Help switching supplier.... What to do?

becksfaz

My fixed term contract runs out end Sept so will be moving.
Done a comparison with the link on here to money supermarket. Now put my annual consumtion in so deals are as accurate as they can be. Sainsbury's coming up cheapest but it's variable so am I right in thinking this is not the best one to pick?
Npower energy online Jan 2013 is next and then Scottish Power Online fixed Price energy march 2014.
Now there is a small difference between these two but one has a standing charge and one doesn't. I currently have a standing charge with edf so just one unit price to be dealing with when doing my own quick claculations on the consumption (which I do weekly).
With the Scottich Power, there are 2 prices - 1st 900kwh for electric and 1st 1st 2680kwh for gas are higher.... Are these higher annually or quarerly? I've gone to scottish power website but couldn't fidn the info I was looking for.
Is it best to have a standing charge or not?
Any other switching advice also appreciated.
Thanks

Wywth

becksfaz wrote: »

My fixed term contract runs out end Sept so will be moving.
Done a comparison with the link on here to money supermarket. Now put my annual consumtion in so deals are as accurate as they can be. Sainsbury's coming up cheapest but it's variable so am I right in thinking this is not the best one to pick?
Npower energy online Jan 2013 is next and then Scottish Power Online fixed Price energy march 2014.
Now there is a small difference between these two but one has a standing charge and one doesn't. I currently have a standing charge with edf so just one unit price to be dealing with when doing my own quick claculations on the consumption (which I do weekly).
With the Scottich Power, there are 2 prices - 1st 900kwh for electric and 1st 1st 2680kwh for gas are higher.... Are these higher annually or quarerly? I've gone to scottish power website but couldn't fidn the info I was looking for.
Is it best to have a standing charge or not?
Any other switching advice also appreciated.
Thanks

I doesn't matter how they calculate the cost, surely the lowest cost is best for you?

If you want the surety a fixed price tariff provides, you may well wish to pay a little extra today for that - it's a gamble that only you can decide upon.

becksfaz

Yeah of course the lowest is best but what I'm unsure about is that with the standing charge one, I have a fixed daily rate and then a fixed unit cost so I can easily calculate my bills all year round but with the 2 tier thing it's harder to work out and I'm not sure how to do it. I suppose it's that that I need help with. Is the 2 tier thing usually for annual kwh use or quarterly kwh use?
The Scottish Power one is more (by £5 a year) but I'm swaying towards it due to no leaving fees.

molerat

Those 1st tier figures are yearly. There is no such thing as a real NSC tariff. Simply subtract lower unit price from higher unit price, multiply by first unit amount and divide by 365 and you have your effective daily SC. A NSC is only cheaper if you use no / very little in a billing period and is worked out as a daily unit charge (with the exception of NPower who have a strange calculation method to make sure they get their full amount !). It is fairly easy to accurately work out with the aid of a spread sheet.

laffvic

I'm also about to change from EDF (fixed price to 30th Sept) to Scottish Power Online fixed Price energy March 2014.
I downloaded the Scottish Power Price list .pdf it says:

ScottishPower’s 'No Standing Charge' option removes the Daily Service Charge and relates the customer’s bill
entirely to the number of gas and electricity units the customer uses. The 'No Standing Charge' option is a
stepped tariff that charges a higher rate for the first block of units used per quarter and a lower rate for all
remaining units used per quarter

Electric: First 225kWh used each quarter is at the higher price
Gas: First 670kWh used each quarter is at the higher price

becksfaz

Thanks Laffvic! Really helpful. Yeah I'm currently on the fixed until Sept 30th too. I'd tried to look myself on Scottish Power website but didn't find the info you have. That's simple enough to me and makes my billing easier for me to work out/understand.

laffvic

Glad to share info becksfaz, I started a different thread to ask if anyone knows if I (we?) have to wait until 1st Oct before changing supplier via MoneySupermarket (or uSwitch or any of them) Are you waiting till then before starting sign up? To avoid possible EDF leaving charges - not sure how it works if arrangements are made online as can't see anywhere to specify a start date.

pooch

laffvic wrote: »

Glad to share info becksfaz, I started a different thread to ask if anyone knows if I (we?) have to wait until 1st Oct before changing supplier via MoneySupermarket (or uSwitch or any of them) Are you waiting till then before starting sign up? To avoid possible EDF leaving charges - not sure how it works if arrangements are made online as can't see anywhere to specify a start date.

As it takes at least 4 weeks, and typically up to 6 weeks, for a switch of supplier to take place, you'll be fine applying now

(Your desired supplier/tariff may be withdrawn to new applicants if you wait until next month)

laffvic

Thanks pooch, I'll get on with it.

Terrylw1

pooch wrote: »

As it takes at least 4 weeks, and typically up to 6 weeks, for a switch of supplier to take place, you'll be fine applying now

(Your desired supplier/tariff may be withdrawn to new applicants if you wait until next month)

Switchers need to remember that 4-6 weeks has changed to 21 days now. The registration date won't be day 21, it will be earlier but not under at least 7 days. Relying on the old 4-6 week rule could see a supplier register much earlier.

However, Ofgem have included a clause allowing a consumer to ask the new supplier to request they do not register before X date.

By applying the cooling off period + 7 days, it won't go wrong.

molerat

But in the real world ....
Application date 10 Aug
Electric live 7 Sep
Gas live 17 sep