Switching with Scottish Hydro

peat

I am trying to find out details of Scottish Hydro (Scottish and Southern) new Price Fix5 energy product. When I go through their web site and enter my details there are no tariff details etc, neither are there tariff details in the pdf download terms and conditions. At one point I am invited to enter my current annual consumption which then shows an annual bill (which when calculated comes to £0.0787 per unit) but there are no details of tariff or standing charge etc. The next step in the online sign-up is to confirm switch which I am reluctant to do without details in black and white. Anyone got any recommendations?

Premier_2

Try this page.
http://www.hydro.co.uk/ourprices/

After filling in postcode and pressing continue, click 'view our tariff table' when the next page loads for both gas and electricity (separate links)

That should have the Price Fix 5 tariff quite a way down the list

Some more info (not unit prices) here:
http://www.hydro.co.uk/uploadedFiles/CoreMarketingSites/Assets/Documents/PriceFix5TermsandConditions.pdf

peat

Thanks for that. It would appear to be an Economy 7 type tariff although there was no mention of that elsewhere.

Premier_2

The Scottish Hydro Price Fix 5 will allow for either E7 or single rate electricity
Both options should be shown in the link.
Which you end up on will depend on the type of meter you have.

Airmike23

You'd be better off with Fixed Price 3. 12m fix from when your supply starts (bear in mind Price Fix 5 is only until 31-3-2012) and significantly cheaper than fixed price 5.

peat

Sorry for the delayed response. I can't find Fixed Price 3 anywhere - maybe me being dense. Another problem I've got is that I'm currently on Economy 10, none of the comparison sites have the option of inputing this into the comparison and, if I do want to switch to a single tariff I am not sure it would go through because of the multi-style meter I currently have.

Premier_2

peat wrote: »

Sorry for the delayed response. I can't find Fixed Price 3 anywhere - maybe me being dense. Another problem I've got is that I'm currently on Economy 10, none of the comparison sites have the option of inputing this into the comparison and, if I do want to switch to a single tariff I am not sure it would go through because of the multi-style meter I currently have.

If you are on economy 10, why are you interested in Price Fix 5?

Don't even attempt to change supplier/tariff if you are on E10 ... it invariably ends in tears.

If you are thinking of changing your whole electrical installation, and just wondering what it would cost on other tariffs, then a comparison site will tell you the annual cost. But of course, when you change so much (some of your existing appliances may not be suited if you come off E10), your annual consumption may well change too!

You presumably know how much you currently pay on your E10 tariff, or if not your supplier will be able to advise.
You are correct, you won't find E10 on a comparison website as it is not a generally available tariff ... and so cannot usually be switched to or easily switched from.

peat

My set-up was a wet electric heating system with water heating solely on off peak times. I have recently added an air to water ASHP to the system which has a more complicated timing system and consumes more power at peak periods than I was used to. Initial readings would suggest (and the installer also suggested) that a single tariff would be more economical thats why I have been looking at possibly changing suppliers. The meter does read (at the press of a button) rate 1: rate 2: rates 1+2 but I don't know if another company would be willing to accept that.

Premier_2

As you've already seemed to have changed a lot, it may only need a meter change for you now.

Don't try and keep the same meter and change away from E10. Whilst you only have a 2 rate meter, the switching times obviously allow for 10 hours low rate rather than the typical 7 hours (and it swiches more than once per day e.g. I think you currently get 13.30h - 16.30h at cheap rate)

The wise suppliers should spot an issue due to the current MPAN (and so reject the request to supply), but many won't and that's where an issue may arise.

In theory, if you are supplied on a single rate from a supplier that is prepared to do that with a dual rate meter, it shouldn't make any difference, but better to get the meter changed.
(at least then you'll be able to choose from the whole market, not just those suppliers that may allow a single rate tariff on a dual rate meter)

peat

But if I were to ask Scottish Hydro to change to a siingle rate tariff would they not just be happy to accept the sum of rates 1 and 2 from the existing meter, I doubt if they would bother to change the meter. If I specifically ask for the meter to be changed are they not likely to charge me for it?

Premier_2

There's one way to find out for certain

But my understanding is that Scottish Hydro (being part of SSE) do not usually provide a single rate tariff on a dual rate meter. They also don't usually charge the consumer for changing a meter under such conditions (that refers to/from E7 - but presumably the same for E10),