npower hike today!

c0113tt3

Hmm the spreading warmth does sound very appealing, if you meet the criteria, and initially I was even tempted.

But, you need to initially take into account the prices on gas/elec for your area. For example if you are in a home area such as yorkshire, then you are not really saving £250, in fact not much compared to standard tariffs with more competative prices with other companies for your area .

Secondly, again the tariff year or cycle, during a 12 month period my father in law paid 6500 at gas tier 1, and i had paid approx 700 over. The 2000 over the 4572 gas tier 1 kwh amounts to approx £120.

If npower dropped this gas tariff year / cycle, then it would be good for the spread warmth tariff, but for what its worth, be-aware that the saving they claim does not reflect the true / real amount that you could actually save.

Also as i remember, correct me if i am wrong, but npower are not in a habit of helping people with not so great circumstances, for example, their first step tariff, as i remember there was less than 5000 people on it, and it was incredibily difficult to get on it in the first place. Compared to other suppliers who had far greater amount of people on fuel poverty tariffs with a much easier process. Also evidence has shown that they really dont care too much about their customers and complaints, i.e. energy watch, watchdog etc..

Ideally, I could compare npower with seaside auction houses, They give bold statements of figures / savings and getting a bargain, but what you actually end up doing is paying far more for less than what you thought you were getting.

Just be aware and go in with your eyes open, should you decide to go with npower.

marky1125

It's a considerable saving though

Initially the annual discount will be applied as a one off discount of £125 per fuel on the first bill after 1st January 2009. From the 1st of April 2009 the discount will be applied in quarterly discounts of £31.25 per fuel.

If you sign up for dual fuel that's £250 in the 1st quarter 2009, then an additional £62.50 each quarter, so over the course of 2009 that's £437.50p discount applied to the years fuel bill. That's an amazing saving.

twiz21

marky1125 wrote: »

It's a considerable saving though



If you sign up for dual fuel that's £250 in the 1st quarter 2009, then an additional £62.50 each quarter, so over the course of 2009 that's £437.50p discount applied to the years fuel bill. That's an amazing saving.

I have just phoned nPower.
You must have an income of less than £13,500.
If you are on benefits everything you have coming in is counted including housing benefit.

1carminestocky

My elderly, widower father has a total yearly income of £13,000 including private pension. He's a VERY low user of fuel on account of him visiting his Staywarm-maintained girlfriend (she's 89!) on a daily basis from the hours of 2-8pm (he's a crafty one, gets his dinner and supper then off he toddles!). He's currently with Ebico (I got him on this tariff ages ago). I'm assuming he would qualify for this, even though he may not have accrued costs of £250 come Jan 2009!! TIA!

1carminestocky

Am I just incredibly unlucky when I get to speak to an energy company's call centre staff or are they all bereft of any knowledge of THEIR comapny's products?? Just phoned their dedicated (lol) Spreading Warmth office and got a Cheryl Cole-soundalike who didn't appear to have the slightest idea what this tariff is all about! She said she couldn't tell me the specific rates per unit but when I suggested that maybe they are the standard rate she agreed wholeheartedly!! I then asked about the discount situation and she seemed to know about the £250 discount 'in the first quarter 2009' but claimed that what happened after that 'hadn't been decided yet but if your father signs up we will tell him as soon as it is'. Seriously, you couldn't make it up...

briskly_2

Does anyone know the new SOL 4 rates? I've looked on the energyhelpline site and it seems that the gas tier 1 rate has gone up by about 60%. Is it still possible to switch to another Npower tariff using a switching site and get cashback?