energy compare site

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Wig
Wig Posts: 14,139 Forumite
in Energy
Hi,

I need an energy compare site that compares *all* the suppliers

I just did a check on uswitch and they only gave me results from the big boys, no mention of Ebico or Robin Hood.

thanks.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,655 Forumite
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    If in doubt always try the Citizens Advice site https://energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk/
  • NineDeuce
    NineDeuce Posts: 997 Forumite
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    I dont think that all suppliers put themselves on the switching sites. UK Power is another one.
  • pogofish
    pogofish Posts: 10,852 Forumite
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    IME 'energy saving' sites don't even list all the tariffs available from the suppliers they do represent and are highly unwilling to disclose them - Yes, I've had this argument with quite a number of them when trying to do a proper comparison. The 'We'll tell you what's best for you - but we won't tell you how we work it out because its far too complex for you to understand' attitude is common to all that I've used.
  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
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    I find this expects less information so quicker to use https://www.energylinx.co.uk/

    Importantly, search then look at the top of the page for a drop down list. You will have been given suppliers that they can switch you to. Change this to all suppliers then search again.

    This may be the reason your search has omitted some suppliers.
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,105 Forumite
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    OP When comparing don't forget to use your actual consumption in kwh and not your spend in £.
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    pogofish wrote: »
    IME 'energy saving' sites don't even list all the tariffs available from the suppliers they do represent and are highly unwilling to disclose them - Yes, I've had this argument with quite a number of them when trying to do a proper comparison. The 'We'll tell you what's best for you - but we won't tell you how we work it out because its far too complex for you to understand' attitude is common to all that I've used.

    They no longer have to list all suppliers. It is what Ofgem calls 'competition'. That said, MSE CEC does list all suppliers and I have yet to find a listed tariff that differs in cost (provided kWhs/year is used and not some abstract usage for 3/4/5 bed property) from that posted on a supplier's website (except for VAT).
  • Wig
    Wig Posts: 14,139 Forumite
    edited 4 January 2018 at 1:03AM
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    NineDeuce wrote: »
    I dont think that all suppliers put themselves on the switching sites. UK Power is another one.
    Thanks, but it's not down to the suppliers to make themselves available, but it is down to the switching/comparison sites to put every supplier (or not) onto the database, they don't need the suppliers permission all they need to do is make sure the tariffs are correct. The reason they don't put them all on is because they only want you to see the ones that they can make referral fees from.
    Hengus wrote: »
    They no longer have to list all suppliers. It is what Ofgem calls 'competition'. That said, MSE CEC does list all suppliers and I have yet to find a listed tariff that differs in cost (provided kWhs/year is used and not some abstract usage for 3/4/5 bed property) from that posted on a supplier's website (except for VAT).
    Thanks, So Ofgem are responsible for this, unbelieveable! I shall write to my MP about it (for all the good it will do). However even back in the day I remember that Which? site refused to put EBICO on their site siting that they were not available to everyone (which was not true and I told them so) so it seems that sites never *had* to put every supplier on?

    Are you saying that the MSE one has all suppliers? I don't understand why MSE needs the first line of the address, it is not necessary (but that is a different subject).

    Also when I tried the MSE one I did not manage to get it to say "Gas only" can it do gas only?

    Thanks all, I will try again soon.
  • Anthorn
    Anthorn Posts: 4,362 Forumite
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    Wig wrote: »
    Hi,

    I need an energy compare site that compares *all* the suppliers

    I just did a check on uswitch and they only gave me results from the big boys, no mention of Ebico or Robin Hood.

    thanks.

    On uSwitch you have two options to list only those suppliers uSwitch can switch you to or to list the whole market. That's similar to MSE Cheap Energy Club except that MSE calls it "full market comparison" and "MSE top picks".

    In my own personal experience both Ebico and Robin Hood cost more that my current Scottish Power tariff so when comparing the whole market they are not shown amongst the savers and I have to expand the list to include tariffs which cost more. This is true on both uSwitch and MSE Cheap Energy Club.

    I am in the Eastern region so my findings above might not apply to you due to differing prices from region to region.
  • merchcon55
    merchcon55 Posts: 302 Forumite
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    It has been long standing practice for car and home insurance, that if you want to really get a "whole of market" comparison, you have to use several price comparison sites AND also go directly to some insurers websites (Direct Line for example).

    MSE has a very good write up on this.


    Up to June 2017, the Energy Comparison sites were OBLIGED to list every company. The rules changed to make things more similar to the insurance comparison sites.

    In theory (but in practice yet??) this is meant to allow "exclusive deals" appearing on say Uswitch, but not appearing anywhere else.


    What I find more interesting is that PCW are not obliged to use the OFGEM savings method, yet still do. As pointed out many times, this shows a FALSE savings to those on a fixed deal. Of course if you are on a variable deal, the savings are genuine.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    merchcon55 wrote: »

    What I find more interesting is that PCW are not obliged to use the OFGEM savings method, yet still do. As pointed out many times, this shows a FALSE savings to those on a fixed deal. Of course if you are on a variable deal, the savings are genuine.

    For accuracy, the savings are also accurate for consumers on a long term fixed deal with more than 12 months to run. In fairness to Ofgem, if a rolling 12 month cost assumption is to be the basis of a comparison then an assumption has to be made about what a consumer will do at the end of a fixed term contract. Using the supplier's SVT is, of course, the known do nothing option.
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