A great deal by contacting your current supplier?

moncman

A lot has been made in the past of contacting your supplier threatening to leave to a better deal. This enevitably leads to a "special deal" from your current supplier not widely advertised.

This is especially true of mobile phone companies and internet providers.

Martin has often said on Radio 2, "Ask to be put through to disconnections which the companies internally call customer retention." :money:

Does this happen with Utilities and does anyone have some good numbers?

I am with EON which I'm mostly happy with but nPower are cheaper.

If I threaten to leave and get EON to match the deal I will be very happy.

notbritishgas

moncman wrote: »

A lot has been made in the past of contacting your supplier threatening to leave to a better deal. This enevitably leads to a "special deal" from your current supplier not widely advertised.

This is especially true of mobile phone companies and internet providers.

Martin has often said on Radio 2, "Ask to be put through to disconnections which the companies internally call customer retention." :money:

Does this happen with Utilities and does anyone have some good numbers?

I am with EON which I'm mostly happy with but nPower are cheaper.

If I threaten to leave and get EON to match the deal I will be very happy.

I do not think energy companies will give you a one off special tariff, for a start their computers would not cope!!
What they may offer, if available, is to put you on one of their cheaper tariffs, but it will be an advertised one.

moncman

Thanks NBG,

Yes, I've been through all the tariffs with a fine-toothed comb and know that the EON deal I've got is the best they do. I can however fix with Scottish Power at a similar rate to that I'm on or go to nPower for a 15% discount. I've tried to get someone on the phone with the authority to do more than just read the deals of the website but with no success.

I would be happy to stay on my current tariff if it could be fixed till Autumn next year. Surely the computer could cope with that. :rotfl:

Why don't I just jump to nPower?....well I quite like EON service apart from the frustrating call centre.

notbritishgas

moncman wrote: »

Thanks NBG,

Yes, I've been through all the tariffs with a fine-toothed comb and know that the EON deal I've got is the best they do. I can however fix with Scottish Power at a similar rate to that I'm on or go to nPower for a 15% discount. I've tried to get someone on the phone with the authority to do more than just read the deals of the website but with no success.

I would be happy to stay on my current tariff if it could be fixed till Autumn next year. Surely the computer could cope with that. :rotfl:

Why don't I just jump to nPower?....well I quite like EON service apart from the frustrating call centre.

The EDF announcement today will give you some idea of the increases EoN, SP and npower will shortly announce! This might persuade you to go for the fixed tariff, if it is still available at the same rate, time must be short now.

Theo_Cupier

I've just asked my supplier this, actually.

Having been with them for 3 years and changed tariffs with them a couple of times - each because we read about a new tariff on their website - I thought I'd put them on the back foot by asking what their best tariff for me would be, given their recent announcement of impending price rises.

I've actually asked them via Email because I was already in discussion with someone from their Customer Relations head office dept on a different billing matter.

Will let you know if I get anywhere.

Alleycat

I just tried this with EDF and their answer was a simple no, can't do that.

space_rider

You won`t get an exclusive deal from any of the utilities, look at the problems they`ve had when they have had to change their billing systems!

moncman

Thanks for all the replies.

Theo...I will be keen to see what answer you get, please post whatever the outcome is. Bt the way, who are you with?

Theo_Cupier

moncman wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

Theo...I will be keen to see what answer you get, please post whatever the outcome is. Bt the way, who are you with?

With Southern Electric at the moment. Their best published rate seems to be the "Fixed discount 2010" which, so far as I can tell, is effectively a tracker rate that promises to remain 2% below their standard rate.

No caps or fixes available according to their website. Best out-and-out deal seems to be applying online for their Standard Energy product which gets you a further 8% discount. They claim to have the lowest standard energy prices for dual fuel, based on average domestic consumption figures.

blythsaver

I am with Scottish power and have put my details in to two comparison sites. The free wine site suggests I would spend 33% more with N power but be better off! the second site with a £15 cash back says I would spend nearly 55% more and be better of with N Power. How can this be. Scottish Power doesnt get a mention yet even with the forecast price rises I would be better of staying where I am.
Perhaps instead of giving what seems to me to be iffy comparisons these comparison sites should be telling the regulators about profitering, the power companies are massively in profit.
Is it the case for instance that EDF customers are supporting the French goverment rather than paying market prices(I understand EDF is State owned in France)

whowants2brich

I'd love to think that energy suppliers will adjust your prices to prevent you from switching - but I don't think that the system will work like that.

The way everyone is looking to hike prices over the next weeks, there's not really any point in switching to/from anywhere, unless you're moving to a fixed deal to lock in before prices rise, in which case you can be sure that your prices won't change over the next months/years.

If you switch now, to a variable rate, what's to say that any savings won't disappear as all the suppliers increase by different rates...? A 5% saving will easily be wiped out if one supplier increases by 17% and another by 27%...

I just wish I could lock in, myself, but we're renting and so don't know how long we'll want to stay where we are. Any savings we make will be lost by any cancellation fees!