Which should I go for?

indierocker85

Hi Guys

We have recently just moved into a house, and it is privately rented. The supplier is Eon, which I know may not be ideal, but it's in our tenancy agreement that we can't change providers. Anyway, we have been quoted the following, and I wondered which was best to go with in your opinions?

Fixed rate for 12 months

elec – 13.094 p kwh
gas 4.113 p

standing charge 13.094 p elect
gas – 28.875 p gas

or a "variable" at

elec 13.79 p kwh
gas 4.334p

daily standing charge elec 27.395p
gas as above


Are we better off fixing? Safe that we won't have any sneaky price rises?

DragonQ

Let me see. More expensive tariff that will probably go up at some point in the next 12 months vs cheaper tariff that can't go up in the next 12 months. I don't understand why you're asking this question.

macman

You should have struck that clause out of your tenancy agreement. It's unenforceable anyway. Your account, your bills, your choice of supplier.
There's no way your LL can know who the supplier is anyway, until a new tenant arrives.

indierocker85

This is gonna sound like such a stupid question, but can you haggle the energy rates with your current supplier? Say for arguments sake, M&S are 11.39p and Eon is 13.094p can I say to Eon, will you match these and we'll stay with you? Or is it set at what it is, and are they not flexible?

Cycrow

DragonQ wrote: »

Let me see. More expensive tariff that will probably go up at some point in the next 12 months vs cheaper tariff that can't go up in the next 12 months. I don't understand why you're asking this question.

well technically, as a variable rate, it can go down as well as up.
but in reality, it'll never go down

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Just a quick heads up indierocker85.

Most of our fixed tariffs have cancellation fees for changing supplier. So, if you do decide to switch, be careful not to fall foul of this.

I'm afraid, though, prices are set so we won't be able to haggle.

Hope this is of interest.

Malc

macman

indierocker85 wrote: »

This is gonna sound like such a stupid question, but can you haggle the energy rates with your current supplier? Say for arguments sake, M&S are 11.39p and Eon is 13.094p can I say to Eon, will you match these and we'll stay with you? Or is it set at what it is, and are they not flexible?

No, because with millions of customers, the billing systems can't compute different rates for each one.
But you can sometimes negotiate a golden hello or retention fee, usually in the form of a lump sum credit to your account.

DragonQ

macman wrote: »

No, because with millions of customers, the billing systems can't compute different rates for each one.
But you can sometimes negotiate a golden hello or retention fee, usually in the form of a lump sum credit to your account.

Funny that because other companies with millions of customers will haggle (Sky, BT, Virgin Media, etc.) and their systems can handle it.

macman

Have you seen EDF's new 'My Account' mainframe though?
http://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=off&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1680&bih=876&q=sinclair+zx81&oq=sinclair+zx81&gs_l=img.12..0j0i5j0i24l8.17792.24687.1.25960.13.10.0.3.0.0.140.672.9j1.10.0....0...1ac.1.25.img..4.28.1280.KGipq2-f-ys#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=X2jBmr_tD30vYM%3A%3BOvb4prf8OvZOWM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252F1%252F14%252FSinclair_ZX81_Setup_PhotoManipped.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcommons.wikimedia.org%252Fwiki%252FFile%253ASinclair_ZX81_Setup_PhotoManipped.jpg%3B3264%3B2448

indierocker85

Had a breakthrough, our landlady has said she sees no problem in us switching suppliers. :-)

macman

Good. But as I pointed out, she never had any power to prevent you switching anyway.