MSE News: Beware British Gas Fix & Fall

Former_MSE_Helen

"British Gas has jumped on the 'fix energy' bandwagon but the figures show its flagship Fix & Fall tariff doesn't cut the mustard..."

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Beware British Gas Fix & Fall

Dustykitten

My mother is with BG and won't entertain switching even when I did the comparisons and offered to do the switch. She is now attracted by fix and fall - is it worth it for her?

gilligansyle

But its not only about the price - yes I could save £150 a year by switching from British Gas. BUT, I'm on a pre-pay meter.Very few suppliers allow you to switch if you're on a pre-pay meter.
I can't get the best deals without changing to quarterly and having to pay a £200 deposit for each meter.

Also with BG pre-pay I can top up my meter using my PC, using my debit card, so don't have to go out, find a cash machine then go to a shop to top it up.

rumrunner1

Fix n fall is a con, if you are a British Gas customer try what I did, I have been with them for at least 7 years, was going to switch 2nd October to another company, asked them if they recognised loyalty, the reply was, they have put a £100 credit on my a/c and if I am still with them in 12 months time I will benefit by £100,:j it pays to ask !! Can I just add, one of the reasons I stay with them is I think their customer service is 2nd to none

hairyone

:eek:does capped fuel prices mean companies can still put up prices even though they sell you "capped"as a way of ensuring your price will not rise Scottish Power have put up my gas price even though my prices are capped till Jan 2014? another con by the big companies?are they allowed to do this?

Wywth

hairyone wrote: »

:eek:does capped fuel prices mean companies can still put up prices even though they sell you "capped"as a way of ensuring your price will not rise Scottish Power have put up my gas price even though my prices are capped till Jan 2014? another con by the big companies?are they allowed to do this?

A capped tariff cannot ever rise above the agreed cap during the term of the deal.

I suggest you call SP and get an explanation. There is no con involved. A mistake, possibly by them or by you, but no con.

Let us know how you get on

Joyful

Capped means the unit price of the tariff you are on will not rise until the end date of your plan. Your payments though would have to rise if your usage has increased. Contact your supplier to see what the problem is.

martinjohn

to confirm,
with the BG fix and fall 2014, IF the standard price does fall
(it could happen, really really could happen - as per the lyrics of "blur, the universal", the theme tune they always use on their adverts!)
will the price of their fix and fall, fall by the exact same amount and therefore be the same as the standard prices?

also the 2016 fixed doesn't fall at all?

Pincher

There is a nice little earner if MSE/Moneysupermarket.com wants to exploit this mentality.


Bring out a promotion, and guarantee to pay the difference if you lose by switching away from BG Fix and Fall.


As Moneysupermarket.com gets a commission for switching anyway, there is no need to charge for this guarantee, but there is a little ruse to make an extra buck. Charge £5 to register your initial meter readings when switching, and some identifying numbers, e.g. BG account number and switching reference. Keep the e-mail the system generates for a year, so you have all the information you need for making a claim.


Moneysupermarket.com would be saving the idiots £150 by charging them £5.

Nada666

gilligansyle wrote: »

But its not only about the price - yes I could save £150 a year by switching from British Gas. BUT, I'm on a pre-pay meter.Very few suppliers allow you to switch if you're on a pre-pay meter.
I can't get the best deals without changing to quarterly and having to pay a £200 deposit for each meter.

Also with BG pre-pay I can top up my meter using my PC, using my debit card, so don't have to go out, find a cash machine then go to a shop to top it up.

"Very few suppliers allow you to switch if you're on a pre-pay meter."
Simply not true. Pretty much every supplier will accept new customers on prepay. And if you have arrears, it is far easier to switch supplier to a cheaper tariff - if the arrears are less than £500 you have the automatic right to change. On a credit meter, you have no right to switch.

Gosh. Having to pop into a shop once or twice to stick £50 onto your meter. What an imposition. If there is a genuine reason for that being a problem then that is even more reason to switch to a credit meter.

But it's your money and your choice. If it's worth £150 a year every year to you then carry on.

Nada666

Blast it! A years old thread bumped.