MSE News: Details of energy market review to be announced by the Government

joncombe

richardw wrote: »

Ed Davey said "If someone can change their broadband provider with a few clicks of the mouse..."

He doesn't seem to be aware of such problems as "tags on the line" that make switching broadband difficult.
If only they knew what they were talking about.

Indeed. My phone line is with Virgin Media and the only broadband provider I can use on that line is... Virgin Media. So if I want to switch I'd have to arrange for a new line to be installed and pay an installation charge. Hardly a simple process. As it happens, I am very happy with Virgin Media though so don't plan to change providers.

Confused49

Ryune wrote: »

Oh I'm fine with that, my point is that not everyone is. Some people want no standing charge tariffs due to very low usage (often on gas) and are not happy at Ofgem's insistance that they go away.

I don't think we're that far apart, Ryune. I think of multi-tariff suppliers as bookies, thinking up new gambles to attract customers. Zero-usage customers have a cost and suppliers only waive that cost if they believe they can make it up (immediately or over a period of time) by overcharging for the energy, or else they wouldn't want the customer's business.

Suppliers are charged fixed costs by the distibution company per supply on a ppday basis and those need to be passed on somehow. No standing charge tariffs let some people dodge those charges (unless the usage on the NSC tariff is high enough to make back the costs due to the higher unit rate) which is arguably unfair.

Yes, I agree. But why would a supplier offer such a tariff?

Why not force the energy companies to charge the cheapest tariff for each customer?

Because the tariff that costs the least for you may not be the one that costs the least for me.

I meant that if you allow a supplier to offer multiple tariffs you could still only charge for each bill based on the cheapest tariff for that usage. Surely that works better than monitoring and instant switching.
But I still prefer a single, realistic tariff for each supplier. If the customer wants to gamble he can go to the bookies.

mailmannz

minislim wrote: »

yet another pointless exercise. what good is speeding up switchovers going to achieve?

whats really needed is

1) a proper investigation into the way energy companies charge themselves for the wholesale energy they produce.

2) a simple and clear way to measure the amout of energy we use. (it was supposed to have been made simple but its still confusing for some.)

3) banning the practices of estimated billing and building up of credit on peoples account.

You will never get a proper investigation carried out by the Government because they will never look in to the impact the Climate Change Bill has had on energy prices. It really is as simple as that.

People can get upset with the Big Six as much as they want but the simple reality is todays misery has been caused directly by Government legislation.

As Ive mentioned before, three things need to happen before you will see bills coming back down to their pre-2008 levels;

1. Change DECC's remit to energy security and consumer cost reduction.
2. Pull back powers from the EU.
3. Repeal the Climate Change Bill.

Anything else that happens will merely be the attempt of the Government of the day to hide the real cause of energy increases.

Meanwhile around 30,000 people will die in England this winter from cold related illnesses. Funny how we never hear Ed Davey talk about those people isnt it?

Regards

Mailman

Caddyman

LesU wrote: »

So nobody wants the 2 week cooling off period anymore?
This was created and enforced by the watchdogs, not the energy companies. I don't recall being asked whether I wanted that period changed to 0 days cooling off.

Ok, so after sitting patiently for 30 minutes waiting for Npower to connect to me (thanks for the 0800 number!), I have successfully and happily switched my current tariff from the soon to expire Online Energy January 2014 tariff to the April 2015 price fix tariff. The Npower advisor was fantastic, polite and clearly happy to help. My point for quoting your post is that he made a point of mentioning the 'cooling off period' which I thought was very good and what's more is required anyway and I'm with you, the cooling off period should remain unchanged.

I have by the way stayed with Npower because after all the checking and being in the 'moneysavingexpert energy club', they are still the cheapest provider for me, my annual energy spend coming in at a little over £850 a year. I've just accepted the fact that whatever happens, I like most others, am going to end up having higher energy bills anyway, just this way by switching now, I'll be paying less than what I would have been paying in the future if I'd stayed on their standard tariff once my old one had expired.

davidgmmafan

Regarding the cheapest tariff argument here is an example.

The company put me on the cheapest tariff last month as per camerons pie in the sky policy. With the recent prize rise announcements i complain that i would've bern better on a long tem fixed rate.

Or they could put me on the fixed rate tariff and be berated for not putting me on the cheapest tariff at the time.

So with just two tariffs it isnt easy.

I agree there are too many tariffs but i remain concerned that interventions from ofgem and politicians shows them to be clueless and tends to have a negative impact on customers.

mailmannz

Caddyman wrote: »

I have by the way stayed with Npower because after all the checking and being in the 'moneysavingexpert energy club', they are still the cheapest provider for me, my annual energy spend coming in at a little over £850 a year. I've just accepted the fact that whatever happens, I like most others, am going to end up having higher energy bills anyway, just this way by switching now, I'll be paying less than what I would have been paying in the future if I'd stayed on their standard tariff once my old one had expired.

Why have you just accepted the fact you are going to pay more? nPower must love customers like you. I look at this slightly differently from you in that Im concerned with limiting the impact of price increases and not merely limply accepting prices are going up!

BTW, what tariff were you on and which one did you change to?

I was on Energy Online Jan2014 and was going to move to their fix that ended in April 2015 but decided to go to EDF's blue + price promise because this was slightly cheaper based on my current annual usage and still cheaper factoring in the £90 annual credit from nPower...and the fact I got some cash back through works corporate benefit scheme and the switch it people

Also, when I eventually got through to someone at nPower after a 45 minute wait (thank !!!! its an 0800 number and not an 0845 one!) they were polit and helpful but in the end couldnt compete with EDF.

Regards

Mailman

Caddyman

mailmannz wrote: »

Why have you just accepted the fact you are going to pay more? nPower must love customers like you. I look at this slightly differently from you in that Im concerned with limiting the impact of price increases and not merely limply accepting prices are going up!

BTW, what tariff were you on and which one did you change to?

I was on Energy Online Jan2014 and was going to move to their fix that ended in April 2015 but decided to go to EDF's blue + price promise because this was slightly cheaper based on my current annual usage and still cheaper factoring in the £90 annual credit from nPower...and the fact I got some cash back through works corporate benefit scheme and the switch it people

Also, when I eventually got through to someone at nPower after a 45 minute wait (thank !!!! its an 0800 number and not an 0845 one!) they were polit and helpful but in the end couldnt compete with EDF.

Regards

Mailman

I did check out EDF's blue + price promise and they still would have not been cheaper in my particular circumstances. I believe there are regional differences in the energy market and clearly as I do not know what part of the country you live in, I wouldn't know exactly what differences there are. Also, I live on a new housing development where there is an IGT charge which must also be factored.

You say Npower must love customers like me who just accept that we are going to be charged more.....slightly ridiculous statement to make considering that all of the energy providers are at the moment hiking their charges so we're all paying more and that is what I mean by 'accepting' the situation. Even if the diffence in cost between Npower and EDF had say only been 20 quid a year, I wouldn't have bothered changing provider, the hassle of doing that is just not worth it. If the saving were say over 50 quid a year, I'd have changed but I'm happy to stay with Npower who haven't actually caused me any great issues the whole time I've been with them.

jackie1993

Signed up to switch energy to M&S Energy on 13/09/13, I was with Atlantic and due to the huge increase they wanted, decided to ditch. As of yet still not been switched even tho my online account was set up in September. I have found out that both Energy supplies are by SSE, why the delay, SSE direct debit is £90pm for both, M&S £67, same company different prices, hmmm. M&S fixed price until September 2014, but have lost 2 months of that already as still not up and running. What is so difficult, am I going to get it fixed for the months I have lost, I very much doubt it. I am sure these Energy companies are a law unto themselves, what with price rises and the length of time it is taking just to switch. I am not happy and the Government needs to keep looking into the Energy Suppliers.

Trix3y

A simple paragraph can sum up the energy situation. Large section of the general public worried about how to heat their homes and the continuing rise of energy. Politicians not worried as us the public are funding heating and electricity on their second homes, and in one widely reported case funding a Tory MPs heating for his horses stables. I am afraid our political masters have no idea about the worry of paying energy bills and do not have to live in a cold house.I have emailed my local MP offering anyone from the cabinet an opportunity to live in my house and manage on my budget for a month. Appears no-one interested in taking up the challenge. Posting this in two jumpers(followed Dave's advice)plus a body warmer. Praying for a mild winter

mailmannz

Caddyman,

The EDF rates for East Midlands are as follows;

Gas
Daily Standing Charge - 18.90ppd
Unit Rate - 12.39p

Electricity
Daily Standing Charge - 26.25ppd
Unit Rate - 3.63

What is nPower going to charge you? How much energy do you use a year?

I think also you are the perfect example of why the switching process MUST be simplified. People wont change because they feel its just not worth the effort EVEN THOUGH you dont actually have to do anything to start with.

BUT the issue here is that by the time Ive finally been switched over to EDF it would have been over a month since I made the request to move! Changing energy suppliers shouldnt take this long!

Regards

Mailman