Powergen - underhand

John_3:16

The sitie are Ok if upto date. I always find it is better to ring and get the tariffs told to you over the phone then do your own calcs,

Ellie2758

Enery bills are so confusing. I am with Powergen, on dual fuel and pay by DD. I dont see on the bill anything about a tariff called Duel Fuel Online, it does say "energy online unrestricted". Not sure what they mean by unrestricted, but anyway. The charges are:

elec: 6.3p per kWH, plus standing charge of £7.89

gas: 1.734 per kWh plus standing charge of £11.28

Could I be doing better? I switched to Powergen about a year ago when Scottish Power put their prices up.

mikemoate

Ellie2758 wrote:

Enery bills are so confusing. I am with Powergen, on dual fuel and pay by DD. I dont see on the bill anything about a tariff called Duel Fuel Online, it does say "energy online unrestricted". Not sure what they mean by unrestricted, but anyway. The charges are:

elec: 6.3p per kWH, plus standing charge of £7.89

gas: 1.734 per kWh plus standing charge of £11.28

Could I be doing better? I switched to Powergen about a year ago when Scottish Power put their prices up.

Electricity charges vary by area however it looks to me that you are quoting the pre-increase prices as you mention a standing charge. Powergen have put up prices for most online customers from 31st March 2006 and whilst they have done away with the standing charge they have introduced a higher rate for the first so many units of gas and electricity you use. if you look on the switch sites you would need to input your current tarrif as energy online pre dec 05.

Powergen have a cheaper online tarrif for new customers but some existing customers have been successful in telephoning them and getting put on the lower tarrif. You could try that. For me npower worked out cheaper any way, so I switched to them, but expect to be switching again in the not too distant future. It is a merry-go-round.

Ellie2758

mikemoate wrote:

Electricity charges vary by area however it looks to me that you are quoting the pre-increase prices as you mention a standing charge. Powergen have put up prices for most online customers from 31st March 2006 and whilst they have done away with the standing charge they have introduced a higher rate for the first so many units of gas and electricity you use. if you look on the switch sites you would need to input your current tarrif as energy online pre dec 05.

Powergen have a cheaper online tarrif for new customers but some existing customers have been successful in telephoning them and getting put on the lower tarrif. You could try that. For me npower worked out cheaper any way, so I switched to them, but expect to be switching again in the not too distant future. It is a merry-go-round.

Thanks but I quoted from my latest bill which only arrived the other week.

mikemoate

Ellie2758 wrote:

Thanks but I quoted from my latest bill which only arrived the other week.

I got my last bill from Powergen on 3rd April. However I had read my meter and the bill was up to 31st March.

My rates on that bill (excluding VAT) and in addition to the standing charge were

Electricity 6.600

Gas 1.734

I have a letter from Powergen advising me of new prices from 31st March which are as follows (excluding VAT),
electricity 15.67 for the first 225 per quarter and then 8.89

gas 3.006 for the first 1143 per quarter and then 2.390

There is no standing charge now but the initial consumption prices more than outstrip this.

I think if you signed up pre Dec 05 you will find your current prices are similar to the latest prices I've quoted, remebering electricity charges vary by area. I would check out with Powergen your current prices just to make sure.

Ellie2758

I rang them to find out why I hadnt had the letter re. the new charges and she said she would send one out, explained about the 11% discount for managing my account online and reduced my monthly payments from £90 t0 £42. Result!! Mind you, I am about £300 in credit with them at the moment...... Had a new boiler fitted last summer, seems to have made a difference doesnt it?

mikemoate

Ellie2758 wrote:

I rang them to find out why I hadnt had the letter re. the new charges and she said she would send one out, explained about the 11% discount for managing my account online and reduced my monthly payments from £90 t0 £42. Result!! Mind you, I am about £300 in credit with them at the moment...... Had a new boiler fitted last summer, seems to have made a difference doesnt it?

Firstly that £300 would be better off in your pocket than Powergen's, you should ask for it back.

Secondly getting your dd reduced isn't actually going to get your bill reduced, and this time next year you may be owing them money. They are signing up new customers on to a lower tarrif and some people on here have persuaded Powergen to move them on to that. They wouldn't do it for me, but cest-la-vie. If they don't move you onto the new tarrif, do check on the switch sites.

urbanfrit

Phoned powergen today and told them I wanted to go on the cheaper tariff.
Operator was very helpful and it was done within 5 minutes.
Mind you I did threaten to leave if it was not done instantly.

Mark-W_2

Well im confused now, i called and confirmed what tariff i was on:

Elec: first 225@ 13.880p, then 8.480p
Gas: first 1143@ 3.006p, then 2.390p

no standings charge, post 31st march tariff.
i use 2,750kwh elec, and 13,500kwh gas per year.

What are the gas prices for the tariff you are reccomending to switch to?

mikemoate

Powergen have different prices for people who are new sign ups and for some existing customers who have persuaded them to move them on to the cheaper tarrif.

Powergens current tarrif for pre dec 05 energy online customers is, (figures in brackets are including VAT as the switch sites show vat inclusive prices.) remeber that electricity prices vary by region.

electricity 15.67 (16.45) for first 225 per quarter then 8.89 (9.93).

gas 3.006 (3.156) for first 1143 per quarter then 2.390 (2.510)

Their tarrif for new energy online customers is (prices include VAT)

electricity 17.180 for first 200 per quarter then 7.070

gas 3.570 for first 1143 per quarter then 2.145

although they quote the primary prices per quarter they actually annualise them so that if you don't reach the primary quota in one quarter they will carry them forward. So if you only reached 1000 kwh for gas in one quarter they would charge you on the first 1286 the next.

HTH