im confused about savings when switching !?

Jon_S_4

I am currently with powergen energyonline and have been since 2004 after i switched from british gas.

I looked back at my bills over the past year and see that i pay a standing charge for gas and electric (14p gas per day and 11p electric per day).

I just phoned powergen and they say that from the 31st march i wont get charged a standing charge, but will be charged a higher rate.

gas old price per unit 1.82 new price 3.15 (1st 1143 units then 2.51)

electric old price per unit 6.54 new price 14.54 (1st 225 units then 8.89)

If i go to energyhelpline.com to do a price comparison it uses the powergen energyonline tarrif without a standing charge, so any comparison would be incorrect.

from what i can work out from my old bills i have been using (over 12 months)

Gas 1245 Units
Electric 2511 Units


Can anyone please tell me how i can do a price comparison ?

thanks

blacksta

welcome to the club. I wish i could help, have your read througlh the utilites section of this site

Jon_S_4

I will have a read thanks.

also to confuse matters further, according to energyhelpline.com prices for gas and electric for british gas and powergen are:

British Gas - click energy (Gas 3.325p for the first 1143 kWh per quarter, and 2.553p thereafter)

powergen EnergyOnline (Gas 3.570p for the first 1143 kWh per quarter, and 2.145p thereafter)

British Gas - click energy (Electric 9.172p for the first 225 kWh per quarter, and 6.992p thereafter)

Powergen - EnergyOnline (Electric 14.870p for the first 200 kWh per quarter, and 6.870p thereafter)


So it seems that British gas are cheaper than powergen for both fuels.


Isnt it a case of finding the cheapest supplier per unit for gas and electric and switching to them ?

matto

It is possible to convert these non-standing charge figures to a sort of equivalent standing charge basis. (This only works if you use more units than the higher rate is charged for).

To work out the equivalent standing charge multiply the difference in price between the high and low unit price by the number of units that the higher price is charged for. This gives an equivalent standing charge and the unit price for all units is then the lower of the two unit prices.

So for Jon

Gas equivalent standing charge is 1143 x (3.15-2.51) = 731p (per quarter) = 8p per day (and the unit price is 2.51p)


electric equivalent standing charge is 225 x (14.54-8.89)= 1271p (per quarter) = 13.9p per day (and the unit price is 8.89p)

A decrease in standing charge tends to favour those who use less and an increase tends to favour those who use more.

Jon_S_4

Thanks matto for working that out for me, but isnt it just a case of finding the lowest unit price for gas and electric and switching to that supplier ?

matto

No it does depend on how much you use and the standing charge If you use very very little you are better off paying a higher rate but no standing charge. If you use lots you are better off with a lower rate. Thats why uswitch and energyhelpline are so useful.

uswitch lets you put in your actual kwh usage so the actual plan you select as currently being on doesn't matter too much. The savings are likely to be wrong but you will get to see which is the cheapest.

Don't get caught out by the fact that npower are putting up their rates on 31st March but I don't think this is reflected in uswitch's calculations. Other suppliers may also be increasing rates in the not too distant future.

Woby_Tide

Jon_S wrote:

I will have a read thanks.

also to confuse matters further, according to energyhelpline.com prices for gas and electric for british gas and powergen are:

British Gas - click energy (Gas 3.325p for the first 1143 kWh per quarter, and 2.553p thereafter)

powergen EnergyOnline (Gas 3.570p for the first 1143 kWh per quarter, and 2.145p thereafter)

British Gas - click energy (Electric 9.172p for the first 225 kWh per quarter, and 6.992p thereafter)

Powergen - EnergyOnline (Electric 14.870p for the first 200 kWh per quarter, and 6.870p thereafter)


So it seems that British gas are cheaper than powergen for both fuels.

Not according to those figures they aren't. BG is cheaper on the initial rate but Powergen is cheaper on the secondary rate, so it depends on usage who is cheaper.

Electric is the worst culprit, powergen only cheaper on usage over 9100kwh per quarter
Gas is cheaper with powergen on usage over 1850kwh per quarter

Jon_S_4

acording to my last bill my gas usage over 6 months is 9865kwh and electric 893 kwh, if i input those details into energyhelpline the cheapest comes up as london energy online.

does anyone know if they have put their prices up yet ?

Thanks

matto

Use 12 month figures if you can (the ones you quoted at the top but presumably you've missed a 0 off the end of the gas figure) rather than doubling up 6 month figures - you'll overstate your usage that way as you tend to use more (particularly gas) in the winter than in the summer and that'll mess up the calculations.

Jon_S_4

Thanks matto, will look back at my bills. dont think ive missed a 0 off the gas figure of 9865 kwh over 6 month and 893 kwh for gas.. are the figures low then ?

matto

The figures at the top you quote

from what i can work out from my old bills i have been using (over 12 months)

Gas 1245 Units
Electric 2511 Units

I think you'll find that should be 12450 units gas (two thirds of which was used in the last six months).