when can i switch?

turbo1191

hello folks. ive been reading this forum for a while but im still unclear about the best deal i should go for..
Im on BG'S dual fuel fixed price september 2011. a couple of questions regarding this..
1. do i need to give BG notice that i want to leave?

2. when should i leave?

3.what would be the best deal for me to switch to, i spent £480 last year on elec and 380 on gas.

Just cant get my head around all the plans...:(

Consumerist

turbo1191 wrote: »

hello folks. ive been reading this forum for a while but im still unclear about the best deal i should go for..
Im on BG'S dual fuel fixed price september 2011. a couple of questions regarding this..
1. do i need to give BG notice that i want to leave?
2. when should i leave?
3.what would be the best deal for me to switch to, i spent £480 last year on elec and 380 on gas.
Just cant get my head around all the plans...:(

1. Yes, 28 days. There are termination fees for each fuel (£100 total)

2. With only two months to go, it would probably be just as well to stay put until the fixed term ends (30 Sept) unless you can find a cheap fixed tariff you can still sign up to which will save you the £100 you will have to pay to switch early.

3. Use a Consumer Focus accredited comparison site (e.g UKPower) after the current round of price rises has run its course. To do a comparison now might be misleading. It seems that npower & E.on are about to announce rises. If you haven't used a comparison site before then try some for practice for when you need to. Post again if you have questions.

Now is a difficult time to make any sound judgement where energy switches are concerned but you are not alone if you can't get your head round the various plans. My best advice, for the time being, is don't get confused between a fixed-discount tariff (which is a variable tariff) and a fixed-price tariff which is what you are on at the moment.

macman

If your lock-in ends 30/9, then you can switch from about 3-4 weeks before that-a typical switch takes 4-5 weeks.
When using a comp site, forget about your annual or monthly spend-use your annual kWh consumption figures, this data gives accurate results (using DD amounts does not).
If you're considering a fix, then unfortunately the few remaining cheap deals are likely to be pulled before the end of this month (probably in the next 10 days or so).
So you need to crunch the numbers and work out if the ETC is worth paying in order to bag a cheaper deal now.

turbo1191

i have just checked and my lock in ends on the 30/8.. should i get a mail sent asap? as to which plan to switch to, bit of a tricky one as i dont know what the prices are going too..:(

macman

If it ends 30/8, you can switch today-you won't be on supply until September now.
I already suggsted you what to do re. your new tariff, decide if you want to fix or stay on a variable, then act accordingly.

turbo1191

Cheers, i'll get on the case just now. do i have to send BG a mail explaining that im leaving at the end of august or will my new supplier attend to that?

Consumerist

turbo1191 wrote: »

i have just checked and my lock in ends on the 30/8.. should i get a mail sent asap? as to which plan to switch to, bit of a tricky one as i dont know what the prices are going too..:(

You should tread carefully.

My understanding of BG's Ts&Cs for your tariff is that the fixed rate contract ends 30 September but you must give 28 days notice of switching - which means you should, technically, wait until [STRIKE]02 Sept[/STRIKE] (sorry) mid August before giving notice. The new supplier will often wait 14 days from your request to switch (cooling-off period) before contacting your current supplier. The switching process then takes about 4 weeks (so about 6 weeks after you give notice) so you may spend a couple of weeks on BG's default tariff before the switch completes.

macman

turbo1191 wrote: »

Cheers, i'll get on the case just now. do i have to send BG a mail explaining that im leaving at the end of august or will my new supplier attend to that?

No, you do the switch, the new supplier informs the old, they then write to you to confirm.

turbo1191

Below is the reply i got from BG when i asked them when my fixed term ran out..

Thanks for the email you sent earlier this week.

Your current tariff ends on 31 August 2011 and at that point you'll be able to select a tariff of your choice.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with in the meantime by replying to my email.

Consumerist

turbo1191 wrote: »

Your current tariff ends on 31 August 2011 and at that point you'll be able to select a tariff of your choice.

OK can't be plainer than that. Perhaps I got the wrong tariff when I checked on the BG website. I would hang on to that email - just in case.

Are you ok with comparison sites?

Bear in mind that some energy companies have not yet announced price increases recently so don't pick a tariff that going up in a month's time unless it's a fixed-price (not fixed-discount) tariff for at least a year.

Edit
"Tariff of your choice" - Er. . . is that only if you move to another BG tariff?

turbo1191

I think it is if i choose to move to one of there tariffs, there was a link to there tariffs at the end of the email..
Ive been looking at edf's fixed price 2014 dual fuel, but not sure as i dont 'think' this includes any price rise..?