Help! Penalties if I move from BG

Ali-OK

Hi everyone

I'd put off tackling changing supplier due to (a) a bad experience of moving supplier 4 years ago and (b) I signed up to BG Dual Fuel price protection 2010 last autumn.

According to the Ts&Cs with BG, I'll have to pay a £49 penalty if I want to move from them (not even sure if that covers both or per utility).

Having had a go with the comparison tables, I think I should switch to npower sign online - dual fuel - savings of £114 per year.

I'm finding this so confusing!! Even the kwh calcs for the gas bill don't add up (BG total on bill is different to using their calcs on the bill!), so I'm not even sure which figure to use.

If anyone could help, I'd be very grateful. I've got costs of annual bill and usage if posting them up is useful.

Thanks in advance

espresso

Forget your annual cost figures, the only figures worth entering into a comparison site are the total kWh's used in the year. Try using https://www.ukpower.co.uk

beeniemac

Have you thought about the long term?

You may save a bit of cash this year but the will the increased costs leading upto 2010 cancel out the money saved? And maybe take you into the red?

Ali-OK

Thanks espresso - the kwh is also a problem! As the kwh they put on the bill doesn't work out the same if I do my own calcs using their formula and the same readings!

Hi beeniemac - this also gets confusing! I currently pay quarterly on-line (prompt payment) and no paper bills, so I get discounts for the latter two - if I take just 1 year (including £49 penalty), the saving does get smaller. I'm pretty sure there was something like a 3% premium on prices for taking up the offer - but part of me does think with the increases they've since announced I'm already saving.

Another option is to go onto monthly DD as I believe there's savings to be had, but had trouble getting the money back from them years ago when I was in credit (nearly £200).

The bills were considerably higher in Jan compared to last Jan, but with almost identical usage. And the on line bill showed 3 different price jumps during the period!

Maybe I should just work on reducing consumption further for a while!

Cardew

The April 2010 offer increased Gas prices by 2.8% and reduced Electricity prices by 4.8% from the tariff introduced on 19th September 2005. So you 'escaped' the huge rise in March 2006.

If you cancel before 30 April 2008 you will pay £45 for Gas and £30 for electricity.

Npower are to put up their prices again on 01 April 2006 so I don't know if your projected savings take that into account.

Prices are a little cheaper by Direct Debit. If ever I have built up a credit of over £100(I think that is the amount) it is refunded to me annually when they recalculate the DD payments. Smaller credits are carried forward. During the summer I build up a large credit that reduces as the consumption increases in the winter

I am on the same April 2010 tariff as you and I certainly wouldn't dream of cancelling it. I cannot think of any reason anyone would do so.

strawberrylane

I am in the same position and fully agree with what Cardew and Beeniemac have said above.

Ali-OK

Thank you both - I'm going to stay with this then and put them onto monthly DD.

strawberrylane

I think that's a sensible decision.

smartie1976

If you do have problems getting your CR back, write in. Yes write, not phone.
As old fashioned as it is, it is more likely your correspondence will get to someone who is more au fait with your specific request, unlike the call centre staff who have to be Jack of all trades master of none.