Flow Energy - anyone switched?

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ilikepoints
ilikepoints Posts: 422 Forumite
in Energy
Flow energy have some decent gas prices (fixed until 2014), claims to be the cheapest fixed energy deal in the UK and that seems to be true. They are second cheapest overall (fixed or variable) in Eastern area after Daligas but thought I'd give the later a miss due to not being registered with the Energy Ombudsman.

Anyone have any experience with them please. It seems they will be offering free CHP boilers in future too so I wouldn't have expected their prices to be quite this competitive.

Also is it possible to get any cashback when switching to them?
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  • dogshome
    dogshome Posts: 3,877 Forumite
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    Flowenergy aren't registered with the Ombudsman either

    You can check any supplier yourself by visiting the Ombudsman's website - On the opening page there is a list of subjects on the L/hand side - Click on "Energy Companies" which brings up an alphabetical list with a search window,
    enter the name you are looking for - If the company isn't listed, it's not registered
  • MillicentBystander
    MillicentBystander Posts: 3,518 Forumite
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    Flow Energy are listed.

    http://www.ombudsman-services.org/memberlists/energy/?letter=F&page=1
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
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    ilikepoints wrote: »
    Flow energy have some decent gas prices (fixed until 2014), claims to be the cheapest fixed energy deal in the UK and that seems to be true. They are second cheapest overall (fixed or variable) in Eastern area after Daligas but thought I'd give the later a miss due to not being registered with the Energy Ombudsman.

    Anyone have any experience with them please. It seems they will be offering free CHP boilers in future too so I wouldn't have expected their prices to be quite this competitive.

    Also is it possible to get any cashback when switching to them?

    Definitely.

    e.g. I noticed cashback was available via Energylinx (use the special MSE link). Check the other usual sites to see if you can get even more :)
  • dogshome
    dogshome Posts: 3,877 Forumite
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    Thanks MillicentBystander - I'm going to have to be more diligent in future.

    Flow Energy are indeed regd. with the Ombudsman as Flow Energy - I got caught out by them spelling their their name as both Flowenergy & Flow Energy on their webisite - The Ombudsman's search engine must be Capital letter and spacing sensitive
  • ilikepoints
    ilikepoints Posts: 422 Forumite
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    Thanks for the info, I will give them a try as Npower are pretty terrible anyway.
  • momist
    momist Posts: 89 Forumite
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    Am I a gambler? Not normally, no. In fact I very rarely gamble on anything, and have only ever bought a national lottery ticket twice.

    Today, I rang Flow Energy to ask them how long it will take to switch, and whether it could result in a penalty from my existing contract ending 21 May. The call was answered immediately (maybe they've not many customers yet?) and a very pleasant experience it was compared to nPower. The lady in their call centre carefully worked out the earliest possible date for the switch and confirmed that it couldn’t possibly be before the contract end date, and calculated the exact same figures I had got from the Cheap Energy Club. It all went so well, I decided there and then to do the deal over the phone (sorry Martin if that cost your site anything).

    I also asked why they don't offer a longer fix, and she said their ethos was to offer a very simple competitive tariff and best possible customer service. They realise that if the next offer at the end of this fix is not competitive, I'll go elsewhere, and they aim to keep me as a customer.

    Fair do's then. I'll give them a try. The confirming email arrived while I was still on the phone, and so far I've no great qualms. The only fly in the ointment is that I could have got a fix with SP until Feb 2016 for only :question: £18.50 per month more . . .
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
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    momist wrote: »
    ... The only fly in the ointment is that I could have got a fix with SP until Feb 2016 for only :question: £18.50 per month more . . .

    You don't say what you're annual consumption will cost this year, but the average is about £1000 - £1200 if you've chosen the cheapest supplier/tariff

    So presuming you are not paying an awful lot more, paying over £200 a year extra would seem a bit of a gamble, especially for a self confessed non-gambler, on how prices may rise in 1-2 years time.
  • momist
    momist Posts: 89 Forumite
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    Wywth wrote: »
    (snip) paying over £200 a year extra would seem a bit of a gamble, especially for a self confessed non-gambler, on how prices may rise in 1-2 years time.

    Which is why I chose to go with the cheaper option: Flow Energy. :) Actually, I was originally looking for as long a fix as possible, and I'm a rather high user with estimates this time around reaching £2k and above :eek:. If Flow live up to their promises, I should get a reasonable quote next August when their fix runs out, if not, well I suppose all of life is a gamble. I personally believe that the costs of energy will continue to rise, ever more steeply, so I might well be the loser even after a £200 saving in the first year, but I agree that would be an extreme result.

    I'll post here how things "go with the Flow". ;)


    I suppose someone has to go first . . .
  • scofra
    scofra Posts: 20 Forumite
    edited 2 May 2013 at 1:45PM
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    Although Flow Energy only offers one tariff, which is fixed, did anyone notice the following in their T&Cs?
    7 Changes to this contract
    7.1 We can change the terms of this contract (including price and payment methods) at any time (unless we have agreed otherwise with you).
    So, legally, can the price be changed, or not????
  • nollbolla
    nollbolla Posts: 6 Forumite
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    I, too, have just arranged to switch from npower to FlowEnergy online. Everything seems efficient so far and I got the email confirmation before I had left the website. I am now wondering though whether this new company will still count for cashback from my Santander 123 account? I'd have hoped so but when I just checked their look-up list it didn't show Flow energy. Will see what happens...
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