utility switch scam

rogsax

I followed the advice on MSE to beat the impending gas price jumps. Decided to use Uswitch dual fuel with the free case of wine.
First Gas bill in March showed a price hike of 234% from what I paid per KWhr last year!

The complex tarrifs by shippers are obviously way more complicated than the simple comparison the Uswitch does. Whole thing is a con.

I'm sure Uswitch have made a nice commission on my switch as has MSE. And I get to pay over £100 more for gas than last year (even though I used less gas!)

I emailed Uswitch without reply and MSE email just gives an automated reply.

Be very wary of these deals. And still no wine!

victor2

rogsax wrote: »

The complex tarrifs by shippers are obviously way more complicated than the simple comparison the Uswitch does. Whole thing is a con.

I wouldn't say it's a con, but no two houses are the same in the way they use energy and you can use comparison sites as a pointer to good deals. Then you have to do your own investigation after that. I find applying the suggested tariffs to my actual usage over the last year gives a more realistic view, but you have to compare that with applying your existing supplier's current tariffs. No use saying it's gone up from last year, when the inevitable increases in cost will apply across the board anyway.
Hope you get your wine!

penrhyn

Could you tell us the the supplier and name of tariff you moved from and the one you moved to?

JasX

rogsax wrote: »

The complex tarrifs by shippers are obviously way more complicated than the simple comparison the Uswitch does. Whole thing is a con.

The tariffs are moderately complex these days but sites like Uswitch DO do a full comparison. the problem here is you brain is doing the short sighted over simplified comparison (did you work out for yourself the full year cost? did you take account of different cost break points and discounts to the headline price? no didn't think so hence you're the one being rather simple)

Factors to consider:

The Uswitch comparison will be robust and accurate HOWEVER it will only be as good as the information you provided, if you provided a reasonable estimate of your useage in ANNUAL KWH you'll have got a valid result.

if you didn't bother to provide accurate information about useage or junk info about how much you PAID per month you've provided junk information so will have recieved a junk/irrelevant result from the comparison site and could be paying anything.

Prices have gone up accross the board so the comparison is aganst what you would be paying on your old tarifff after increases rather than against your old tariff PRE any increases.

As penrhyn says if you post info here about what your useage (annual kwh only) is and which tariff you've switched to / from someone can check the numbers and spell out exactly what you were paying before/afterwards.

rogsax

Just for your info JasX, complete annual energy expenditure figures were plugged into USwitch and the comparison I made fully evaluated before I posted. I presume you are rather bored to spend time on a forum insulting people's intelligence and making pretty obvious statements of how something works.

I am not interested in a debate and do not require a second opinion of my analysis, but am purely highlighting that the USwitch comparison is not infallible.

backfoot

rogsax wrote: »

I am not interested in a debate and do not require a second opinion of my analysis, but am purely highlighting that the USwitch comparison is not infallible.

If you provide your KWh consumption for each fuel. Your previous supplier and tariff and the same for new one, people will be able to see and calculate the differences.

If your not happy to do that and have a rational explanation,then it just likes an unwarranted moan.

I have used various Comparison Sites regularly, since the market was deregulated and always had an entirely reliable result. It's probably the most satisfactory thing about the current energy market.:)

If you don't want a debate or help, then why did you post?

Richie-from-the-Boro

rogsax wrote: »

I followed the advice on MSE to beat the impending gas price jumps. Decided to use Uswitch dual fuel with the free case of wine.
First Gas bill in March showed a price hike of 234% from what I paid per KWhr last year!

The complex tarrifs by shippers are obviously way more complicated than the simple comparison the Uswitch does. Whole thing is a con.

I'm sure Uswitch have made a nice commission on my switch as has MSE. And I get to pay over £100 more for gas than last year (even though I used less gas!)

I emailed Uswitch without reply and MSE email just gives an automated reply.

Be very wary of these deals. And still no wine!

Put your dual fuel KwH's figures up so people can help my friend, There is no such thing as a free phone call let alone a case of wine.

I know you right, everyone is absolutely sure they are right .. .. .. give the KwH's per fuel per annum.

Joyful

Is it possible that you have gone for the supplier that charges more tier 1 prices in the Winter? It may be that the comparison site has worked out for the whole year including any annual bonus's so you might still save money.

Plushchris

rogsax wrote: »

I am not interested in a debate and do not require a second opinion of my analysis,

So you're right everything else is wrong and you dont want to talk about it? Great atitude you have there my friend!

Many many people have posted on here saying the comparison sites are inaccurate but fail to provide proof, we await the day someone actually makes good on their claims.

But if you dont want a debate dont bother...

JasX

rogsax wrote: »

Just for your info JasX, complete annual energy expenditure figures were plugged into USwitch and the comparison I made fully evaluated before I posted. I presume you are rather bored to spend time on a forum insulting people's intelligence and making pretty obvious statements of how something works.

I am not interested in a debate and do not require a second opinion of my analysis, but am purely highlighting that the USwitch comparison is not infallible.

Not really

Not single 'generic moan' about comparison sites accuracy has ever stood up to scrutiny and, as I expect we'll find in your case it'll be one of the same old "pretty obvious" things I mentioned that you've not yet noticed you overlooked in your analysis.

Other posters seem to support this position and if you care to indicate approximate useage and what you switched to/from one of us will happily run the numbers for you and put your mind at rest.

you might even save some money in the process

.....and we'll have bourne out comparison sites as a useful reliable tool for most people to use to do similar

(whilst at the same time reminding everyone not to use cashback sites for the actual switch, work out which tariff you need on one -then go direct to supplier via a cashback site to grab the sales commission for yourself rather than letting uswitch and the like have it :T)

Plushchris

rogsax wrote: »

First Gas bill in March showed a price hike of 234% from what I paid per KWhr last year!

I'd like to see proof of this, sounds to me like an increase of tier 1 units (yet probably a decrease in tier two)

There is no way on earth you would switch through uswitch (or any other comparison site) to a tariff that is 234% more in total, it just couldnt hapen.