Why is it so difficult to compare energy prices?

macman

moonrakerz wrote: »

There really should be a "sarcasm" emoticon to use on posts like this !

No sarcasm was intended-the comment was entirely factual

grahamc2003

KimYeovil wrote: »

Two tier tariffs are not complicated at all. They are a reasonable compromise that most consumers believe represent a fair enough balance between conflicting demands of different users. Single tier tariffs are unfair. Why should fit, able-bodied, well-insulated households be subsidised by the house-bound?

What is wrong is the one supplier having multiple variable tariffs. They should have the one standard tariff that every consumer pays. If bills are not paid on time then late payment charges should be levied.

What I see as wrong in having literally hundreds if not thousands of different tariffs is that there's a massive overhead of maintaining and servicing them, all paid for of course by loadings on our energy bills. the other day I reade that at any one time 10,000 (could have been 100,000) people are switching. Well, that won't be cheap for the industry - each one for a start will result in a £40/£50 cashback for someone, and that's just the start of the mountain of effort for each switch. To rub salt in the wounds, you only have to read this forum to see many switches are pointless - switching from a supplier post increase, to another pre-increase, something the comparison sites don't explain (they aren't about to chuck away any of their several millions of cashbacks!).

I used to be pro of the electricity deregulation. Having seen the result and the total waste of resources resulting in a net customer financial loss and higher bills than otherwise, I now think it was a bad idea. Oh for the days when your only choice was economy 7 or not, and everyone was paying the same tariff.

MillicentBystander

KimYeovil wrote: »

Where did I suggest it is a fact? Do you have any material contention with the 'opinion'?

Qualification, then: They are a reasonable compromise that most consumers would believe, if they bother their backsides to pause and think for ten seconds, represent a fair enough balance between conflicting demands of different users.

Here:

They are a reasonable compromise that most consumers believe represent a fair enough balance between conflicting demands of different users.

I'm surprised you missed that as unless your account has been hacked you did write it. I was just assuming you had some link to the 'fact' you quoted. But it seems that, even though you wrote it as fact, it was apparently just your opinion. Disappointing and hilarious in equal measure.

Fred44

Premier wrote: »

Examples please. :cool:
(Don't forget the advice here is to always insert your annual consumption figures in kWh to get an accurate output)

Well I used monthly spend to compare and the following is just an example of one tariff with differering amounts - Websaver 10 British Gas:

USwitch - £103.00 more than I'm paying now pa.
Money Supermarket - £52.36 more.
Energy Shop - £81.98 more

Have Websaver 5 at the moment BTW.

anniecave

Fred44 wrote: »

Well I used monthly spend to compare and the following is just an example of one tariff with differering amounts - Websaver 10 British Gas:

USwitch - £103.00 more than I'm paying now pa.
Money Supermarket - £52.36 more.
Energy Shop - £81.98 more

Have Websaver 5 at the moment BTW.

Using monthly spend means the comparision sites have to first of all estimate many kwh hours you therefore use, hence their calculations will be different.

Always use annual kwh figures for each.

anniecave

The UK public health association also doesn't seem to understand how to work out gas and electricity bills too

According to this article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12420077

they have failed to realise that 2 tier unit pricing is just a different way of paying for the standing charges.

zagfles

anniecave wrote: »

The UK public health association also doesn't seem to understand how to work out gas and electricity bills too

According to this article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12420077

they have failed to realise that 2 tier unit pricing is just a different way of paying for the standing charges.

Unbelievable!! Hopefully this is one of the many quangos which will see it's govt funding withdrawn...

MillicentBystander

anniecave wrote: »

Using monthly spend means the comparision sites have to first of all estimate many kwh hours you therefore use, hence their calculations will be different.

Always use annual kwh figures for each.

Hmmm..whilst I totally agree that using monthly DD figures is not the way forward on switching sites, surely, if they are all Consumer Focus accredited, they should all come to the same conclusion no matter what?

MillicentBystander

zagfles wrote: »

Unbelievable!! Hopefully this is one of the many quangos which will see it's govt funding withdrawn...

I think you will find by this very action they will have secured their long term survival, actually.:p

Former_MSE_Andrea

Can you please keep your posts friendly, non-personal and on topic everyone. If you don't like someone's posts please put them on ignore rather than start arguments on the forum.

Andrea