Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

shaggy wrote: »

I'm in a similar pickle. Just moved over to British Gas uncapped EnergeSmart online saver v4 from EDF, and now EDF are trying to win me back with their fixed tarriff Fixed Saver v2. I havent been able to verify this information yet but according to the salesman at EDF the British Gas one is £40 CHEAPER than their tarriff BUT it is not a fixed tarriff.
Difficult to compare on the online sites because the EDF tarriff does not appear on there

Hey Shaggy,

[Feels sad that you're in a similar situation, but is glad of the company...]

All I can suggest is a lot of calculations, if the tariff you have doesn't appear on any comparison sites.

Someone here (a couple of pages back, I've thanked them but can't remember their name ) posted the per kwh and unit price for British Gas's Essentials tariff, which has since meant that I can do a proper comparison; on the Essentials tariff I will be making savings, even with a 20% increase. I want to check with the Essentials team first, though, as I think that things like the £50 rebate was a cold-winter rebate, rather than something that comes as standard...

What's your average kwh/unit usage per month (take readings for a year, then divide by twelve to establish an average)? Both suppliers should include, either in their paperwork or online, how much they charge and the threshold (when the second rate is charged). The hard part is sometimes comes in converting gas cubic units to kwh, but to convert from units to kwh: (cubic units) x 39.4604 x 1.0226400, divided by 3.6 = (ta-da!)

(Why the maths have to be so convoluted, heaven alone knows .. and if anyone spots an error in the above, please let me know, it was gleaned from the bottom of a BG bill...

I haven't heard from British Gas yet today, but I'm giving myself a break from the head-ache that comes with trying to fathom all this out, and will call them later this afternoon...

HTH

happycatuk wrote: »

Hey Shaggy,

[Feels sad that you're in a similar situation, but is glad of the company...]

All I can suggest is a lot of calculations, if the tariff you have doesn't appear on any comparison sites.

Someone here (a couple of pages back, I've thanked them but can't remember their name ) posted the per kwh and unit price for British Gas's Essentials tariff, which has since meant that I can do a proper comparison; on the Essentials tariff I will be making savings, even with a 20% increase. I want to check with the Essentials team first, though, as I think that things like the £50 rebate was a cold-winter rebate, rather than something that comes as standard...

What's your average kwh/unit usage per month (take readings for a year, then divide by twelve to establish an average)? Both suppliers should include, either in their paperwork or online, how much they charge and the threshold (when the second rate is charged). The hard part is sometimes comes in converting gas cubic units to kwh, but to convert from units to kwh: (cubic units) x 39.4604 x 1.0226400, divided by 3.6 = (ta-da!)

(Why the maths have to be so convoluted, heaven alone knows .. and if anyone spots an error in the above, please let me know, it was gleaned from the bottom of a BG bill...

I haven't heard from British Gas yet today, but I'm giving myself a break from the head-ache that comes with trying to fathom all this out, and will call them later this afternoon...

HTH

Since my post the tarriff has appeared in comparison sites and it appears the salesman who called me was right - it would work out around £40 or thereabouts CHEAPER for me to remain on the British Gas energy smart tarriff, but bear in mind we're gearing up for another round of price increases so makes sense to price fix now.

I've gone for the EDF Fixed tarriff - decided to make the salesman happy by getting it through him and lose a possible quidco of £20. I would never have even considered moving again so soon if I hadnt been called. SO I guess he deserves his comission :money:

Just switched to a fixed tariff based on Martin's advice.

Comparison sites agreed that Npower Price Protector was my best option and I found that TopCashBack were offering £70.70 for a dual fuel switch, to this specific tariff, for new customers. Cashback not guaranteed, but worth a try I thought.

They say it'll take 7-10 days to confirm details, then up to another 25 days to switch. Deeply ponderous timescale, when all they really need is a meter reading and the rest is computerised. Last time I switched they screwed it up so badly it took three months and they had to pay me compensation. :rotfl:

glasmy wrote: »

How to switch to another power company? My new rented flat is using Scottish Power and I wish to change to a cheaper alternative. Another thing is it is using prepayment meter and I want to change it to billed meter. I wonder how I can settle it. Please advise me how

This is old, but may be useful:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=769643

Probably best to contact Scottish Power for their current policy and prices.

And for how to switch, I find the article on this site really helpful:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

Now I'm trying to find a good fixed deal for an older person who is not online.
Having difficulty because the comparison tools only seem to include tariffs requiring online operation.