Time To Switch

Fran

Martin/Forum Team,

Please note post 2 of this thread (merged) re t & c's for champagne if you weren't aware.

Mercenary

Inspired by this site, today we've just switched away from BG (standard dual fuel online billing) to Atlantic (online, no standing charge) who seem to be able to save us about £120 per year according to energyhelpline - £15 thankyou very much -and also ukpower. (Not interested in champagne...sorry USwitch).

Until I looked into this switching business after Martin's recent email, we hadn't actually realised that our gas monthly direct debit payments had shot up from £35.50 to £51.50 over the past few months :eek: as we hadn't been informed of the increase (the key word is variable in the direct debit title). Plus the BG online account access often seems to be in the process of being 'improved'/mended...whatever, so we can't always check there easily.
The Equipower came up with a huge saving but I don't know anything about them and moved to the next best deal.

So I'm now crossing my fingers and hoping we've made the right move at the right time :undecided .

laura1976

Mercenary wrote:

Inspired by this site, today we've just switched away from BG (standard dual fuel online billing) to Atlantic (online, no standing charge) who seem to be able to save us about £120 per year according to energyhelpline

I've just moved mine over, same as you from standard British gas to Atlantic online but they reckon I'll be saving 31%! Can't remember the figures exactly but our annual spend was around £1076 and the saving was well over the £300 mark. Hoping the direct debit amount isn't too high but liking the idea of never getting £300 in bills landing on the doormat on the same day!:D

Mercenary

Glad to know there's a couple of others in the same boat as me .

I have noticed though, as I trawled all the comparison sites (and the direct power sites too), that where they ask you to select your current tariff it's difficult, if not impossible in some cases, to select the correct one...so occasionally I had to choose the closest description and also the next closest to get an idea of where I stood. That will affect the real outcome, obviously, but generally they do show that BG is not the one for me at this time.

Hopefully I got it right with Energyhelpline.

laura1976

Well I've done the comparison in a few different ways, different tarriffs, putting in a usage amount and then saying i don't know my usage, and every time atlantic has come out second. I forget the name of the first but it didn't have as good reviews for customer service and there wasn't much between the top 3 or 4 so I went for the one with 5 stars! Fingers crossed I won't be panicking about turning on the heating this year........just had the front of the house double glazed too so we should save anyway.

Paul_J

alared wrote:

They also told me I could save £139 by switching from Pgen online to Atlantic Internet account.
But unlike you Paul, I don`t believe them, so I`ll hang on to see what Ebico does shortly,who must have been your best saving too.

Well its simple enough to calculate what the savings will be if one doubt's the quoted figure. So I did, and the math adds up . I also dont like to accept these things at face value.
Yes, you are correct, Ebico were cheapest for me in the list. HOWEVER, when they increase their prices soon, anything greater than a combined average 8.5% rise will mean that Atlantic becomes the cheapest option for me....................... what are the chances of it being less than 8.5%???? :rotfl:
Suffice to say I'm happy with my choice.

GVANAS

Hi sorry to pour cold bubbles on the free champagne offer if you switch with Uswitch - please find below copy from their terms and conditions and it clearly states you have to have switched before the 12th July regardless of signing up through the Uswitch/Champagne link.
"To qualify for this offer you must confirm a switch to a new* gas and/ or electricity supplier using the uSwitch.com comparison and switching service, on the following link only, before 11.00 p.m. on the 12th of July 2006."
Mind you still saved over £80 by switching :T - so I'm still thankful to Uswitch - PS they make it really easy :j - excellent site!
Happy saving
Graham

alared

Paul-J

You`re absolutely correct to say it`s easy enough to calculate the savings on CURRENT figures from Atlantic.
Trouble is by the time you`ve switch and everthings gone through and set up, Atlantic will have probably jumped on the band-wagon and raised their prices too.
From what`s being said on the boards, Ebico is coming out top but there is a rise coming soon of 30% on gas and 25% on leccy.
So the next best (on current prices) is Atlantic.
I know all people can do is to go by today`s prices and cross their fingers they have done the right thing, but the switching sites don`t give a monkey`s because no matter who they push,there`re still getting a fat fee from the energy companies.

I calculated my yearly usage by the new Pgen prices and then by Ebico`s after adding 30% on gas and 25% on leccy.
The result was that Ebico beat Pgen by £20 a year (hardly worth the trouble to change).

At the end of the day all the power companies watch each other and rig their prices roughly the same,so you can expect Atlantic to "catch up" with the market shortly.
It`s common sense that if any one company was vastly cheaper than the rest they would be swamped with customers.
(like now, it`s Atlantics turn)

Atlantic is flavour of the month at the moment but pretty soon it`ll be someone else, much to the delight of the switching sites who can`t really lose no matter what.

Paul_J

alared wrote:

(like now, it`s Atlantics turn). Atlantic is flavour of the month at the moment but pretty soon it`ll be someone else, much to the delight of the switching sites who can`t really lose no matter what.

Their next rise should be next year, according to them. And when they are no longer 'flavour of the month', we see what the others are doing/have done, and consider switching! However, I'm not really too concerned about having to have the very cheapest of the cheapest at all possible times. As long as I'm saving a bit of dosh and am not getting nailed by the expensive co's, I'm happy.
Cheers!

marleyboy

My OH sevice refuse to switch her as a result of her still having a debt to clear. would it be wiser for us to clear the debt first, or can we arrange alternative methods of payment with the debt and still be able to switch?