Advice needed on which tariff to choose...

emmylou

...please

I have spent ages looking at the compariosn sites and am very confused now. We own a new build house and have only been here 6 months. The tariffs we are on are the ones the builders originally set up (for various reasons things have been difficult so I have not looked at switching until now)

We are on ScottishPower's standard gas tariff - 18800 kwh/year and E-ON standard electricity tariff - approx 5000 units/year, East Anglia region.

The cheapest switch appears to be to change to ScottishPower dual fuel Direct October 2012. Does anyone have any opinion to offer on this? It says it guarantees to be cheaper by 1% than their standard rate. I do not understand if I would be better doing this or fixing rates with a different supplier.

Also, the last time I changed suppliers (electricity only -from E-ON to Southern Electric) it took a very long time and they both charged me for an overlap so they did me out of £200 between them, was this unusual or is changing suppliers notoriously difficult?! It put me off somewhat! They, of course, both blamed each other until I gave up.

All sensible advice greatly appreciated

Thanks,
Emma

G_M

The Standard tariff is worst option.
If you stay with ScotPower, at least switch to a discounted tariff and save yourself a bit.

But all tariffs will be rising significantly soon. (Scot Power have already just risen between 10-30% and the others will follow.

So a fixed price deal done now, with another company before they announce their price rise, gives you a chance to save money. The fixed price tariff might be a bit more, but once the price rise comes, the fixed price will be good value.

But you'll need to move fast as the fixed deals will be withdrawn before he price rises are announced.

Switching takes time. Up to 6 weeks. But you should not have a difficulty with double charging. The important thing is to keep track of your meter readings. Take one the day you do th switch just for your record, but then they should write and tell you what date the switch-over occurs. You take a meter reading that day and give it to both companies.

The old company gives you a final bill, up to that meter reading, and the new company starts charging you from that meter reading. Check each bill when it comes to make sure they use the reading you gave them.

Premier_2

emmylou wrote: »

....Also, the last time I changed suppliers (electricity only -from E-ON to Southern Electric) it took a very long time and they both charged me for an overlap so they did me out of £200 between them, was this unusual or is changing suppliers notoriously difficult?! It put me off somewhat! They, of course, both blamed each other until I gave up.

All sensible advice greatly appreciated

Thanks,
Emma

I takes a minimum of 4 weeks, and typically about 6 weeks, to change supplier.

You should only ever be paying one supplier at a time. i.e. the old supplier up to the switchover, and then the new. You can't get double billed for the same energy.

If you did, you should complain. You will be advised of the actual day of the switch so it is clear who supplied you what, and so who is expecting payment for what.

emmylou

Thanks both.
I know I should have continued complaining but I gave up because they both blamed each other. I even suggested that I pick a reading that I estimated to be about right for the date of change and they both work to that but it didn't make any difference.
Diabolical! But I had a business to run and it was costing me more to spend ages on the phone than it was worth in the end.
I will consider a fixed tariff.
Thank you