FTB: How to choose energy suppliers

Fizzymartini

I'm just buying my first flat and moving out for the first time. I'm going to be getting a new gas supply (currently capped off), so I need to choose a supplier and ask for a meter installation. But how do I choose the best value supplier? Do different companies charge different amounts for new meters?

All the comparison sites I've been on asked for current usage to compare, and of course I have no idea about that yet! As I have no basis for comparison, can anyone recommend the best gas and elec companies for a small (49m2) flat in the middle of a high rise block, for a single user who works during the day (so probably relatively minimal usage?)? I'm in the West London area.

Fizzymartini

bump.

Can anyone please help? All the comparison sites are asking me who my current suppliers are, and giving me a billion tariffs to choose from? It's doing my head in!

A.Penny.Saved

You know you best, your preferences with regard to temperature play a big part. The insulation of the building, how warm the neighbours keep their flats. It's difficult for other people to guess with so many unknowns.

Is it gas central heated? Electric shower?

The best that you can do is guess and then pick a supplier without any exit penalties for one year and then you will know more about your usage. Your electric is likely to be around 2500 to 3500 kWh with gas heating depending on your showering preferences. Gas is more difficult if it's gas centrally heated.

Gloomendoom

My experience with nPower hasn't been good. Along with TalkTalk, they are now on my "I don't care if you are giving it away free, I still don't want it" list.

macman

Basics first: how is the property heated and hot watered (or how will it be once the gas is connected)? That will account for the largest part of your energy usage.
Once that is established, use average annual kWh consumption figures on the comp sites.
You'll be in a deemed contract with the existing electricity supplier from day one, so you can't switch that until you register with them.
If it's currently all-electric then it may be on E7 metering, so you may need a meter change if you want to switch to a single rate tariff if you are going to use gas for heating and hot water.

Fizzymartini

Thanks guys.

It is currently all electric. It *will* be gas central heating, with a Worcester or Valliant combi-boiler (when I choose a gas company and get them to install a meter!). Current electric supplier is SSE. Opened up the box last night and saw two different meters, one with a really retro dial-timer (reading 0000) and the other much more...

Thanks for the pointer about nPower - that's a shame, as it's Martin's 'Best Buy' for fixes. All the tariff choices on these comparison sites are so confusing!

I was also thinking of jumping straight into smart thermostats, seeing as I’m building the heating system from scratch, but Nest isn’t here yet, and Tado / Hive’s subscription models are a bit prohibitive

Pincher

Just go for an Ovo 12 months fixed, if you can.
It's not worth over thinking it.

macman

So is the current heating E7 or not? NSH's, immersion heater?