Should I get a price capped or green energy tariff? Article Discussion Area 18 August 2006 at 10:37AM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Energy 155 replies 102.3K views

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Should I get a price capped or green energy tariff? Article

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The_StuSter

Further to the article and the latest round of increases I am considering a price capped tariff. Any thoughts or pointers from existing users or prospective users of these plans?

Who are the main players? The usual suspects? Can the utilities ever really lose - or to put it another way, can the customer ever win?

TIA

gt94sss2

For information - I've just come across Ecotricity who supply Green Elecricity and promise never to charge more than your regional electricty company.

I only mention them here as its one I had not previously come across.

Regards
Sunil

gt94sss2

The_StuSter wrote:

Further to the article and the latest round of increases I am considering a price capped tariff. Any thoughts or pointers from existing users or prospective users of these plans?

Who are the main players? The usual suspects? Can the utilities ever really lose - or to put it another way, can the customer ever win?

Its possible for customers to win - it all depends on the timing though.

As I had a feeling prices would be going up, in 2004 I signed up to Scottish Power's then online capped tariff and am still on it (until the end of this year).

I think it came to about £1/£1.50 extra a month in standing charges at the time but has meant that we have avoided all the huge price rises since then (am not looking forward to when it finishes!) - hence a huge 'win' for me.

However, now that prices have gone up 50/100%(?), the question is it worth signing up to such a package now? In my view probably not (as I hope the next price changes are downwards.

However, if you do and you are happy paying whatever premium they charge for having your prices fixed, make sure the tariff you agree to has the following (as my Scottish Power one did):

1. If 'normal' prices call below the cap, yours should too (i.e. they should not be fixed)

2. There should not be any penalty if you want to change provider or tariff during your capped period (I notice now that capped tariffs are more popular, one or two providers have tried this)

Regards
Sunil

penrhyn

With wholesale gas prices falling, one "expert" on 5 live this afternoon recommended that it would be unwaise to go on a capped deal for more than 12 months.

Sorry I cannot recall which organisation he came from.

gimpymoo

gt94sss2 wrote:

For information - I've just come across Ecotricity who supply Green Elecricity and promise never to charge more than your regional electricty company.

I only mention them here as its one I had not previously come across.

Regards
Sunil

Thanks for the heads up.

Am in the process of moving house and they appear to be an ethical company.

Discogod

gimpymoo wrote:

Thanks for the heads up.

Am in the process of moving house and they appear to be an ethical company.

I too found these guys, but have decided not to go for them. Whilst on the surface they look good, underneath i don't think they are.

They have two directors, each earning over £200k per year. This isn't what i call very green. Also, they are known to fight local government planning refusals with expensive lawyers - pricing the council out of the fight as it becomes too expensive.

Please consider this & research it some more before switching.

Bubbalou

Discogod wrote:

I too found these guys, but have decided not to go for them. Whilst on the surface they look good, underneath i don't think they are.

They have two directors, each earning over £200k per year. This isn't what i call very green. Also, they are known to fight local government planning refusals with expensive lawyers - pricing the council out of the fight as it becomes too expensive.

Please consider this & research it some more before switching.

Hi

I don't really think earning over £200k a year technically means you are not green. No, it's pretty capitalist to pay yourself that amount of money, and I'm not a capitalist, but capitalists and green thinking are not mutually exclusive.

What are the council refusing planning on exactly? I am all for it if they are building wind farms. I don't mean to attack you, I would be interested in where you got your information from however.

Discogod

Bubbalou wrote:

Hi

I don't really think earning over £200k a year technically means you are not green. No, it's pretty capitalist to pay yourself that amount of money, and I'm not a capitalist, but capitalists and green thinking are not mutually exclusive.

What are the council refusing planning on exactly? I am all for it if they are building wind farms. I don't mean to attack you, I would be interested in where you got your information from however.

agreed on your earnings thinkings. I just don't liek the vision that this company market themselves as green (and they are more green than many many others). If i was the director, i'd be more concerned with changing hte environment (for the better) than paying myself over the odds. I'm sure he'd get by just as well on £50k per year & that's alot more reasonable. Of course the other £150k per person can then be spent on green things.....

anyway, this post prompted me to do more digging: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2745374&postcount=6

some more info on here:
http://www.savethevale.org.uk/ecotricity.html

i also got some info from here (though it's opening hours are 0700-midnight Mon-Sat)
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/

hope this helps someone. oh, sure no worries about your concerns at all, i'm just trying to make sure anybody who is interested is fully aware. From there of coures it's entirely their choice.

cmacneil

gimpymoo wrote:

Thanks for the heads up.

Am in the process of moving house and they appear to be an ethical company.

I'm very interested in going green and did not know about this company (so thanks for the tip!) However, I am concerned that while they advertise that they will match what I am currently paying, their online quoting mechanism actually gives me a rate that is about 10% *higher* than what I pay now.

Any similar experiences?

Chris

Discogod

cmacneil wrote:

I'm very interested in going green and did not know about this company (so thanks for the tip!) However, I am concerned that while they advertise that they will match what I am currently paying, their online quoting mechanism actually gives me a rate that is about 10% *higher* than what I pay now.

Any similar experiences?

Chris

yeah, i asked them to quote me & they basically said what is on their website for my area (east midlands). this is despite the fact i pay less than this as i'm currently with ebico.