Cheapest electricity only - low user?

zaralondon

Hey everyone!

Looking for an electricity only deal for my sister.

She is single in a one bed - right now we are leaning towards ebico as it just seems the most simple to understand. But when I cheked uswitch it suggested npower deals - but when I go to the npower site I can't seem to find a breakdown.

I am considering ebico as they have no standing charge (their charge per unit is the same as Southern Elsctric's charge after paying Standing Charge).

For now, it would appear gofix5 from npower or ebico are the best choices - but it really is so confusing.

HappyMJ

Npower is the cheapest if you stay with them for a full 12 months and pay by monthly direct debit without any failures. Ebico is much easier to understand. A simple unit rate and not that much more expensive than Npower and you can pay by any method.

What does she use for heating the flat? It's doubtful you could have a warm flat in winter and use less than the average 3300kWh in a year only on electric.

Premier_2

Consult a comparison site to find the best deal that suits your sister's particular situation.

If you click on the tariff you are interested in on the comparison site, it should provide details of how the cost was calculated (e.g. unit charges, discounts, etc)

KimYeovil

Why are you even considering the most expensive supplier for an electricity-only property? Ebico would be 40% and more dearer than nPower for any sort of realistic consumption. And every other supplier offers a tariff that would be cheaper than Ebico.

nPower has an annual discount of £42 but their Go Fix 5 is fixed to 31 May 2012. There is not much to choose between British Gas WebSaver 11 and nPower but British Gas tariff is not a fixed one.

EDF also have a tariff fixed to September 2013 that is worth considering - yes it is more expensive but by January 2012 the cancellation charge is only £15. So, if by some unprecedented anomaly, other tariffs are not increased this winter you can reassess the gamble without too much a loss*. (*loss of say £1 per month over summer and autumn plus £15 cancel.)

Premier_2

KimYeovil wrote: »

... Ebico would be 40% and more dearer than nPower for any sort of realistic consumption. And every other supplier offers a tariff that would be cheaper than Ebico...

Where does that information come from?

I have just done a comparison using our own electricity usage.
(It's not particularly low, and Ebico are more competitive the lower the usage - I've also based it on single rate tariff)
nPower would only be 21% cheaper

However, as I said in my previous post, the OP would be best consulting a comparison site using the appropriate data to discover for themselves the best deal for the particular circumstances.

KimYeovil

10,000 kWh per year would be 40% more expensive. Raw tier 2 competitor prices vs Ebico's tier 1 price is also 40-odd percent. For an electricity-only household it does not take much to overhaul the standing charges. (I had assumed the OP is talking about a 'normal' low-user and not one of the pathologically frugal. Even at 5,000 kWh per annum that gives you a £200 excess to cover standing charges)

"Ebico are more competitive the lower the usage" - only if you are talking no cooking and no heating and no hot water.

Edit: Okay, just noticed the OP is asking about an electricity only deal and not an electricity only household.

Second 'and of course': if we are talking 1,000 units rather than 10,000 units then Ebico may be fine even if 20 to 30% more expensive - paying £9 vs £11 per month is 'meh' enough to be worth it. Trouble is, if we are talking 1,000 kWh per year then surely the customer will also have a gas supply. Of course, if the OP's sister has oil tanks or wood fires...

Premier_2

KimYeovil wrote: »

10,000 kWh per year ...

The OP said they were a low user.

We only use 3000kWh per year and, yes we do cook using electricity although heating is not electric - but we are more than one living in a house not a single person living in a "one bed"
[We also benefit from E7, but have left this out to avoid complications, hence why I said I used a single rate comparison]
If the OP's sister is using electrical heating, she should probably be on E7 and I would doubt she is a low user

KimYeovil wrote: »

...
Edit: ...
Second 'and of course': if we are talking 1,000 units rather than 10,000 units then Ebico may be fine even if 20 to 30% more expensive ...

Based on the assumption of just 1000kWh per year, any savings over Ebico would be below 30% and even below 20% ... and it's only nPower that can beat Ebico at all; all other suppliers would be more expensive than Ebico


Edit: Again, I would urge the OP to consult a comparison site to find the best deal appropriate to the specific situation. Generalised responses are at best not helpful, and at worst misleading.

zaralondon

Thanks for all the replies.

Currently deciding between Npower and Ebico - it just depends how frugal she is :-)

What I don't understand is this: if you buy electricity from Ebico, you get your bill from Southern electric, yet if you buy from southern electric you have to pay more LOL errmmm... anyone?? Why would anyone go with Southern electric in London since Ebico is cheaper and the same thing?

Also, are the economy 7 hours the same with all suppliers? We are trying to work out what the hours are for ebico (12am-7am?) I have never had an ecoonomy 7 tariff so don't really know and a quick search says that all companies are different.

KimYeovil

Premier wrote: »

Edit: Again, I would urge the OP to consult a comparison site to find the best deal appropriate to the specific situation. Generalised responses are at best not helpful, and at worst misleading.

If we waited for necessary and sufficient data before commenting this forum would be about as responsive as the suppliers.

And if one does have electrical heating E7 is only likely to be appropriate if you are a high user - if you are single and don't use much heating you could save much more with panel heaters.

Of course 'low' to one is 'normal' to another - lots of posts here from people stating "we only use our heating one hour in the morning and four hours in the evening; we are out at work five days a week [shock! horror!]; why are our bills...".

Edit: and do note you had already mentioned in your reply that a comparison should be made. I noticed that, took it as read, and actively decided to omit qualifications from my reply I would otherwise have included

HappyMJ

zaralondon wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

Currently deciding between Npower and Ebico - it just depends how frugal she is :-)

What I don't understand is this: if you buy electricity from Ebico, you get your bill from Southern electric, yet if you buy from southern electric you have to pay more LOL errmmm... anyone?? Why would anyone go with Southern electric in London since Ebico is cheaper and the same thing?

Also, are the economy 7 hours the same with all suppliers? We are trying to work out what the hours are for ebico (12am-7am?) I have never had an ecoonomy 7 tariff so don't really know and a quick search says that all companies are different.

I'd go with ebico for the lack of conditions attached to the tariff...but make sure she really is a low user. I think for me it's 2000kWh per year or less.

Ebico are a reseller no idea why someone would pick southern over ebico.

E7 hours are set by your distributor. They are different around the country but in your local area everyone should be the same. It's any 7 hours between 11pm and 8.30am. this link might help... You'll need the MPAN number from your bill. http://www.eonenergy.com/FAQ/Meters/Economy-7-Details.htm

uSwitch_company_representative

Hi,

If you have information on your current usage, you can do a price comparison on electricity only, which will give you the cheapest price plan in your area. If you don’t have an annual statement, it might be worth ringing your current supplier to find out your annual usage.

You will find that by comparing electricity, we build all discounts into the price that is quoted. With Go Fix 5, you’ll also have access to npower’s online portal, which will allow you to keep an eye on your bills, submit meter readings and understand your bills.

If your sister is unlikely to switch again for the next 12 months, npower will give you a loyalty discount after you have been with them for a year. This has been built into the annual quote given on our site.



If you are likely to switch before 12 months, then you will not be eligible for the £42.00 discount, which might make Ebico cheaper for the short term.

If you would like someone to talk you through your switch and answer any questions you may have, you are welcome to email me on my profile address



Thanks, Lauren