Standing Charge :( where to switch to?

Nada666

You should also consider separate suppliers.

MillicentBystander

OK, thanks for getting back and sorry for the nonsense that ensued earlier in your thread.

I've been on my favourite comparison site and here are my findings. As i suspected, yours is a pretty rare case where it is actually cheaper to have different suppliers for each fuel.

GAS

Cheapest (but only this month as they are waiving the club fee for life, which effectively knocks £18 off the amount shown on the comparison sites) is Utility Warehouse Low User Tariff at £62.55 per annum. They offer monthly paper billing (input your meter reading at the end of the month and the bill that ends up on your door mat 14 or so days later will accurately reflect that reading so no debit (or credit) accrued. But to get this figure (£62.55 per annum) you need to pay by direct debit. Paying any other way increases that amount.

Next cheapest is Ebico at £64.45 per annum. No monthly billing but they will send you a paper bill every 3 months IIRC and you can input regular meter reads. Big advantage here is the price is the same no matter which way you decide to pay.

I'll reply later with my electric findings.

Coopdivi

I've just put your usage figures into Ebico's website and it shows that you would be charged £4.86 including VAT. Try it for yourself:

https://www.ebico.org.uk/products-and-prices/our-gas-prices

There's no standing charge and all payment methods have the same tariff.

I get my electricity from them - I haven't got gas- and I pay quarterly in arrears at my local Post Office because I feel more comfortable paying that way.

But, as others have said, your best bet is to put your figures into a comparison site to work out which utility company will be best for your needs. Here's one, but there are others:

http://www.energyhelpline.com/

MillicentBystander

Coopdivi wrote: »

I've just put your usage figures into Ebico's website and it shows that you would be charged £4.86 including VAT. Try it for yourself:

https://www.ebico.org.uk/products-and-prices/our-gas-prices

There's no standing charge and all payment methods have the same tariff.

I get my electricity from them - I haven't got gas- and I pay quarterly in arrears at my local Post Office because I feel more comfortable paying that way.

But, as others have said, your best bet is to put your figures into a comparison site to work out which utility company will be best for your needs. Here's one, but there are others:

http://www.energyhelpline.com/

?? The figure is actually £64.616 when I put the OPs gas usage figures into that link. And surely you are paying way over the odds for your electricity even if you do pay the old fashioned way? Ebico's electricity prices aren't exactly cheap.

MillicentBystander

Cheapest supplier for your electric usage, OP, is British Gas Online Variable August 2014 with EnergySmart tariff at £399 per annum. A good extra with this tariff is they supply a free wireless whole house electricity monitor and IME these really can help you save on your usage simply because they are a constant reminder of how much electric you are using at any time of the day/night.

Downside with this is the £30 exit fee should you switch away.

add this to the cheapest gas tariff (UW low user) and the total fuel bill will come to £461 per annum. Cheapest dual fuel deal is Sainsbury's Energy - Online July 2014 tariff at £504 including dual fuel discount etc so as suspected cheaper to split the fuel between suppliers.

The cheapest tariff without an exit fee is EDF Energy - Blue +Price Promise September 2014 tariff at £412. This tariff's key T&cs are:

A promise to tell you if you can save at least £1 a week at typical use with another supplier.‡
Fixed energy prices until 30th September 2014.

Online billing. Paper billing may be requested directly from the supplier at no extra cost.

Monthly Direct Debit payment method available through UK Power. Pay on Receipt of Bill may be requested directly from the supplier.

Dual fuel or electric only available - there is no gas only option.

No early termination fees.

Hope this helps but should you have ny further questions please don't hesitate to get back to me.

Wywth

MillicentBystander wrote: »

OK, thanks for getting back and sorry for the nonsense that ensued earlier in your thread. ...

Apology accepted

MillicentBystander

Wywth wrote: »

Apology accepted

I'm just looking forward to your first post in this thread that actually helps the OP in any way. But I've always been the eternal optimist

Coopdivi

MillicentBystander wrote: »

?? The figure is actually £64.616 when I put the OPs gas usage figures into that link. And surely you are paying way over the odds for your electricity even if you do pay the old fashioned way? Ebico's electricity prices aren't exactly cheap.

I wasn't very clear and I apologise, Carmine. My figure refers to the OP's usage from 9th April to the 26th July so the £4.86 compares with NPower's charge of £31.88.

As for my usage, well I've just input my figures into a comparison site and the only utility company who are cheaper are Cooperative Energy, by £15. However there is a Standing Charge which I don't agree with because I'm of the belief that I shouldn't be charged for not using anything if, for example, I go away on holiday.

[Text removed by MSE Forum Team]

Nada666

macman wrote: »

'Life's too short to be bogged down by bills. Glide can take away the pain. Whether you rent with your mates or you let properties to tenants, Glide makes bills simple'.

yeah...right.

Wrong thread, I think. This https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4700219 is where I suspect you meant to post that.

MillicentBystander

Coopdivi wrote: »

I wasn't very clear and I apologise, Carmine. My figure refers to the OP's usage from 9th April to the 26th July so the £4.86 compares with NPower's charge of £31.88.

As for my usage, well I've just input my figures into a comparison site and the only utility company who are cheaper are Cooperative Energy, by £15. However there is a Standing Charge which I don't agree with because I'm of the belief that I shouldn't be charged for not using anything if, for example, I go away on holiday.

Incidentally Utility Warehouse were in 28th place costing £56 more. Even knocking off the ludicrous membership fee that's still £38 more expensive. UW have a standing charge as well as charging an extra £12 a year for paper billing. :rotfl:

And, as long as the OP signed up this month, it would have been less with UW, provided the OP pays by DD. Plus they would also get 12 paper bills per month and the option for accurate monthly billing AND £10,000 of accidental death insurance (no extra charge for all these extras ) . Agreed? You seem to have majored on electricity and ignored the gas comparison, unsurprisingly...

Given that you have already stated you don't have gas you must be incredibly frugal with your electric to get to Ebico and Co-Op being your 2 cheapest suppliers, even if you do pay by an expensive method that probably adds a not inconsiderable amount to your annual bill (explanation needed: compared to the best deal on your usage if you paid by monthly DD). Do you have a log burning fire?