Comparison site headache

Plushchris

abwsco wrote: »

Jeesh, all I did was come on and say I was confused.

Its easy to get confused, thats exactly why the energy companies do it.

If it was as easy as just comparing the unit rates as another poster suggested, comparison sites wouldnt exist and all suppliers would only have a couple of tariffs on offer.

But as it stands at the moment, you have to take into account all the discounts, how you pay, etc. to work out the true cost of your energy. You just cant compare unit rates alone.

jalexa

Plushchris wrote: »

But as it stands at the moment, you have to take into account all the discounts,... etc. to ...work out the true cost of your energy

I agree with *your* approach. Just to add one thing (not counted by "unit price" advovates either), a Consumer Focus accredited comparison website headline cost, occasional inadvertant errors excepted, is indeed "accurate" and includes *all* tariff discounts - including deferred discounts which may never be earned and/or final bill discounts.

Commonly "deferred discount" features on NPower and Atlantic tariffs (can easily be £100) and "final bill discount" is not paid by Eon.

Beware these "gotchas".

jalexa

jalexa wrote: »

Beware these "gotchas"

Note to backfoot.

Did you delete your post? I was halfway through a grovelling apology...

backfoot

jalexa wrote: »

Note to backfoot.

Did you delete your post? I was halfway through a grovelling apology...

Yes, I did delete it. I was just checking my memory....lol:)

I think I was right but as you are usually spot on,you made me doubt myself.

I think the loyalty type discounts are not included.i.e. those payable after more than 12 months.

abwsco

OK, so are the comparison sites the best way of trying to work it out. Sorry if I'm being dense.

Also, as Eon haven't put their prices up yet how can I work out if I should move from BG Websaver 11 and go for a fix with them for my electric as well.:o I've just fixed my gas with Eon to Age UK July 2013.

jalexa

backfoot wrote: »

Yes, I did delete it. I was just checking my memory....lol:)

I think I was right but as you are usually spot on,you made me doubt myself.

I think the loyalty type discounts are not included.i.e. those payable after more than 12 months.

Ahh..

Of course posts from memory are never good as the original and I may have pressed a combination of keys which erased the original (or does it disappear if the replied to post is deleted while being replied to?

Interestingly I based my "retraction" on checking my immediately prior tariff (a "13th month" deferred discount or "loyalty bonus" tariff). I was quite surprised to find my spreadsheet "pre-discount cost" and TheEnergyShop headline cost for that tariff agreeing.

I'm fairly confident that when I first expounded "my opinion" there would have been a reason but you have sown the seeds of doubt that either I was always wrong or I have missed a Confidence Code update. It is an opinion I have expounded for over a year in another place and still waiting for an NPower, Atlantic, Consumer Focus or Forum monitor to challenge it, so thanks for the heads-up and well spotted. To be fair to Eon, the Eon board monitor openly accepts the Eon final bill issue.

I must check my facts more carefully (and spreadsheet for latent errors).

If wrong I accept the "gotcha" is on me.:o

Plushchris

abwsco wrote: »

OK, so are the comparison sites the best way of trying to work it out. Sorry if I'm being dense.

Also, as Eon haven't put their prices up yet how can I work out if I should move from BG Websaver 11 and go for a fix with them for my electric as well.:o I've just fixed my gas with Eon to Age UK July 2013.

Comparison sites are almost certainly the easiest way to work it out, as long as you put your annual Kwh usage in instead of a monthly/quarterly spend you will get the cheapest tariff come up top of the list.

Remember that comparison sites work on projected spend over the coming year, not what you have spent over the past year. You put your KWH usage in, the site works out how much that amount of units would cost on your current tariff rates (so may be different to a total spend over the past year) and how much that amount would cost on all the other supplier/tariffs and tell you the difference. The comparison will take into account discounts etc. so check for the ones highlighted by the above posters (Npowers discounts are paid back after 12 months etc)