Blessed gas

amosworks

OK folks, a bit of a strange one but I'd appreciate any DFW insider info and suggestions.

After getting Martin's weekly tip saying to switch utility supplier, I went to the energyhelpline.com site and went through the process of entering all my particulars. At the end of the process it tells me that my biggest saving can be had from a utility company that seem to be run by some weird religious order.

Now personally I've nothing too against them, even though my views differ radically with theirs, but at the end of the day the site says they could save me about £300 a year! :eek: This is for gas and leccy.

Now £300 is a lot to save each year, and I'm sure that the energy received will be the same (I really don't need blessed gas or anything like that, I've managed fine without it). But I'm kind of wary of signing up because I don't want my meter readers to turn up with a scanner in one hand and a bible in the other. I want my bills to just tell me how much I'm paying and not give me mini-sermons in the footnotes about how I'm a sinner and going to hell etc. etc. etc. Also their call center is only open weekdays from 9am-1pm (which is fine), but I strongly suspect it's run by nuns who wouldn't appreciate my coarseness when things go wrong. Besides, I've seen Father Ted, and I certainly don't want to listen to Ava Maria as the hold music either :-\

The utility company is called EQUIPOWER and EQUIGAS. According to the blurb on the switch site:

EBICo's guiding principles are a bias towards those on low incomes and stewardship of resources. We believe that these principles are entirely consistent with those of the Christian Gospel.

energywatch don't publish any stats on the company or its customer services, but I'm talking £300 a year saving. The next competitor is a measly £150ish. What should I do?? Does anyone have any experience with these people?

I can't actually make the switch via the switch site because EQUI* don't support it, but for £300 a year savings I'm more than happy to do it myself and forgo the £15 cashback. Very stuck as to what to do?

Any and all help appreciated please folks!

Amos

tesuhoha

Surely you dont need to have your meter read that often. Ours hasnt been read for years and we usually phone up and give a customer reading and that is all that is required by our supplier. In which case you wouldnt be faced with bible bashers that often.

looby75

there was a warning in Martins news letter about changing to EBICo at the moment. They are one of the few suppliers who haven't yet put up their prices and it's pretty certain they will do soon in line with all the other suppliers. That's why they look as if they work out so much cheaper than everyone else at the moment.

If you sign up to them and they then put their prices up (as they will soon) they you might find that they aren't the cheapest at all.

amosworks

Ahh that would certainly explain a few things then, I think I'll hang around my current supplier until they do something. Thanks for that, would have walked straight in to that one. I obviously missed that note in Martin's tip :eek: Naughty Amos

MrsTinks

that's ten hail mary's as punishment Amos!

nomoneytoday

Regardless of your own religious views, surely its a good thing for a company to offer a cheaper gas supply ?

Hopefully once their prices are reviewed they will still be competitive

msmicawber

If you do decide to go with them, why not convert your meter cupboard into a shrine to Martin so they'll know not to brandish their bibles and rosaries at you?!

tsharp

After Powergen put the prices up on us, I plan to get loads of wood for the wood burner this winter. Last winter i took to getting dead wood from the local woods and using that, free heat, yipeee!

amosworks

Oh you folks lol, well I won't do hail mary's as that's the whole point, it would be sacriligous for me to do so. I don't buy non-free-range eggs either, just one of the standards I've set myself.

It's hard to explain but Christians have persecuted, tortured and executed many hundreds of thousands of followers of my faith for the last two thousand years. I'm worried it might be an abomination to support an organisation that's dedicated to supporting the principals which they used to justify this?

But then again it is, and could still be, a huge saving each year. My other concerns are about the intentions of such an organisation, would they really leave me in peace or try and "convert" me at every opportunity. Has nobody had experience of them before and what they're like?

But one thing's for certain, my meter cupboard is going to get :money: logo on the door to deter would-be competitors from trying to sign me up

lynsayjane

i think it's wrong to single out christians as a violent religion, all religions persecute others in the name of whatever god they worship.

and before you ask, no i'm not christian.

wigginsmum

There's not a lot about their beliefs on their website but the impression I get is of gentle Anglicanism, not roaring evangelical or Catholic. Doesn't seem like a 'weird religious order' to me so I think you might be overreacting - are you a Pagan by any chance? I doubt very much any of their staff would mention religion to you at all, although some of the paperwork might mention the concept of stewardship and wise use of resources.