Thinking of leaving EDF but projected savings from Energysaver don't add up

lynnechapman

Please could anyone advise me? I went on to Energysaver to see if I could cut the cost of my gas and electricity which I currently buy from EDF on a fixed price til September 2008. This is what I am paying below, my direct debits are currently £60 per month for gas and £50 for electricity.

Gas
Standing charge 0.00p
Unit charge (pence per kWh) 2.987p for the first 1300 kWh per quarter
1.919p thereafter
Discounts £10 per month

Electricity
Standing charge 0.00p
Unit charge (pence per kWh) 16.21p for the first 225 kWh per quarter
7.88p thereafter
Night unit charge (pence per kWh) 3.52p
Discounts £2 per month


Energysaver said that if I switched to Utilia I would save £145 per year. But what I don’t understand is that according to these figures, Utilia’s unit costs are higher so how can I save money?

Gas
Standing charge 0.00p
Unit charge (pence per kWh) 4.156p for the first 1143.25 kWh per quarter
1.899p thereafter

Electricity
Standing charge 0.00p
Unit charge (pence per kWh) 16.839p for the first 225 kWh per quarter
9.102p thereafter
Night unit charge (pence per kWh) 3.905p

Discounts
Dual fuel customers receive a loyalty discount of 7.5% off their total annual bill, plus an additional £15 discount at the end of each year if they remain with Utilita for that year.



So not sure how they can say I will make savings of £145 per year.
I’d be grateful for any words of wisdom.
Thanks
Lynne

james3333

iam too wanting to switch from EDF... Atlantic Gas & electric come out on top for me... saying a saving of £140 per year.
however, with Uswitch.com the figures dDO appear to add up.... try Uswitch.com and see if they can shed any light on it....

tripled

Using your monthly payment isn't an accurate way of caomparing, especially with E7. Use your last 12 months consumption on a site such as energyhelpline. If it is still coming back with similar savings, post your consumption on here and we can pick over it for you

Just a thought... do you use much electricity at night? If not, you will probably be better off switching from the E7 tariff to a standard tariff, again if you can post your consumption we should be able to help

malamute

Be careful using these comparison sites, the important point to be aware of is the tariff unit charges for gas and electric you are currently on. Some of the comparison sites are using standard tariffs when comparing your current against what they are saying is the cheapest. Anyone on a web based V1-V4 tariff may be better off stopping with EDF. Always double check the tariff you are thinking of going to and make sure it is going to be cheaper and take the projected savings with a a pinch of salt.

amcn02

Hi
I am currently with EDF for both electricity and Gas on online v1 direct direct Debit tarrif.
I heard on the radio that the energy regulator that monitors these companies said that EDF had not reduced their prices and most of the other suppliers had. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong I seem to remember that EDF raised their prices later and for lesser amounts.
I thought that I would then use several comparison sites The energy helpline recommended that I switched and could make savings of upto £120 using different supplier for gas and electric, that would also mean that could get £30 back. Whereas uswitch indicatred that I would be worse off. Looks like I will have to work it out for myself but tend to believe Uswitch as being the correct figure. I think the difference is in the tarrifs that they allow you to do the comparison for and also that EDFs structure is quite complicated.

Cardew

As said above there are several EDF tariffs (all on-line??) that are cheaper than anything available on the market for new/switching customers.

The trouble is that the comparison networks don't have these in their database, so use on of EDF's more expensive tariffs and advise you on the basis of a comparison with that more expensive tariff.

Just think if they used the correct cheaper tariff for comparison purposes, nobody would change company. The comparison site wouldn't get its commission - which simply wouldn't do! So a little 'deception' is the order of the day and swells their coffers.

malamute

amcn02 wrote: »

Hi
I am currently with EDF for both electricity and Gas on online v1 direct direct Debit tariff. Whereas uswitch indicated that I would be worse off. Looks like I will have to work it out for myself

Looks like USwich are using the correct calculations in your case, a lot of EDF's ship jumpers lately have actually made themselves loose money by changing.
Most comparison sites don't have the option to choose the V1-V4 tariffs that's when it all starts to go wrong with incorrect recommendations.
In my case I'm on V3 which none of the sites are able to compare.

CrazySaver

james3333 wrote: »

iam too wanting to switch from EDF... Atlantic Gas & electric come out on top for me... saying a saving of £140 per year.
however, with Uswitch.com the figures dDO appear to add up.... try Uswitch.com and see if they can shed any light on it....

On the comparison sites they include the 8.5% annual discount in the saving figures they give you for Atlantic Gas & Electric. This annual discount only gets added in month 13.

If you are planning to stay for that long then the figures are probably accurate, if you're planning on leaving before 12 months take 8.5% off the price.

I may be wrong and please correct me, but for now thats all I could work out.

jem16

amcn02 wrote: »

Hi
I am currently with EDF for both electricity and Gas on online v1 direct direct Debit tarrif.

Do NOT switch away from this tariff without checking the figures VERY carefully. I would be very surprised if you would be anything other than worse off.

I am on Online v3.1. No other supplier can beat this.

millie

I am on Online v4 and I can't find anything to come anywhere near this tarriff and that with all the reductions by other suppliers as well.

mleonard79

millie wrote: »

I am on Online v4 and I can't find anything to come anywhere near this tarriff and that with all the reductions by other suppliers as well.

I am on the same V4 tariff as Millie and also can't find anything cheaper at the moment so I echo what everyone else has said about being careful if thinking of switching from any V Tariffs.

Regards

Michelle