4 comparison sites, 4 different "savings"!

Frozen_up_north

If the Government can't figure out different tariffs, what chance have we got? I have just received the expected price hike from Utility Warehouse and set about comparing via 4 sites. Unfortunately uSwitch currently only show the old price for UW.

Not withstanding that issue, 4 sites give 4 different results for the same amount of use and same percentage of peak and off peak electricity.

Any thoughts as to which one gives the more accurate saving?

steve-L

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

If the Government can't figure out different tariffs, what chance have we got? I have just received the expected price hike from Utility Warehouse and set about comparing via 4 sites. Unfortunately uSwitch currently only show the old price for UW.

Not withstanding that issue, 4 sites give 4 different results for the same amount of use and same percentage of peak and off peak electricity.

Any thoughts as to which one gives the more accurate saving?

Well, at least 3 of them are wrong!
I rather suspect it's likely all 4......

I guess the best thing is go through and do the calculations yourself and see if their are discrepancies.
I'd imagine they should all at least cope with a standing charge and kWh charge and perhaps the tier1-2 tarrifs but the discounts might be where one get applied differently or not.... either that or they have different records for different suppliers?

Cardew

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

If the Government can't figure out different tariffs, what chance have we got? I have just received the expected price hike from Utility Warehouse and set about comparing via 4 sites. Unfortunately uSwitch currently only show the old price for UW.

Not withstanding that issue, 4 sites give 4 different results for the same amount of use and same percentage of peak and off peak electricity.

Any thoughts as to which one gives the more accurate saving?

Are you looking at 'savings' on the 4 sites, or the cost of the tariff.

People often make the same point as yourself, but almost without fail the discrepancy is because they are not comparing 'like with like'.

Sometimes, as with UW in your example, the site has not been updated with the new(i.e future) prices.

Sometimes if you are on a fixed tariff that is ending in a few weeks, they calculate the tariff on the assumption that you will move to their standard tariff.

Don't forget the whole purpose of the comparison websites is to get you to switch, and they will present information in a way that makes a switch attractive.

jestyenot

We had a letter yesterday from Eon saying they have created 5 new, simple to understand new tariffs and then they said that they think it would be worth checking if one of the new tariffs would be better for us.

I went to the link they gave on the website and ran the Quote, I actually finished with a higher yearly cost for my dual fuel, and that includes a couple of discounts that I would qualify for.

At the end of the quote it does say that the calculations are based on the Ofgem National Averages

Let us not forget that all these online quotes are just estimations, so even if you sign up you cannot guarantee that you are going to save any money.

Frozen_up_north

Thanks for the comments, I entered dummy information of £60 per month and 60% off peak use with a current provider of Utility Warehouse. I was expecting sites to give similar, or indeed the same, figures. The fact they didn't suggests to me they are not to be relied on...

Examples are:

uSwitch best saving Utilita at £162.99, followed by iSupply with £114.76, OVO saving of £100.54 and E-On saving £99.31

Moneysupermarket with E-On saving £103.46, EDF £101.43 and Scottish Power £95.85

Energy Help Line best saving with iSupply at £105, next OVO at £90, with E-On saving £89

Several of the others are way out, maybe they have incorrect tariff information?

Cardew

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

Thanks for the comments, I entered dummy information of £60 per month and 60% off peak use with a current provider of Utility Warehouse. I was expecting sites to give similar, or indeed the same, figures. The fact they didn't suggests to me they are not to be relied on...

?

There is your answer. The only way to get accurate figures from these websites is to give your consumption in kWh.

£60 a month gives them licence to interpret your consumption in different ways.

macman

Your 1st post said that you had entered the 'same amount of use' on all 4 sites. You actually entered your monthly spend.
What your monthly spend is has no connection to your actual usage, hence the anomalies. Entering monthly spend means that they have to make their own assumption about your actual kWh usage, which is the data that is needed to compile the comparative rankings. Each site makes slightly different calculations.
Re-enter with actual kWh figures and you will find that you get accurate results.