nPower Raising Prices 10.4% - when will fixes disappear?

DragonQ

I've earmarked a fixed nPower tariff to switch to but would prefer to wait a few weeks before switching. They've just announced their prices will go up by 10.4% on 1st December. Is it likely their current fixes will disappear soon??

SnowMan

DragonQ wrote: »

I've earmarked a fixed nPower tariff to switch to but would prefer to wait a few weeks before switching.

Why wait?

I've just switched dual fuel over the weekend from EDF Blue Price Promise June 2014 to EDF Blue Price Promise March 2015 (Norweb region) as it's surprisingly only about £5 more expensive per year than my existing tarriff (the standing charge is 6% higher but the unit rate is slightly lower and it roughly balances out number wise).

Given the likely comparative saving I will make between June 2014 and March 2015 it has to make sense to make the switch.

You can't switch to that EDF tariff via comparison sites which is possibly or probably a sign that is going to be pulled soon.

DragonQ

Two reasons for waiting:

1) Even with the best deal for me right now (nPower Price Fix April 2015), my electricity bill will go up by 20%.
2) nPower sometimes offer larger cashback but this fluctuates week to week.

nickcc

Just in the process of switching to NPower from BG, initial 15% increase for the 2017 fix but with prices going up by at least 10% this Winter the new deal should certainly be worthwhile.

SnowMan

From memory when I did the comparison yesterday, in our region and on my usage, that Npower tarriff was close in cost to my EDF March 2015 tariff.

The main point, from when doing my comparison, is the relative cost of those fixed tariffs relative to variable rates suggested to me they will go very soon. I'm no expert though.

2010

SnowMan wrote: »

You can't switch to that EDF tariff via comparison sites which is possibly or probably a sign that is going to be pulled soon.

I`ve just been on the energyhelpline site and you can still get this tariff via them.

It was brought out on 3rd October but I do agree with you, it will be pulled at any time, probably at the end of this month and yet another Blue Promise will appear.

Guineapigsqueaks

I would get on a fixed deal asap. I'm with EDF, switched from my fixed deal with them when it ended Sept 2013 to new fixed deal EDF Blue Price Promise to end September 2014. Was submitting meter reading over the weekend, realised fixing with their deal to March 2015 was even cheaper for me, so switched again. There is no tie in, so if prices fall (ha ha), I can switch again. I check my deal with Uswitch every few months and I've not found much cheaper than what I'm paying now for a good few years. Let's hope this mild weather continues a while though :-)

SnowMan

2010 wrote: »

I`ve just been on the energyhelpline site and you can still get this tariff via them.

Interesting.

I used energyhelpline and you can't switch via them in my region to the EDF Price promise March 2015 tariff (you get that 'enquire' button that tells you to effectively 'get lost' if you click it ).

You could (from memory) switch to the longer EDF fix and Npower fix via energyhelpline though.

2010

SnowMan wrote: »

Interesting.

I used energyhelpline and you can't switch via them in my region to the EDF Price promise March 2015 tariff (you get that 'enquire' button that tells you to effectively 'get lost' if you click it ).

I also note you can still switch to EDF March 15 via the MSE cheap energy club and get £30 cashback.

DragonQ

SnowMan wrote: »

From memory when I did the comparison yesterday, in our region and on my usage, that Npower tarriff was close in cost to my EDF March 2015 tariff.

The Npower direct debit scam put me off switching to that fix, as you have to stay a whole number of years to get the advertised rate including the direct debit discount. So there are exit penalties on that one despite what they say (even if you stay full term). For example switch now from another company to Npower Price Fix April 2015 and then switch to another company in April 2015 and there is a roughly £50 exit penalty at the end of the tariff (due to loss of about half of the £100 direct debit discount) which doesn't show up on price comparisons which use 12 month comparisons.

But the main point, from when doing my comparison, is the relative cost of those fixed tariffs relative to variable rates suggested to me they will go very soon. I'm no expert though.

I'm not worried about them screwing up my DD since it'll only be for electricity, which is constant over the year.

The thing about discounts only being applied after whole years...Ofgem stopped that recently and this is a pretty new tariff so surely it doesn't work like that any more?

SnowMan

2010 wrote: »

I also note you can still switch to EDF March 15 via the MSE cheap energy club and get £30 cashback.

Not in my case, I've just tried it via Cheap Energy Club, out of curiosity, the March 2015 tariff shows but you get the message 'go to site' option only rather than the 'switch and get cashback'.

Don't know if that is due to my region or that I am already with EDF.