Stupid utilities switching question

Suzi.Q_3

OK, I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to these things, so please be gentle with me. We switched suppliers to Scottish Power when we moved into this house 4 years ago, and haven't switched since. Our bills are frankly ridiculous, with a household of 2 people spending £100 a month on gas and electricity. We do run the heating more than some people, as my husand refuses to be cold in his own home, but at the same time I'm very good at switching things off at the plug and not leaving things on standby.

I've just done a Uswitch comparison and the EDF fixed s@ver 2 tariff is the second cheapest (npower is cheapest but I won't go with them as they have previously tried to get us to pay a previous tenants bill in an old house). So the EDF tariff is fixed until Sept 2012, so I shouldn't have to worry about them not having raised their prices yet, right? And can I trust the uswitch comparison? I know that's a daft question, but as I said I've never really changed suppliers before! Thanks.

jalexa

Suzi.Q wrote: »

can I trust the uswitch comparison?

Well, yes and no, and not a stupid question:cool:. Very occasional inadvertant errors excepted, Consumer Focus accredited comparison websites such as uSwitch, are accurate for the data entered, though the headline cost may make assumptions about discounts which may not be realised.

For an accurate comparison you need actual annual consumption in kWhrs and the *exact* name of your current tariff. Your post states £100/month which is not the same thing. Do not compare on monthly cost. A previous bill should have your annual consumption. If not ask your supplier who will likely use the contact as a "retention" opportunity. Beware any comparison claims made over the phone.

Regarding whether or not to "fix" for 1 year, personally I strongly advocate "fixing for peace of mind". Perhaps you should also look at a longer fix, for example Edf FP 2014, also currently based on pre-increase pricing.

Premier_2

Suzi.Q wrote: »

OK, I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to these things, so please be gentle with me. We switched suppliers to Scottish Power when we moved into this house 4 years ago, and haven't switched since. Our bills are frankly ridiculous, with a household of 2 people spending £100 a month on gas and electricity. We do run the heating more than some people, as my husand refuses to be cold in his own home, but at the same time I'm very good at switching things off at the plug and not leaving things on standby.

I've just done a Uswitch comparison and the EDF fixed s@ver 2 tariff is the second cheapest (npower is cheapest but I won't go with them as they have previously tried to get us to pay a previous tenants bill in an old house). So the EDF tariff is fixed until Sept 2012, so I shouldn't have to worry about them not having raised their prices yet, right? And can I trust the uswitch comparison? I know that's a daft question, but as I said I've never really changed suppliers before! Thanks.

The uswitch site should be accurate, but like everything the odd error may occur.

Run the details through another comparison site or two and ensure you get consistent results; it's unlikley two independent sites would make an identical error.

Suzi.Q_3

Thanks both of you! Having spent the last 40 minutes on energy comparison sites I've now switched, fingers crossed it all goes smoothly!