Comparison Sites a bit misleading??

saver861

CashStrapped wrote: »

For example, if your tariff ends in 3 months time, you are looking for a projection of current prices for the next 12 months. I therefore prefer a calculation which does not compare the current available tariffs to one I am just finishing. The standard tariff is an obvious one to compare against as you will have to switch to something once your tariff ends. All it is saying is, "if you do nothing this is how much it could cost you".

Possibly, but I don't see the point? If my tariff is finishing then I need to compare others against what I have been paying for the last 12 months. If it is comparing against the next 12 months on a standard tariff it will be misleading. For instance it might say I'll save £120 over the year and this then gives the impression I can reduce my DD by £10 per month. In reality it might be little different to the actual tariff I am about to leave and thus my DD's should stay the same.

So while the comparison sites might not be maliciously mis-leading, certainly they can give a skewed impression by comparing against standard tariffs if its not clear to the person making the comparison.

SnowMan

CashStrapped wrote: »

That is why I always usually used energyhelpline. As far as I am aware it shows all providers.

Energyhelpline defaults to only showing energy providers that pay them commission.

On the second page there is a box defaulted to all tariffs that makes you think that it is all tariffs that are being compared (actually it is talking about green tariffs, tariffs with paper billing etc etc but not tariffs that don't pay them commission).

However there is another box which you need to scroll down to where you have to change the default to 'all available tariffs' rather than 'tariffs we can switch you to today'.

It is amazing there is the confidence code for comparison sites, but it fails to address the issue of sites making it very easy for consumers to tick the 'wrong' box and not see all tariffs.

If you were designing the set up to deceive and mislead users of the comparator to think they were seeing all tariffs without telling an outright lie, then you would set it up as energyhelpline have done it. Energyhelpline would argue that their intention isn't to deceive of course :rotfl:

CashStrapped

Are you talking about the second page titled

"what features would you like"

first option is "payment options"

then "what tariffs are you interested in?"

With the following options:

• All tariffs

Then the selcections of

• Green and enviromental
• Tariffs with paper billing
• Tariffs with no standing charge
• Fixed or capped prices
• Accurate monthly bills

Then "Your Contact Details"

And finally "Sort Reuslts By:" with with options

• Price
• Service

I can't see a further box nor option of "tariffs you can switch to today".


I know moneysupermarket has such an option....but I do not see it on this page.