Atlantic Energy cash back

MrGSaves

Does anyone know if the expected savings calculated on the energy saving club includes the loyalty cash back that Atlantic Energy pays to their customers each year?
I get about £250 each year from them - if this is not included then it changes massively the expected savings.

macman

I suspect not, as it's paid after the first year in contract. The comp sites calculate a year ahead.
Did you click on the tariff info to check?
The Atlantic bonus is 1 month's DD-are you really paying £250pm? That's £3,000 pa!

MillicentBystander

I've no idea why they don't do as npower and state they pay the discount on the last day/near the end of your 12 months with them. That way they would be much higher up the switching sites.

ic

macman wrote: »

I suspect not, as it's paid after the first year in contract. The comp sites calculate a year ahead.
Did you click on the tariff info to check?
The Atlantic bonus is 1 month's DD-are you really paying £250pm? That's £3,000 pa!

Surely he's spending £2750? They just overcharge throughout the year so they can give the "bonus" at the end?

Personally I avoid the suppliers that do this (I know NPower have their £100 "bonus" too) - ultimately you can't leave until you get your bonus, so are effectively tied in - without an official tie in. Leave before the bonus payment date, and you lose a lot of money.

george1939

What ever the price is on the comparison sites is what you pay depending on the figures you put in. Use any more you pay more this is obvious The bonus is separate it goes into your bank or other means after the12 months or 12 direct debits depends on the supplier

When.I was with Atlantic, then Npower and now First Utility All pay up No problems When I was with Ovo they gave me 3% credit interest

macman

ic wrote: »

Surely he's spending £2750? They just overcharge throughout the year so they can give the "bonus" at the end?

Personally I avoid the suppliers that do this (I know NPower have their £100 "bonus" too) - ultimately you can't leave until you get your bonus, so are effectively tied in - without an official tie in. Leave before the bonus payment date, and you lose a lot of money.

The OP is paying £3,000pa and receiving an eventual bonus of £250 back. My point was that a spend of £3K on gas and electricity indicates a huge level of consumption.

MrGSaves

My consumption is HUGE!! That's why I am worried about it. I've just had a shocking bill for the Oct-Jan quarter..£600 worth of shock...just gas. And despite being very careful since Jan this quarter isn't looking much better. I've not paid much attention in previous years but this cold winter and energy price rises seem to have hit us hard. I've had the Vaillant Combi boiler fully serviced and checked. Running efficiently apparently. I've got a meter check booked but that is going to cost £75! 14 rads and the heating on 6 hours a day shouldn't cost this even in a poorly insulated Victorian semi... Should it?

macman

Post your actual annual kWh consumption, and meaningful advice can be given. Your monthly DD spend tells us nothing about actual consumption.
If you know the insulation is poor, can you not do something about it. Your consumption appears to be about 2.5 times the national average, based on your DD level, unless you have debt on the account.
14 rads is a big system.

Wywth

MrGSaves wrote: »

Does anyone know if the expected savings calculated on the energy saving club includes the loyalty cash back that Atlantic Energy pays to their customers each year?
I get about £250 each year from them - if this is not included then it changes massively the expected savings.

Hopefully the detail will tell you excatly how the anticipated annual cost has been arrived at, including details of which discounts are included and which ones are not.

Otherwise use Energyhelpline - MSE Martin's preferred comparison site - as that certainly does explain.

(Usually the Atlantic 13th free month discount is not included as it is not earmed within 12 months - but some comparison sites include it anyway)

MrGSaves

Annual consumption is 34,444 kWh. Last quarter I used 13,532 kWh hence the £600 bill - no catch up debt included. I'm using 12 metric units a day at the moment after cutting back. I've calculated this as about £6 a day. This has been up at 17/18 units.
I still trying to find out what a realistic consumption figure is for a Victorian semi with 14 rads. But £600 for the two coldest quarters does seem excessive. The rads are very hot when on - too hot to touch.. Will turning them down make a difference or just slow the speed at which the house warms up?

macman

The average for a 3 b/r property in the UK is 16,500kWh, so yes, your gas consumption is very high indeed, almost twice that (though you don't say how many rooms, occupants, temp settings, how many hours a day the heating is on...)
Why don't you turn down the output temp on the boiler CH circuit if they're all too hot?
What controls do you have? At the very least you should have TRV's on the rads and a room 'stat or digital programmer.
But if your gas bill is around £1500pa, then based on a £250pm DD, you are spending as much again on electricity. £1500 will buy you about 12,500 kWh's pa, which is nearly 4 times the average. Something is wasting an awful lot of energy.