MSE Poll: What puts you off / frustrates you about switching energy?
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We switched provider and although it was supposed to be cheaper per month, the monthly bill was actually higher. I challenged it, and they said they couldn't (wouldn't) amend the monthly direct debit until we had been a customer with them for 3 months. So we're actually paying more per month for cheaper energy, which is ridiculous.
Also I don't trust them to actually correct it and give us back our money if we switch. It's really hard to get access to bills sometimes too. You have to remember to download them and keep them on your computer because they often close your online account really quickly when you move.0 -
It's all a song and dance I could do without. I always switch, but only because I'm prepared to put up with the hassle and worry (of them getting things wrong - many people just can't do their jobs right). We HAVE to switch, for financial reasons. I also resent the fact that we have to keep switching - keeping an eye on the suppliers, or else they can't be trusted to give us a fair deal. They see us as a resource, someone to rip-off if at all possible. It's disgraceful really, whatever happened to a square deal by honest hard-working folk? Is that a naive notion?0
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For this year's switch, my new cheapest supplier's tariff is much more expensive than the tariff of the old one. The difference is approx. £45 a month and yes - I had a very, very good deal.
Obviously a switch at the latest possible time would save a person the maximum amount of money in this case. In a climate of rising fuel prices, it would have been advantageous for me to sign up to the new supplier and tick a box saying "Switch on the last day of the old tariff", therefore stipulating the switch-over date.
This would also be handy if the switcher planned to go away on a holiday during the run up to the switch.0 -
I am with isupply. i was persuaded to switch when i rang a company to find out who my new house's supplier was. Major mistake. I have made a complaint to them but this has not been actioned and i am going to contact the ombudsman about them. The reason is that they failed to switch both of my energies at the same time, they do not bill me but then send me threatening letters (charged for) for overdue bills. I was unable to use their auto service online to set up my DD, they sent out a paper copy (eventually after about 4 weeks and i had to chase them) and they have still not managed to set up the DD despite confirming that they have this DD request. isupply are useless, unhelpful and really quite aggressive. I urge anyone else never to use them.
I have switched before and it was quite painless so i know this is down to this company's errors.
:):):):):):j:):):):):):)0 -
Had a smart meter installed when with Ovo Energy. Later switched to First Utility who offer exactly the same model of meter but tell me mine cannot be automatically read by them. So it's back to manual reading every month - not so easy to do on the smart meters compared with the old analogue dials and obviously less convenient. Price is the main driver for switching suppliers, but this smart meter issue could influence my choice next time.0
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and the requirement to have been with a company for X months which complicates things further. Also, newer, cheaper companies aren't required to offer it.0
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Many years ago I changed from British Gas to save less than £10. BG said well its only £10 and my reply was its mine not yours. How much could you make if every consumer of BG gave you just £1.
Its all personal of how much you are prepared to lose by not changing. We have used the smaller companies and its been OK though sometimes the billing period is six months not quarterly. Just contact them anytime and normally an current status of your account will be sent.0 -
I put off switching for ages believing it would be a hassle but then looked into it using the MSE energy club. I didn't go for the cheapest option but the second cheapest was a different tariff with my existing supplier so I switched to that and it was trouble free. I'd certainly recommend switching to current supplier's cheapest suitable tariff.0
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JenAmethyst wrote: »I'm with E.ON on Economy 10 energy tariff which comes on at 3 periods per day for a total of 10 hours for use with my electricity-powered storage heaters. I was previously on Economy 7 "with Heatwise" tariff which alongside the 7 hours cheap electricity overnight also had periods through the day where storage heaters would come on.
Most other energy providers, even ones that offer Economy 7, don't support 'Heatwise' for storage heaters and most comparison sites don't specify which providers do Economy 7, never mind 'Heatwise' or Economy 10.
I've stopped looking as I feel well and truly stuck with E.ON.
This - I am also on a heatwise meter. This doesn't just make switching "tricky" or a "hassle" it makes it virtually impossible. We are effectively locked into expensive legacy tariffs with a couple of providers. Which is a disgrace. There is no option to switch and no comparison for us.0 -
Similarly, when I buy a tin of beans at the supermarket, I pay for a tin of beans, and I know I'm paying what everybody else pays.
I don't get cheap beans because I switched to that supermarket recently.
I don't have to pay more because I haven't done a recent comparison.
I don't get charged on the basis of how many beans I might buy in the future.
I don't get to pay less if I spend an hour on the phone to Customer Service discussing my current bean tariff.
It's simple, logical, and sensible. I just wish the energy companies could work that way.0
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