switching from npower standard to npower better tariff via comparison site?

royal23

hopefully that's a descriptive enough subject.
and hopefully this is the right sub-forum to post this question.

i'm currently on Npower Dual Fual STANDARD Tariff.
i called the customer service yesterday asking for a better deal.
they offered the Energy Online January 2014 tariff, which would save me £120 year (with the price increase baked in).

so i looked at price comparison sites:
both moneysupermarket and enegeryhelpline.
when i enter my postcode, my usage and npower standard, both come up with this aforementioned npower tariff.

so that's reassuring.

but: can i use moneysupermarket to switch to that tariff, even though i'm already an npower customer?
i want to do it for the £30 cashback obviously...

so i did that last night, but now i'm thinking that might not work. because i'm already with npower.
does switching cashback mean you have to switch suppliers, or just the tariff within the same supplier?

and also, if npower treats this as an "externally induced" switch, could that mean i will lose my direct debit discount for the current tariff? i think that is only due next January, but i'm not even sure when they apply it...

glad if someone could give advice about this matter.
thanks

NittyGritty

as far as i know cashback wont be paid as your already a n power customer, but i may be wrong others will be along to confirm this

NittyGritty

in saying that, if you were going to switch then just use a cashback site or comparison site if they offer cashback and just go ahead with it, end of day you wont lose anything, if it gets paid great, if not then you still making a saving either way, good luck

royal23

thanks for the reply.
what i'm slightly concerned about now is that if npower treats me as a new customer (which they shouldn't), then my direct debit discount will go away for the existing period?

macman

You can only get cashback if you switch suppliers, not just switch tariff. Why would Npower pay you cashback just to switch tariff?

royal23

hmmm ok that's what i thought.
i guess i'll cancel the switch then and just change using npower customer service?

undaunted

Personally I'd just leave it alone now that you've done it. You aren't a new customer so I see no reason they should not pay your direct debit discount but I agree with macman, why on earth would you think they may pay you £30 for simply switching tarrifs to a cheaper one?

royal23

why on earth should they? well, they shouldn't... but it looked like a good loophole

case in point: santander 123 account
i have my current account with santander already. yet they DO pay cashback if i open the 123 current account with them, coming via topcashback.co.uk.
i double checked with the cashback site and they confirmed that santander does pay cashback, even though i'm already a customer with them.
so i thougth the same might apply to energy

pje

I just had a look on Topcashback and its says
"PLEASE NOTE: You will only be awarded cashback at the rate advertised if you are a New Customer."

and on a personal note when I used Topcashback last year to sign up as NEW customer with Npower, my cash back was denied by Npower as they said"enquiry unsuccessful - Last click not with TopCashBack"

I have no idea what this meant but several other people at the time complained of the same thing and we were all convinced the at we were entitled to cashback, but it was never received.

Plushchris

Cant speak for MSM but I know energyhelpline pay the cashback on retention switches as I've had it from them a couple of times, you dont usually get cashback via the likes of Quidco etc for retentions though..

royal23

pje wrote: »

I just had a look on Topcashback and its says
"PLEASE NOTE: You will only be awarded cashback at the rate advertised if you are a New Customer."

hey, going off topic but that's OK
regarding the Santander CAshback via topcashback
http://www.topcashback.co.uk/santander/

i cannot find what you quoted. i expanded any of the info boxes and did a CTRL+F search in my browser. nothing on that page mentions "new customers" [only].

i had asked them in the forum to make double sure
http://forum.topcashback.co.uk/tm.aspx?m=25784
they replied yesterday

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch.

As long as you open a new 123 account then you will be eligible for the cash back, providing you meet this merchants terms and conditions.

I am pretty sure that when you click through to this merchants site that you will then be able to apply for a new account.

I hope this helps, however if you do require any further information please feel free to get back to us.

Many thanks,
Hannah