Confused about switching gas and electric companies.

DAZ1974

Hi.

I would like some advice on switching gas and electric companies, very confused at the moment.

We moved into a rented property that has a British gas pre payment meter and are currently waiting for First Utility to take over and put a standard meter in. Looking at some comparison sites, N Power usualy comes out cheapest apart from the site that said First Utility would be cheapest.

I need to make a decision very quick as we are into our 7 day cooling off period before First Utility takes over.

We live in a 3 bedroom, ground floor maisonette, don`t think we will be high gas users but maybe medium - high electric users. With this in mind is it best to go for cheap standing charge and slightly higher unit rates or vise versa ?

Hope someone can give me some advice.

Many Thanks.

yangptangkipperbang

I am afraid your question is impossible to answer. Because of the (deliberately) confusing way that energy is priced it is only possible to calculate energy prices AFTER you have used it.
The supplier who might be the cheapest in a mild winter could well be the most expensive in a cold winter - you just don't know - unless you are a very good weather forecaster

DAZ1974

Thank you yangptangkipperbang, it`s just as I thought then, Impossible so I think I will give First Utility a go and see what happens.

Wywth

DAZ1974 wrote: »

Hi.

I would like some advice on switching gas and electric companies, very confused at the moment.

We moved into a rented property that has a British gas pre payment meter and are currently waiting for First Utility to take over and put a standard meter in. Looking at some comparison sites, N Power usualy comes out cheapest apart from the site that said First Utility would be cheapest.

I need to make a decision very quick as we are into our 7 day cooling off period before First Utility takes over.

We live in a 3 bedroom, ground floor maisonette, don`t think we will be high gas users but maybe medium - high electric users. With this in mind is it best to go for cheap standing charge and slightly higher unit rates or vise versa ?

Hope someone can give me some advice.

Many Thanks.

You need to decide what is your priority. If a good deal on a PPM tariff is important, then this article will help explain how you find one:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity

If changing from a PPM to a credit meter is more important, then why not ask the existing supplier if they will install one for you? Otherwise this article explains how the major suppliers will treat such a request:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity#freecreditmeter

I would suggest you give any supplier you hope to change you to a PPM a call first, as it might otherwise take 4-6 weeks to switch supplier only to discover they then won't change your meter anyway.