Uswitch gas/electricity price comparison question

damsidebear

I was on uswitch website last night checking options to switch energy companies, I have dual fuel through Npower at present, i typed in all relevant information on Uswitch website and hey presto i am advised to change to....................Npower where i will save x amount of pounds!

Question is can i actually do this? stay with npower but change tariff?

System

Yes, of course you can change tariff as long as the tariff you select is open to existing customers.

Each tariff on the NPower website includes a summary of the T&Cs.

You should phone NPower and ask them to review your tariff to check if there is a more suitable one for your usage. Do not use the "Switch" buttons from a website to change tariff with your current supplier, that is not what the "Switch" process is about.

Premier_2

... and the advantage of doing this is you can start saving today, rather than having to wait the typical 6 weeks a switch of supplier would take

damsidebear

so i assume it's better to give them a call then overall, i have found a better deal with the same company so call them?

Plushchris

damsidebear wrote: »

so i assume it's better to give them a call then overall, i have found a better deal with the same company so call them?

Noooo!

Dont call them, go through one of the comparison sites that give you cashback/wine whatever. Why go direct and get nothing?

I dont think quidco-type cashback is available on retention switching though

System

Plushchris wrote: »

Noooo!

Dont call them, go through one of the comparison sites that give you cashback/wine whatever. Why go direct and get nothing?

I dont think quidco-type cashback is available on retention switching though

Try reading the thread before offering such poor advice, the OP is not wanting to switch supplier, and cashback gimmicks for switching are just that - a Gimmick.

Going direct gets an immediate change of tariff, effective immediately, thus starting to make savings immediately.

Plushchris

BAA1 wrote: »

Try reading the thread before offering such poor advice, the OP is not wanting to switch supplier, and cashback gimmicks for switching are just that - a Gimmick.

Going direct gets an immediate change of tariff, effective immediately, thus starting to make savings immediately.

Try reading my post before slating it.

You really need to get your facts straight, I never said the OP was changing supplier did I? You can get cashback through comparison sites for switching tariffs within the same supplier.

Why go direct to a supplier to change tariffs when you can get £30 cashback or a case of wine for changing tariffs through a comparison site?

I've changed tariffs with the same supplier through comparison sites in the past and it usually changes in about a week, ok not instantly like phoning the supplier but worthwhile if you can get £30 for doing so, the cashback is a lot more than the difference between tariffs for a week or two.

Poor advice is phoning the supplier and missing out on that money, if you think its a gimmick and dont want £30 for phoning one person instead of another thats your problem.

System

Plushchris wrote: »

Try reading my post before slating it.

You really need to get your facts straight, I never said the OP was changing supplier did I? You can get cashback through comparison sites for switching tariffs within the same supplier.

Why go direct to a supplier to change tariffs when you can get £30 cashback or a case of wine for changing tariffs through a comparison site?

I've changed tariffs with the same supplier through comparison sites in the past and it usually changes in about a week, ok not instantly like phoning the supplier but worthwhile if you can get £30 for doing so, the cashback is a lot more than the difference between tariffs for a week or two.

Poor advice is phoning the supplier and missing out on that money, if you think its a gimmick and dont want £30 for phoning one person instead of another thats your problem.

I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong, I was not aware that the comparison sites would pay Cashback when simply switching tariffs if staying with the same supplier, and I was not aware that these Cashback payments were only available when going via the link on this MSE site.

Maybe if your original post had been clearer on that fact, then I and others would have understood that was what you were saying.
But when you wrote, "I dont think quidco-type cashback is available on retention switching though" ... I read that as saying there was no cashback for staying with the same supplier. Clarity is the key when offering advice.

Anyway, it does seem that Cashback is available when changing tariff but staying with NPower (or others) if you clicked on the link to the comparison site from the appropriate link from this MSE site.

Personally, I still think Cashback is a gimmick so will not be using the Cashback option, but that's my choice.

Plushchris

BAA1 wrote: »

Maybe if your original post had been clearer on that fact, then I and others would have understood that was what you were saying.
But when you wrote, "I dont think quidco-type cashback is available on retention switching though" ... I read that as saying there was no cashback for staying with the same supplier. Clarity is the key when offering advice.

I dont think I could have been any clearer in my advice to go through a comparison site to get cashback, and the line "I dont think quidco-type cashback is available on retention switching though" meant just that, that cashback isnt available on retention switches when going through quidco, not sure I could spell it out any simpler.

You are aware there are two kinds of cashback yes? One from the comparison site and one from a cashback site such as quidco/topcashback etc.? Comparison sites will pay cashback on any switch they can process (Although I think its simplyswitch that only ever pay this once per household)

Quidco-style cashback site rely on sending you direct to the supplier, and I believe they only pay cashback out for new customers not retention switches (although I could be wrong, things may have changed)

If you think cashback is just a gimmick then thats entirely up to you, but you are losing out on what can be a substantial amount of money and shouldnt really be advising others to do the same on a moneysaving site.