Anyone Find it hard to get the Truth from Price Comparisons?

Plushchris

monoxideuk wrote: »

A lot of the comparison site dont include the 6 or 9% discount you get off the total bill over the year and work it out with only the vate on it, I know this to be true on energyhelpline as it states this fact when you click on the tariff info.

Hope this helps

Energyhelpline DOES include the discounts from E-on in the yearly spend.

Why does everyone get hung up about the VAT? Dont you pay it then?

Plushchris

jd87 wrote: »

I think these comparison sites are useless for gas and elec. Why do I need to put in my usage? Why can't it just tell me who has the cheapest tariff.

Cardew

gillette147 wrote: »

Am I being cynical in thinking the error is at these comparison sites...who have a vested interest in you swapping?


Cheers

Is the Pope Catholic?

Of course they have an interest in you swapping! It is called COMMISSION!

Why else would a company set up an expensive to run website?

Their whole purpose is to get you to swap. If there is any 'legal*' way they can achieve that aim, they will do so.

As SwanJon explains above your monthly payment does not reflect your consumption, so this gives them licence to interpret the data to their advantage.

Entering annual kWh gives them less scope for fudging; but doesn't stop them trying!

* Legal = code of practice.

gillette147

I am happy with the assumption that my monthly spend that I enter is a true reflection of what I use....otherwise I would adjust it. I.e. I know for a fact that my provider don't have loads of excess dosh from me..and that I don't owe them loads either.

This said it should be easy for these site to take that figure and derive the KWh I use if I'm paying X that much a month.

Why am I bothering giving them all the details otherwise?

I'd be better off entering how many bedrooms, how much TV and what time I go to bed instead. And they can calc my use from that with more accuracy.

Grrrrrr

gillette147

SwanJon wrote: »

The issue is that your monthly DD amount has very little to do with your monthly spend. You could be under paying, over paying, paying back a balance. Your plan could have started before the last price rise or after, you could have asked to have it reduced or increased.

I don't know how they calculate back to kWh, but I wouldn't be suprised if they do it differently.

If you have 6 months of bills (assuming Jan-Jun) doubling your consumption would be a good place to start. If the comparison site says it doesn't include certain discounts, take that into account, but try a few different ones with the same kWh values and see what you get.

I've been with this provider 4 mths.....and I had a new meter within the year before that.

mermaidnwuk

I rang Energyhelpline today as I wanted to make comparisons for a gas-only tariff that were capped or fixed as I buy electricity through my landlord. Could not get the required info from their website so spoke to someone on their helpline. She informed me that capped/fixed tariffs are not available to a gas-only request but only for dual fuel. Is this true????

monoxideuk

I know eon do a gas price protection, not sure if it avail to switch over on there site but it is available

Hope that helps

Kate_AOL_Researcher

Hi all,
I find your comments really interesting.
I had the same problem as you and i've just switched all my services contracts for a better deal and this happened with just one call.
I found it stress-free and i'm saving money!
K

heatherw_01

I used the comparison sites as a guideline, but I compared the tariffs with each supplier individually instead of relying on the comparison sites as they don't seem that accurate.

jessicahasler

Have read some of the posts, v, interesting.

My experience is that once I asked for the kwh the advisor was no longer interested in helping me. When I asked for them to call me back, to allow me time to compare and to do sums, they agreed but I never heard another word from them.

The point was that the rates quoted were DOUBLE what I am paying now. It is correct that it is just smoke and mirrors using the monthly DD amount to quote from another supplier, because once you fix the price that is ok it does not fix the monthly DD that will change as you go along, my present supplier told me that.

What I don't understand is why is Martin going on Tv telling everyone to fix when it means getting a rate double what you are paying at present when although prices may be set to increase by 40% later in the year, it still is better that 100% increase now - AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE?