Time To Switch

4_Pete's_Sake

See post on EBICO at http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=282352

tricia_greenwood

Hi I hate all this stuff of having to switch but was asked today who i was with I think it is scotish power through sainsbury's when i signed up with them they said that they guaranteed that gas prices would stay the same for three years. The guy said that they had just put up here prices any idea or should i get on the telephone and find out. can anyone help me.
tricia

kayannatink

Can someone help me?

I have been thinking for a couple of months that we pay far too much for our electricity! (we dont have gas)

We have always paid on a key as i found that this was the easiest way to keep track of how much money we were spending each month.

After getting some advice from a family member i did some comparisons on USwitch and it looked like i could save quite a bit of money by getting a monthly direct debit plan.
But when i tried to switch it said i couldnt because i have a key meter!

Now i am really confused!?!?!

Anybody had any experience of this?

espresso

I believe that this company charge the same for key meters. Uswitch is not the most reliable comparison site, try ukpower.

melpomene

i'm wondering whether now is a good time to switch. i'm with Powergen for both gas & electricity & had postponed any action awaiting all players showing their hands but am now unsure whether to bother.

Cardew

kayannatink wrote:

Can someone help me?

I have been thinking for a couple of months that we pay far too much for our electricity! (we dont have gas)

We have always paid on a key as i found that this was the easiest way to keep track of how much money we were spending each month.

After getting some advice from a family member i did some comparisons on USwitch and it looked like i could save quite a bit of money by getting a monthly direct debit plan.
But when i tried to switch it said i couldnt because i have a key meter!

Now i am really confused!?!?!

Anybody had any experience of this?

You need to appreciate that people are sometimes put on key meters because they are 'problem' customers who have had difficulty in paying their bills. Note: I said "sometimes" and accept there are other reasons.

It is understandable therefore that utility companies are wary of going through the expense of changing customers to a normal tariff.

You need to contact a company and convince them that you will not be one of these 'problem' customers. You might be better to go to your current company first who will be more likely to change your tariff as they know your history.

Or as suggested above go to Ebico who are usually competitive in price.

kayannatink

Cardew wrote:

You need to appreciate that people are sometimes put on key meters because they are 'problem' customers who have had difficulty in paying their bills. Note: I said "sometimes" and accept there are other reasons.

It is understandable therefore that utility companies are wary of going through the expense of changing customers to a normal tariff.

You need to contact a company and convince them that you will not be one of these 'problem' customers. You might be better to go to your current company first who will be more likely to change your tariff as they know your history.

Or as suggested above go to Ebico who are usually competitive in price.

Yes i do realise this, but we have never been problem customers.
We rent our house and it was a key meter when we moved in. We just decided to keep it that way. I wouldnt have had a problem getting a direct debit service.

Anyway, i have switched to Scottish Power on ukpower.co.uk, so hopefully that will go through and i can start saving money!