Ebico

catalonia13

c0113tt3 wrote: »

....ebico currently is competative only with the electricity, .... As for the gas, well as long as you are a low user, ebico is cheap, if you are average or more, then they are already expensive currently, again nevermind the expected / possible price increases.

I'm really surprised to read this, I pay 9. something p (pre-payment meter) for Gas with British Gas yet Ebico say on their website that theirs is only 2.86p, thats a third of the price I currently pay, are you saying that there is a cheaper supplier out there?!

"EquiGas costs 2.86p per kWh including VAT.
EquiGas means:

• one low rate for everyone
• no standing charges
• no alteration to our flat rate however you pay and however much – or little – energy you use."

KimYeovil

Catalonia, if, for whatever reason, you have to continue to pay your gas with a prepayment meter then the chances are Ebico will be cheaper. They will not be cheaper if you are a very high consumer and your Tier 2 rate is considerably less than 2.86 (other companies used to offer rates as low as 1.99p but I don't think such rates are available anymore.)

But if you're right and are paying 9p (and 3.8p for tier 2) then you should consider switching. Asap.

Of course, if you can change to a normal credit meter you will have many more options.

c0113tt3

Thanks kimyeovil.

I should have been a little more clearer.

At average use ebico either are very slightly cheaper, break even / competitive, or slightly more expensive depending on your tariff / energy company. At high end use they are expensive. Currently the gas may appear cheap with the new round of price increases, but they are yet to put their tariffs up.

I have calculated, if ebico increased gas by 30%, which is inline with the rest of the energy providers, then the rate would be 3.718 pence. Based on my useage of 13,000 kwh a year on the gas, which is a low user, they only work out to be £10 or £20 cheaper a year than some of the better standard tariffs with other companies (which primarily i wish to pay by cheque / cash per quarter) Of course if you paid by direct debit etc or even online rates.., then you get better rates and so even for a low user, ebico would become expensive. This would in turn follow suit that average use, and high end use would definately be expensive too.

As stated by Kimyeovil, yes prior to these current round of increases, there certainly were cheaper tier 2 prices. Graphs / calculations have been made by others in the past at around the 17,000 / 18,000 kwh mark is where ebico was no longer cheap compared to having a good / cheap two tier charging system with another company.

As for a prepayment meter, the odds are on that ebico will be good for you, as ebico is primarily designed to be fair on on payment methods for all. But if your preference is to pay by direct debit, then you find you can have better tariffs elsewhere, again the useage also comes into this too. I personally have never been keen on direct debit, the method of payment is fine, but what you actually enter into is a payment agreement / plan per month, and it is very easy to either over pay / under pay over a year. In both circumstances it can be a pain, of course by under paying you are faced with an extra bill that you didnt expect, over paying, you then have the hassle to reclaim the money back, and they have held onto money that they were not entitled to. You then have to work out, if such a saving by better rates in paying by direct debit is worth it, and in regard to the electricity alone with scottish power for example, i can already be saving with scottish power, and if ebico raise their prices inline with the rest, then it would be a considerable saving indeed, just on 1 fuel alone.