nPower - Time for a change.

Canny_Geordie

Hi fellow MSE'ers, if thats the correct term. Looking for some advice about changing gas and electric suppliers. I am currently with nPower paying £53 month for both gas and electric. Our annual bill has come in and they say we owe them £200. Well we were expecting that because generally what happens is one year we will pay about £50 per month, end up in the red and they up the DD to about £73. At the end of this hiked up period we are normally in credit by about £130, and so the DD goes back down to about £50.
I got my review and they are saying my payments are going upto £115 per month. Even if we pay the £200 we owe them they DD will still be about £95. To say that I am dumbstruck in an understatement, and they were little help on the telephone. Looks like they are using the winter coinsumption to calculate the WHOLE year! I must also say that there is only myslef and the good wife, and we live in a 2 bedroom bungalow!
Anyone else think this seems excessive. Your opinions would be very very welcome..........my first big post there. Hopefully the first of many!

groatie_queen

Hello, I'm with nPower and in a larger house, therefore I pay more than you. I keep an eye on the amount I use and every four months or so phone in readings of both gas and electricity so I keep tabs on expenditure. Otherwise I just would get estimated accounts which can be wildly out.

Last year I voluntarily raised both gas and electricity monthly direct debits as I knew otherwise I would be at their mercy. It's very much the case it pays to be proactive with these companies or they dictate the terms!

Until recently they were still the cheapest suppliers in my area, but soon I'll be checking again with the switch companies to check them out. I have also become ever more frugal in my usage, so that if I'm in credit next time I check up, then I can argue for a reduction / rebate / both! Or I'll suggest that I'm seriously thinking of switching to a cheaper competitor! Which I will do if there are savings to be made.

We're all having to work much harder at keeping the ball as much in our court as we can. Use the comparison sites to see if you can get a better deal. I'm assuming you're following all the tips re how to save energy. For example, having a 'one light on only' rule, using a thermos to store excess hot water from the kettle, etc....

Good luck.

geordie_joe

Don't use price comparison sites, just add up how many units/KWh you used last year and and check the supplier sites yourself.

Don't forget to factor in any discounts for paying by DD etc.

The cheapest suppliers don't usually appear in comparison site lists, as they don't pay a referal fee to the site.

Annabee

I was with NPower for a year and also found them very stubborn and inflexible about the amount of DD payments.

Preferring not to be dictated to by a power company I switched to EBICO, who charge all customers the same whether they pay by DD or quarterly bills. What I did was add up the previous year's bills/spending on gas and electricity, divide by 12, then set up a regular payment for this amount from our current account to a designated savings account, to go out just after the wages go in. When the bills come in from EBICO, just take the money out of the savings acc and you should be fine. It has worked for me so far, and that way you are getting a bit of interest on the money too. Why should the power company have the benefit of that?

Have found EBICO very good, and they are a non-profit making organisation.