Quick newbie questions on comparison site...

GlynG

I suspect we are paying too much for our utilities, having just been on a standard tariff with a local supplier for the year and half since we moved in to our shared house and not even a cheaper online one.

I have bills from the last year and am trying to have a look on SimplySwitch to compare (not necessarily going to go through these for the actual switch but starting there and seeing).

I want to put in the consumption details for the year to get a good overall picture but am not sure which figures to use and I couldn't see anything telling me – should I include the standing charge in the annual spend value or just put in the usage charges? Should the amount be the before VAT charge or with VAT on top?

KimYeovil

Do not use your spend at all - use your annual consumption in kWhs. (But if you do use your spend, it's your total cost including standing charges and VAT that you should enter.)

KimYeovil

And watch out for scum like these: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2083443.

Make sure you read your meters at least every other month and that everyone contributes regularly.

GlynG

Sorry for being unfamiliar with this but which of the figures on the bill is the Kwh or how do I calculate it?

For example the first bill was for:
1370 units at £13.22p each - £181.11

KimYeovil

The bill should actually mention the number of kWhs.

On an electricity meter/bill, the meter units are in kWhs so the number of meter units used is the number of kWhs.

On an imperial gas meter, there are (approx) 32 kWhs per meter unit.
On a metric gas meter, there are (approx) 11.2 kWhs per meter unit.
(Exact sums will be listed in small print on the bills.)
So multiply the difference in meter readings one year apart by the appropriate number. (Alternatively, you can just telephone your supplier and ask them what your annual consumption is. )

Your electricity is £13.22p per unit? That would cost £18,111.40. I think you mean £0.1322 or 13.22p, not £13.22!

GlynG

KimYeovil wrote: »

And watch out for scum like these: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2083443.

Make sure you read your meters at least every other month and that everyone contributes regularly.

Thanks for that, poor unfortunates in that situation. We may have been lax with sorting out the best deal but we did report our initial readings to the utility companies when we all moved in (at the same time) so no responsibility for previous occupants debt.

I’m incompetently useless at organising myself to get money for the internet off my housemates most of the time so I probably pay slightly more than my fair share there, but that's entirely my fault and internet is only several quid a month anyway. Our main bills are all dealt with and collected by my very organised housemate so all fine there. The current bill isn’t an estimate so he must be reporting readings and we just all split the cost 4 ways when the bill comes in.

GlynG

Got there in the end...

Our electricity is 4460 Kwh a year, currently costing us £630.99
Our gas is 15078 Kwh a year, currently costing us £564

We’re going to stick with paying when the bill comes in rather than monthly direct debit as it’s easier to work out and next summer some of us will be leaving and others saving and it wouldn’t be fair on those leaving to pay more for a winter they won’t see.

Even sticking with pay when the bill arrives energy helpline calculates EdF Energy Online Saver v3 to be out best bet, saving us 15% / £178, which seems great. I can also get £80 cashback from Quidco on top of this, which is a nice bonus.

Edf have a full stared service rating so I’m hoping they will be ok to change to. This will be the first time ever I’ve switched utilities and I’m the one sorting it out so will get the flak if anything does go wrong. I said I'd post about it here and get advice to help.


Anything I should especially be aware of or do? I just fill in the online details and sit back and the companies sort it out between them? The change-over will be ok in terms of gas/electricity usage, yes? No black-out periods or anything?

GlynG

*bump* Anyone willing to comment on whether switching to EdF Energy Online Saver v3 dual fuel for a 15% saving sounds a good option?

I'd like to start getting this sorted but have never transferred before and mentioned to my housemates I'd get more experiences peoples here's opinion on it as well as the comparison site, to feel reassured about making the right choice and changing it.