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MSE News: Energy prices predicted to rise: should you fix?

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Prices are predicted to rise this year, prompting some experts to suggest you consider fixing gas and electricity costs ..."

Comments

  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,051 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    The four 'Energy experts' all work for comparison websites. I don't know the background the other two but Ann Robinson is just a PR person who only joined her firm a little while ago. Philip Patterson-Fox is apparently an 'expert' also on financial matters and insurance

    So what makes them 'Energy Experts'?

    Surely it is pertinent that they are spokesmen for four firms who all derive their income by persuading us consumers to switch supplies so they get their commission. i.e. they want us to switch - the more frequently the better.

    There are experts analysts in the City or DECC who can provide a considered, and above all impartial!!, advice.
  • oakhouse13
    oakhouse13 Posts: 767 Forumite
    Cardew, complain to Ofgem about the switching industry as another sales force for the energy companies. We want transparent prices we can compare ourselves, not to pay for a switching industry that has a vested interest in incomprehensible tariffs.

    Did you understand Ofgem's reference to 300 or so tariffs being too many in yesterday's press announcement. The impression I have is there are thousands of version 1,2, 3 etc tariffs from the big six over the year.
  • wakeupalarm
    wakeupalarm Posts: 1,139 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I'm sure I read somewhere in the last few days that there are 44,000 different combination of tariffs in use. This figure must include old tarifs but how is anyone supposed to work out the cheapest without the use of a comparisson web site and what about all the people without the use of the internet? How are they supposed to work it out.

    OFGEM are still useless, they should be given a random sample of tariffs and asked to calculate which one is cheapest without the use of a comparison web site if they can't do it then the tariff should not be offered for sale.

    It's all about confusing the customer, the UK energy market is an epic failure.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,051 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    oakhouse13 wrote: »
    Cardew, complain to Ofgem about the switching industry as another sales force for the energy companies. We want transparent prices we can compare ourselves, not to pay for a switching industry that has a vested interest in incomprehensible tariffs.

    Did you understand Ofgem's reference to 300 or so tariffs being too many in yesterday's press announcement. The impression I have is there are thousands of version 1,2, 3 etc tariffs from the big six over the year.

    If you go back a couple of years I was complaining that the whole comparison website industry was parasitic - an unnecessary overhead. They are huge organisations creaming off many many millions of pounds each year that we all pay for in higher prices.

    I am amazed that Ofgem or Consumer Focus* don't set up their own independant website - it wouldn't take much more than a man and his PC.

    We also wouldn't have this highly subjective 'Customer Service' rating - which the cynic in me thinks has a correlation with the size of commission that the Utility firm pays the comparison website.

    *The downside of the demise of the Comparison websites would be that MSE would lose the revenue from 'click throughs' to the websites.
  • backfoot
    backfoot Posts: 2,700 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Do the companies offer these fixed and capped deals as a favour to us all?

    Are the premiums payable set at advantageous levels for the customer?

    Do 'Energy Experts' know what they are talking about?

    Do you trust energy companies further than you can spit?

    If you answered yes to all four then fixing may be right option for you. :D
This discussion has been closed.
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