Utility Switching websites - BEWARE

ffoeg

You have to be careful with nearly all these websites.
If you do use them make sure you fully check your existing and proposed tariffs

I have found out today that many are not up to date, Which? and Simply Switch, and worst was Energyhelpline....
The very website cited as excellent by this website!

Energyhelpline didn't take into account the rebate that I get at present with my supplier thus making the yearly tariff £180 more expensive and all other companies much cheaper.

There is little point to these comparison websites if they are not up to date or blatantly inaccurate.

I have ended up basically doing all the maths.

I wonder if Mr Lewis will look at this thread as he is the one trying to get people to use these sites - if I find it difficult due to these issues what will those who are reluctant to change do when they land up paying more due to inaccuracies

Cardew

Can you post details please.

I have found Energyhelpline unfailingly accurate as long as the kWh are entered and you read the details of each tariff.

For instance it will normally include all info about discounts

Unit
charge (pence per
kWh)
7.590 p for the first 1143 kWh per quarter, and 3.952 p
thereafter
20.800 p for the first 182 kWh per quarter, and 15.740 p thereafter

Discounts
Direct Debit discount of £52.50 per year for gas and £42 for
electricity. Dual fuel discount of £10.50 per year. Total discount of £105 per
year. All prices shown are
inclusive of VAT at 5%.


Additional
Information Tariff
information
The savings quoted include any discounts associated
with this tariff. To qualify, you must take your supply from npower and pay by
the same payment method for a full 12 month period – this period does not have
to be a Jan-Dec calendar year. The discounts will be paid to you annually and
will be credited to your account at the end of each full year that you remain
with npower.

Sorry about formatting.

The one anomaly I have found is when you are on a fixed tariff that ends in, say, 2 months time, it makes the assumption that you will switch to the standard tariff after the fixed term expires. Thus for present charges it will give 2 months at your fixed tariff and 10 months at the standard rate and uses that figure for comparisons.

You can get it to show your annual rate on that fixed tariff if you wish.

Wywth

Cardew wrote: »

Can you post details please.

I doubt it

OP - in the unlikely event you have uncovered a mistake/out of date info, why not advise the comparison site involved?

I know on the odd occassion I have uncovered an error in the past, any such issue is quickly corrected after notification to the appropriate site.

Note that any discounts/rebates are required to be paid within a 12 month period to generally be included in any comparisson.

So if, for example, you are referring to the Atlantic discount that is applied after 12 months, that should not be included in the figures (but you will probably find the details noted on the tariff detail of the comparison site)

(Having said that, some comparison sites do include it - but again details of how exactly it is applied is spelt out by the comparison site)