Please Please Be Careful: Energy Switching Schemes

Capyboppy

A big warning for savvy and not so savvy folk to be on their mettle. A while back I signed up to the no-obligation of the Greater Manchester Energy Switching Scheme - Cheaper Energy for All!

At first I had problems as our tariff wasn't listed. I emailed them about it and in fact I had to email again as I kept getting emails saying I hadn't completed my registration. At this point I must stress that this was just to register an interest and not sign up. I had a reply eventually to say not to worry, just to put the standard tariff in, then when I got the offer I could compare it to what I am actually paying. I went ahead with this.

Yesterday I received the offer and the company that had been chosen was Sainsbury. I wondered what was puzzling me about the offer then realised it was how cheap it was. My gas and electric for the whole year was estimated before the offer of £312! After the offer £210.

Much as I am careful I knew this couldn't possible be correct. Out came the calculator and on to Scottish Power Website for my usage and kilowatt hours for the year. As I thought, my usage is round about £800 for the year. Desperately trying to work out what I had missed, it dawned on me what they had done. They had taken my monthly payments and divided them by kilowatt hours (I think). However, the reason my payments were so low was that they had just been lowered by £10 a month as I was so much in credit due to the winter fuel payments. This had not been taken into consideration (how can it? They wouldn't know),was not a true reflection on what we have been or currently using.

I recall a while back Martin or someone saying that the 'door step' utility reps persuade a lot of folk to switch as they take their monthly payments rather than their kilowatt hours for 12 months used. The unsuspecting folk then find out eventually that they have not made the vast savings they were told they would make.

If anyone else had signed up to declare an interest in this scheme (I believe they are in other areas of the country too), please do check your kilowatt hour usage for the whole year and do your sums, and don't just swap over. If I had accepted the offer I would be paying £300 extra. Not so much a "Cheaper Energy for All!" offer is it? :eek:

penrhyn

I agree do your own research. Derbyshire recommended Flow Energy as my cheapest supplier. Never heard of them and would not consider moving to a tin pot start up.

Pete_993

Well, I signed up for the switching scheme, my monthly bill from British Gas was due to go up to £140 from £118.

So I decided to switch to Scottish power, the quoted me £91 based on whatever info they wanted from me.
Now on my 1st 3month bill they have decided they need to up it to £129, based on my consumption and this being based on a summertime reading!!!!!

Unfortunately I didn't make notes or copies of my previous readings or bills.

penrhyn

You must always use your annual consumption figures in Kwh, anything else will give you a nasty surprise.