Who to switch to and when?

xcathx

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice and thought this would be a good place to start

My fixed price tariff with NPower comes to an end 31/07/11 but I have to stay with them until 25/08/11 to receive my (annually paid) DD discounts.

Having looked on several comparison sites and compiled my own spreadsheet to accurately compare different tariffs based on my usage last year, these are my options:

British Gas Price Promise 2013
NPower Go Fix 6
Ovo Energy New Energy Fixed
EDF Fixed S@ver V2

I need a fixed tariff to stick to my tight budget & not get any unexpected rises. Plus, if I can get some cashback through one of the comparison sites/quidco then my bills wont be too much higher than they are now.

I've read the supplier reviews on the comparison sites to see if I should avoid any of the above but they all seem as bad as each other. My experiences with NPower haven't been great (bad customer services, annually paid DD discounts and 1 statement every 6 months).
I was with EDF before and didn't really have any problems with them but I've noticed a few recent threads complaining about their online services not working. I've never used British Gas or Ovo before.

Could any of you tell me if any of any of the above are noticeably better than the rest, how many statements they each provide annually and whether the discounts are applied monthly or annually?

I know switching takes approx 6 weeks but this can vary. NPower have (obviously) advised me to wait until after 25/08/11 before I even begin the switching process. Is there any way to start the process before and request a specific switch date?

Hope you can help, thanks in advance

xcathx

If anyone out there could help me with this I'd be very grateful. If I can specify a switch date then I need to start the process this week.

keith1950

Hi, I am afraid it isn't that simple, there is no way you can specify a switch date.

When you apply to switch the new company requests that the old company release you.

Even when things go smoothly the gas and electricity usually switch days apart , not on the same day.

As you say, it usually takes around 5-6 weeks however the process can be held up if you don't reply to their requests for meter serial numbers or meter readings promptly.

On the other hand , last year on one of my switches it went through trouble-free in 17 days. !!!

If there are exit fees involved leave it until 10 days before the end of your current contract.

I have always found Npower good but their online systems are poor.
When you enter readings there is no update on your account, they are just recorded until the next 6 monthly bill.

If they are the cheapest for you I would switch however by the time you can safely switch the situation may have changed completely.

xcathx

Thank you for your reply.

I'm a bit nervous about waiting, I don't want to discover that the options I've found have been withdrawn by the time I come to switch. The cheapest is already going to be £120 pa more than I'm paying atm, I can't really afford to pay that so if they remove all the good fixed deals I'm screwed!

I was hoping to minimise the time I have to pay standard (variable) tariff rates but if it's possible for the process to be completed in 17 days I guess I'll have to hang on for a bit and cross my fingers that the tariffs are still there in a month

keith1950

Hi, yes the deals are changing at a pace. I signed for electricity on Go Fix 5 seven weeks ago , this has already changed to Go Fix 6.

As you are restricted by the threat of losing your annual discount , have you actually tried ringing N power and see what they can sort for you.

If they would let you switch to Go Fix 6 , would they waive exit fees and honour your annual discount.

I have previously rang suppliers to request a change to a tariff that was supposedly only open to new customers and they have changed it without question. You have nothing to lose by asking !!!

xcathx

I haven't tried calling NPower as I'd prefer to use a different supplier if I can. I don't like having to wait 6 months for a statement, or a year for them to pay my discounts.

If all the cheapest tariffs get withdrawn I might have to stay with them though. If that's the case I'll give them a ring & see what they can do for me.

Thanks

Grum

EDF at the moment are totally clueless, there is at least one thread on here 'how do I contact EDF?' - their tariff may be one of the competitively priced ones, but their customer service just ain't at home. If you have a spare hour sometime, try ringing their customer service number 0800 085 5800 and see if you ever get to talk to a real person. I haven't managed it yet.

xcathx

Thanks, anyone have any experiences good or bad with British Gas or OVO?

keith1950

I think the point is that you agreed to sign for a specific tariff and as a result got a good tariff/discount.

If exit fees were banned ( they are clearly visible when applying ) then the tariff/ discount you got would not have been on offer.

xcathx

I understand that exit fees cancel out any possible saving, that's why I'm staying with them til after the fixed tariff ends. I don't want to be on their variable tariff any longer than I have to be though.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=45240796&mode=linear#post45240796 - Does EDF bill annually or whenever you send meter readings?

macman

EDF billing is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. It should be quarterly but in my experience is more random than that-anything from 60 days to 100 days.