Switch or not to switch, that is the question!

rachelandgromit

Ok, I am determined to get my head around gas and electric tarriffs. My current supplier is Southern Electric. I spoke to them today and they said that my gas usage for the past year is 7200 units and my electric is 1960. I am on a tarrif where I don't pay a standing charge and Southern Electric said there would be probably no savings if I changed this over. I would guess paying no standing tarrif would probably suit my lifestyle best as I'm hardly in, work 3 12 hour shifts per week and out most weekends.... I'm paying southern electric 17.5p per unit for the first 450 units per 6 months and 11.4p per unit thereafter for electric and 7.2p per unit for the first 1250 units per 6 months and 3.1p per unit thereafter for my gas. Just spole to energy helpline and they said eon was cheaper at no standing charge but i don't see how, the prices are the same per unit gas and 24.12 per unit for the first 450 units per 6 months and 10.01 thereafter.

I'm completely confused. The guy from SE said my electric use was quite low but i know my gas use is quite high.

Confused!

macman

You're obsessing over standing charges and 1st/2nd tier rates to no purpose. The only figure that matters is the total you would pay annually. Put your kWh figs into energyhelpline or any comp site you prefer, find the best tariff and then switch using a cashback site. Will take you about 10 minutes. It's not possible to compare using just unit costs, as the other variables and discounts aren't take into account.
The NSC/SC debate is a complete red herring. Unless you are a tiny user then the difference will be a matter of a few pence. So SE at least got that bit right.
Your usage on both fuels is about half the average for a 3 b/r property with gas CH and DHW-your gas is not at all high.
The only real choice you need to make is whether to fix or stay on a variable tariff. If the latter, remember that EDF have yet to announce their rise.
PS: based on using your figs in my region (London), the cheapest variable is Npower Sign Online 23 @ £539, and the cheapest fix is EDF FSv2 @ £581. Eon Save Online 9 is ranked only 9th cheapest.

rachelandgromit

sorry i used my mobile to put this on and didn't realise it had duplicate posted. I have now used two different comparison sites putting in my total annual gas and electric units and now i know the standing charge tarrifs aren't really that different i am considering all tarrifs. The best savings i am getting are with npower sign online 23 whivh is fixed until november 2012. I'm just exploring cashback now whether to go via a comparison site or through topcashback myself which gives £40.40 cashback. I'll probably ring southern electric tomorrow though and tell them details of npowers deal to see if they can offer me anything different to stay.

macman

Good. As suggestd above take a look at the EWDF fix, whch sn just £42 more than Online23.
Interesting that energyhelpline's phone service came up with a totally different suggestion to their own website.

norapower

Dear Rachelandgromit.

Just to let you know npower sol 23 is only (fixed) to the npower standard rate, and is only gaurrented to be at least 2% lower than this until november 2012. It can change at any time.

Plushchris

rachelandgromit wrote: »

I'll probably ring southern electric tomorrow though and tell them details of npowers deal to see if they can offer me anything different to stay.

They cant, if they could it would have come up in the comparisons.

Dont be fooled by the "we will lower your direct debits" ruse either.

I would save you breath if I were you and not bother phoning your current supplier..

rachelandgromit

Your right, Southern Electric didn't offer me anything, well 1 percent reduction for going to paperless billing. I still haven't decided to be honest, my maion issue being N-Power's deal, the more I look into it it and read reviews the split charges over different months of the year seem to really be giving people inaccurate ideas of savings and seems to be alot of unhappy customers. Clarified my tarrif with SE and I was comparing the wrong tarrif anyway so my maximum savings I would save is £100 with N Power, if indeed their estimated savings are accurate. I'm not fussed whether to fix or not fix, perhaps i'll just keep changing different suppliers without fixing and bagging the topcashback *ponders this idea*.

And I still can't understand why bother having a standard charge and nil standing charge option if there is no difference. Why do they make it so complicated to understand!!

macman

Because very low users do benefit slightly from a NSC tariff. If you are considering a fix, I'd do it now-the cheap EDF fixes cannot be around for much longer now.
Most variable discount tariffs now carry an ETC, so tarting for cashback is less and less cost effective-and the cashback rates have plumetted anyway.

Plushchris

rachelandgromit wrote: »

And I still can't understand why bother having a standard charge and nil standing charge option if there is no difference. Why do they make it so complicated to understand!!

You kind of answered your own question there, if people dont understand it, they are less likely to switch and be able to do comparisons (and understand those comparisons)

The salesmen used to love the standing charge/no standing charge thing, as if you were on one, they would tel you that you'd be better off on the other and as most people dont understand the difference, they just believe what the salesman says.

As someone said earlier, all that matters is the bottom line price you pay..

rachelandgromit

Thanks for all the replies, I think I am going to go for EDF Discount Plan V5 fixed until Dec 2012. On all the comparison sites this is the 2nd cheapest (writing off the NPower). I can get £30 via Moneysupermarket so I should save around £100 per year.... Fingers crossed...........

norapower

Writing off Npower, will be one of the best moves you ever made.


Good Luck!