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Can't Compare

liamyoung.sax
liamyoung.sax Posts: 2 Newbie
edited 4 November 2011 at 12:23AM in Energy
Hi :)

So I'm getting totally frustrated at the moment with trying to find the best prices for Elec/Gas...

I don't have a current supplier because i'm staying with the the girlfriend and have been for the past 2/3 months. I've got a new house to move into and i'm searching for the best energy prices.

Problem is every single company and comparrison site talks about switching bla bla bla.... I CANT SWITCH! I have nothing to switch from because i'm going to be a first time user of who ever I choose.

Any tips? I don't want to know how much I can save - all I need to know is £ per Kwh but this seems impossible to find!

Thaaaaaaaanks :)

Comments

  • t0rt0ise
    t0rt0ise Posts: 4,481 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    uSwitch asks you if you're about to move http://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/ although for any of the others you can put in any tariff as your current one with an average usage and see which tariff it says is the cheapest.
  • dogshome
    dogshome Posts: 3,878 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 4 November 2011 at 9:23AM
    I'm afraid there isn't an answer to your question - Any dwelling will have unique power/gas demands depending on it's build quality, location and lifestyle of it's occupants, added to this is the variety of available tariffs where your actual use quantities, (High Gas with Low Electric or Vice Versa), can make a big difference to the bills from any particular supplier.

    If you can post the details of this house - Detached, Semi, Terraced, No of rooms, Build date, Area of the country - Someone will give you an educated guess as to how much Gas/Elec it's likely to use year.

    New or old, this house will have a current Utility supplier who you are stuck with when you move in.
    Find out now who they are, then visit the Switch sites ( I recommend 'switchwithwhich' ), and enter that suppliers name stating you are on the Standard tariff, with the 'guess' consumption figures you have been given.
  • jalexa
    jalexa Posts: 3,448 Forumite
    edited 4 November 2011 at 6:59PM
    ... I have nothing to switch from because i'm going to be a first time user of who ever I choose....
    That is not quite true. The moment you occupy the "new house" a "deemed contract" is created with the current supplier to the property, normally obvious from "to the occupier" letters. If not there are ways to find out.

    Before you can switch you need to register an account with the current supplier. As long as you don't sign-up (get tricked?) into a "fixed-term" tariff you are then free to switch to your supplier of choice at 28 days notice.
    I don't want to know how much I can save - all I need to know is £ per Kwh...

    The "£ (pence I hope) per kWhr" is not necessarily a guide to the cheapest cost. It is better to rely on a Consumer Focus accredited comparison website. Enter any supplier and tariff, select average consumption and you will get a list of suppliers in cost order (ignore the savings, only the order is relevant). Each tariff has a pop-up with the unit prices.
  • Excellente thanks! Very usefull :)

    Its an old house - mid terrace 1900's job. We viewed it in the freezing cold and it was nice and warm inside, the tennants say the heating wasn't even on and they rarely use it (the two houses either side seem to offer nice free heating)... 4 bed and 4 of us moving in with average 9-5 type jobs and location is Islington.
  • dogshome
    dogshome Posts: 3,878 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Ask the vendors who their current Power & Gas supplier is, then phone that supplier explaining that you are purchasing and ask them what their records show for Gas & Elec consumption over the previous 12 months
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