Comparing the comparison services/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

Former_MSE_Archna

This thread is specifically to discuss the content of the

Comparing the comparison services article.

To discuss or ask a question about this article: click reply

Important Notes:

General Energy Bill Cutting Discussion: For general discussions about gas & elec prices price instead go here.

Telecom Plus: If you are going to discuss Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus), please do NOT do it in this area, there is a special area reserved for it, due to past abuses about this subject here

Note From Martin:

Please be careful. There's a note at the top of every page about defamatory remarks. Many of the Chief Execs of the price comparison companies read these pages. Whilst I am happy for people to criticise their services, please keep the language polite and keep it factual, defamatory comments will be removed.

Gambler

it is annoying that comparison webistes are showing LOndon Energy online tariff making me an excellent saving of £160 yet when I go on their website they don't supply my area and redirecdt me to their parent compnay EDF. EDF do not offer an on-line option and therefore can only save me £8 !!!

It would be more helpful if the options are shown are only the ones you can actually apply for !

cheapie_claire

We used energyhelpline in May and they mistakenly told us that we could save £50 year by changing over companies. By the time they realised that they had got it wrong, it was too late to stop the transfer. We are still trying to sort out the mess that the energyhelpline caused by erroneously transferring us, and it has been a nightmare. I complained and eventually got £30 back from them, after pointing out that they would have got money anyway from the new company - £40 I believe, read it somewhere on their website. Big deal, I am still having to make phone calls to both our original company and the other one. To the chief exec of energyhelpline, if you are reading this - thanks a bunch for causing us no end of hassle.
To all others, steer clear unless you want them to cause you a big headache!

Tawny_Owl_3

Have been trying to use the sit to compare electric and keep on getting stuck because I dont want gas

Gambler

just pretend you want gas, when the results are displayed you can switch to the electricity only tab.

Tawny_Owl_3

Thanks I will have a go although the previous post has made me unsure about using them

njm_2

Can the results be trusted?

I tried the service for my workshop electricity, as I had accurate readings to hand, and on price criteria alone the top four recommended standard tariffs belong to British Gas. This was a surprise in itself, however I noted that British Gas was only rated 4 stars for service.

It also quoted the best Capped/Price Freeze tariffs and the top four were ScottishPower, with a 5 star rating.

I decided to check again using the service rating option and the top four tariffs for both Standard and Capped/Price Freeze tariffs went to ScottishPower
(5 star rated) and the next 5 best Standard and 1 Capped/Price Freeze tariffs went to Powergen, which is also rated 5 star for service.

My own experience of Powergen service, and evidently the experience of many other chat room users and BBC Look East viewers, is that their service could not be described as 5 star – or anything remotely near. It is equally noteworthy, that ScotishPower also features prominently within the negative chat room threads.

My concern is that these energy providers, in paying kick-backs to the Energyhelpline* website, are being promoted as providing a better customer service than those who make no such payments.

This is in no way a criticism of Martin’s recommendation to make use of such sites, as they are a very useful tool to search out and compare current energy tariffs; however I think it is important that service rating is also considered and fear that Energyhelpline* is misrepresenting the current rating for certain companies, perhaps for their own financial gain.

(I apologise if this has been raised elsewhere, but after a cursory read of the relevant threads on the board, it did not appear to have been.)

Derek_A.

Is there a comparison site that will give you all the companies prices in KWH for both Gas and Electricity.?
Surely this is the only way to compare, the companies providing energy.

Alechjo

Yes, I agree service ratings look quite suspicious. I was thinking if I should switch to Npower (only 2 stars), but thought it should be all right. No real experience though...

speedtwin

Ive Took Martins Advice And Went To The Comparison Sites Coz He Said Now Was The Time To Do It. I Signed Over To Npower And A Week Later Npower Put Their Prices Up. I Went To The Comparison Sites Again And Npower Arent Even In The Top 10. Doh

njm_2

I was also looking into nPower – however their prices are due to go up in January so the savings may be short term. Apparently these new prices will be announced today.