an early termination fee if they leave the tariff before 31st July 2010.
**Online Energy Saver 6 is only available as a dual fuel tariff for those customers with both gas and electricity.
Customers can pay their gas and electricity bills for Online Energy Saver 6 by Monthly Direct Debit only.
Online Energy Saver 6 is available as an online tariff only where energy bills are available online and account management is arranged online"

[cw18]

Well, I'm already dual fuel and operating on-line - get the best savings that way. So the Energy Saver 6 appears to be the way to go for me......

3% less than standard prices, rather than standard price or current rate (whichever is the higher), so would have to be a steep increase to take the ES6 price above the capped one - and if I read the article correctly the energy companies are under pressure to reduce the prices. And the protection on it is only a month less, so paying an extra 3% for 11 months to gain 1 month of protection on the capped rate seems daft :confused:

[galba]

Sadly it's all become a game of smoke and mirrors.

[KTF]

I originally signed up to the Online Energy 4 tarrif and comparison sites are now saying that it is cheaper for me to move to the new Online Energy 6 tariff.

According to My Account my current product is 'Online Saver' (not that I ever requested to move to this or is it just a new name for Online Energy 4?) and I can see no option to change the tariff to Online Energy 6 as only Online Energy is available which seems to be different product again?

Has anyone managed to upgrade to Online Energy 6 or do I need to phone them up (or just shift away to EDF or nPower who are coming up cheaper again but have their own pro and con)?

[cw18]

nPower are the ones I turned away earlier this week - they don't get a particularly good rating on the comparison site, and aren't cheaper by enough to take the risk

Have to admit EDF is tempting - especially if I can't (for any reason) get the OS6

[scottishpower company representative]

Originally Posted by KTF

I originally signed up to the Online Energy 4 tarrif and comparison sites are now saying that it is cheaper for me to move to the new Online Energy 6 tariff.

According to My Account my current product is 'Online Saver' (not that I ever requested to move to this or is it just a new name for Online Energy 4?) and I can see no option to change the tariff to Online Energy 6 as only Online Energy is available which seems to be different product again?

Has anyone managed to upgrade to Online Energy 6 or do I need to phone them up (or just shift away to EDF or nPower who are coming up cheaper again but have their own pro and con)?

Hi KTF,

As far as I am aware customers on the various versions of Online Energy don't see the version number on their bills etc.

If you are in any doubt please call us directly on 0800 400 200 for advice.

Craig @ ScottishPower

[1carminestocky]

To be fair they should call themselves Spanish Power and see how many customers they get. OK, I'm joking (I think)...

[thingamaBob]

Originally Posted by scottishpower company representative

Hi KTF,

As far as I am aware customers on the various versions of Online Energy don't see the version number on their bills etc.

If you are in any doubt please call us directly on 0800 400 200 for advice.

Craig @ ScottishPower

This seems to be the biggest problem with SP, actually finding out what tariffs are available and what the details of each tariff are. If you don't know a particular tariff is available you don't even know to ask for it's details. Are SP trying to keep full details of Online saver hidden so that too many people don't apply?
I'd never heard of Freshstart until I saw it mentioned on another thread a short while ago and that's a better deal than Online Energy Saver 6.....If you qualify.
The website should list and explain ALL tariffs available.

[thingamaBob]

Originally Posted by KTF

Has anyone managed to upgrade to Online Energy 6 or do I need to phone them up (or just shift away to EDF or nPower who are coming up cheaper again but have their own pro and con)?

I sent an email last night saying I didn't want either of the options given and would rather go on Online Energy 6 and have now received a reply saying:-
"I have arranged for your account to change to online energy saver 6 from 01/09/09 as requested. No further action is required by yourself."
So yes, contact them if you want to go on this tariff.

[KTF]

Yes it is very confusing. If you look at the current products available there is no mention of online energy 6, just online energy:

http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/Home_...t_Information/

Yet if you go to the product prices there is an option for both online energy and online energy 6:

http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/Home_...roduct_Prices/

So how do you sign up for online energy 6 online if there is no mention of it being available or being one of the options that you can choose when you go through the signup process? Crazy...

[Toxteth_OGrady]

Originally Posted by thingamaBob

I sent an email last night saying I didn't want either of the options given and would rather go on Online Energy 6 and have now received a reply saying:-
"I have arranged for your account to change to online energy saver 6 from 01/09/09 as requested. No further action is required by yourself."
So yes, contact them if you want to go on this tariff.

I did the same when opting out of the Capped Sep 2010 offer. I asked to be put on Online Saver 6 on 1st September. Unfortunately, unlike thingamaBob, the email reply I got from SP refused to put me on Online Saver 6 on 1st September, stating the reason being that the OS6 tariif may no longer be available on that date. They did however have the gall to offer me an immediate transfer should I wish to pay the early termination fee to get out of Fixed Price 2009 before 31st August.

It is quite worrying that a company does not even know what products it will have to offer in a couple of weeks time. Even worse is the disparity and misinformation from the company by customer services representatives by phone, email and on this forum. At best their internal training must be extremely poor.



TOG

[cw18]

Right - I've just spent half an hour on the phone to a smashing chap at Scottish Power regarding tarriff change on 1st September.

Online Energy Saver 6 is a 'limited' product (in terms of how many people are allowed to sign up for it) - therefore (even though it's still a relatively new one) they can't guarantee it will be available on 1st September, so what Toxteth_OGrady was told is correct.

BUT they're now being briefed that -- as a switch to OES6 ties us in to another contract with cancellation fees -- if a customer switches NOW the cancellation fees on our current Fixed Rate contracts will NOT be applied to our accounts. The chap I was talking to said it's possible not all departments have yet been briefed on this (priority seeming to be given to the front line phone staff), so if you want to switch early the best bet is to PHONE them.

In the terms & conditions it says 'may be charged' - and they've decided not to if it means customers are staying with them on a fixed contract

So I'm switching to OES6 tomorrow.......

[violetta]

Originally Posted by Toxteth_OGrady

... the reason being that the OS6 tariif may no longer be available on that date.

Maybe they have a super duper shiny new improved tariff up their sleeves to introduce after 1st September (or are developing this now they see how many folks are changing to EDF) Things must be developing amongst the power companies as MSE says that BG have just introduced another cheaper online version of their tariff.

For now, I am still planning to wait until 1st September and see, having clicked to reject the new capped 2010 deal on offer and taken a copy of the confirmation of this.

[fullstop]

Hi Violetta, According to the ticker on the energyhelpline web page the EDF tariff may just have days to go before it is pulled.

[violetta]

Originally Posted by fullstop

Hi violetta, According to the ticker on the energyhelpline web page the EDF tariff may just have days to go before it is pulled.

Thank you for the warning fullstop, but I don't think EDF would be suitable for us as we are on E7, and EDF's deal only seems to be for single meter rate.

I also don't care for the way they are trying to panic people into changing quickly by threatening to pull the deal - smacks a bit of DFS tactics - sale must end Sunday and all that.

You can sometimes come off better by biding your time - certainly was at MFI once when buying a kitchen: we were told we must order that week or the £199 dishwasher offer would have gone. We weren't quite ready to order then, and went back the following week and she was right - the £199 offer had been pulled, but replaced by a dishwasher for £99 offer !!!

[mcgsp]

I'm pleased to see MSE giving ScottishPower some of the publicity it deserves and I hope next's week's newsletter will also warn people of the big increase in costs for any SP customer whose fixed price ends at the end of this month and who does nothing before the end of September.

I thought gas and electricity prices (for the suppliers such as SP) had come down in the past year!

[Cypermethrin]

scosttishpower company representative (aka Craig)

I phoned up SP Customer Services this afternoon to ask if I was allowed to initiate my change of provider before 31-Aug-09 - and the answer was a categorical "NO" and if I did I would be charged the cancellation fee.

I now have read this thread contradicting this inforamtion

It would seem to me that SP are misleading their customers - and your kind attempt to clarify the situation has added to custmer's uncertainty about what is and is not possible to do without incurring a cancellation fee.

Who is right - you on an internet forum - or your colleagues on SP Customer Services ??:confused:

[matthew57]

Originally Posted by Cypermethrin

scosttishpower company representative (aka Craig)

I phoned up SP Customer Services this afternoon to ask if I was allowed to initiate my change of provider before 31-Aug-09 - and the answer was a categorical "NO" and if I did I would be charged the cancellation fee.

I now have read this thread contradicting this inforamtion

It would seem to me that SP are misleading their customers - and your kind attempt to clarify the situation has added to custmer's uncertainty about what is and is not possible to do without incurring a cancellation fee.

Who is right - you on an internet forum - or your colleagues on SP Customer Services ??:confused:

I've dug out the terms & conditions - It is clear that the cancellation fees are only payable when "switching...before 31 August 2009".

It is a shame Customer Services are giving out incorrct info.

[lrr]

Just changed as well to Energy Saver 6 but double checked with them that I was (I was fine) as account online just says online saver and this is a different product with higher rates. Get them to email with the current rates for your area so you can always able to quote it if you have to get in touch with them (more than likely).

I also had to apply for the tarriff by email as it was not showing in list of products I could change to on my online account.

[Mags66]

Just a quickie - we have just changed our supplier from Scottish Power to be told that we would have to pay £50 exit fee - but they had not notified us that they had changed our tarrif and conceded that they were at fault and waived the exit fee and sent £25 for their mistake. So do not lie down and accept the exit fee !!