MSE News: MoneySavingExpert.com launches the 10 day big winter switch event

MSE_Dan_L

Derek_Duval wrote: »

Does the EON MSE Fixed 1 Year Collective Switch tariff charge a IGT fee?

Hi Derek - just to confirm that Eon don't charge an IGT fee.

MSE_Dan_L

thingamaBob wrote: »

I must say I'm confused.
I thought that the collective switch tariff was supposed to be lower than any other tariff available and exclusive to cec.
I have just run a cec comparison and this show that the collective switch would save me £70 but just above that it shows that the e.on fixed 1 year v12 would save me £83.
Both switches would give me £30 cash back.
Both have the same £10 early exit fees.
Both are part of Warm Home Discount.
Both are fixed for 12 months

The terms of both tariffs seem to be identical except that v12 has a slightly lower gas unit rate and the collective switch has a slightly lower electric unit rate.

So what do I gain by going with the collective switch? It looks like I would actually lose £13.

Hi Bob

For average usage the Collective tariff works out cheaper, but depending on your usage and region it is possible for other tariffs (such as Eon's v12 which was launched after the Big Winter Switch Event started) to work out better for you.

The Big Winter Switch Event tariffs are exclusive, but we don't guarantee that they'd be cheapest for everyone.

I hope that helps.

footyguy

MSE_Dan_L wrote: »

...(such as Eon's v12 which was launched after the Big Winter Switch Event started) ...

I think it would be fairer to say they were launched the same time, unless you are counting every second.

The first I heard about the launch of the MSE Big Winter Switch Event was on Wednesday when it was featured in the MSE email and this thread was started.

Eon also launched their one year fixed v12 tariff the same day
http://pressreleases.eon-uk.com/blogs/eonukpressreleases/archive/2014/10/29/2395.aspx

thingamaBob

MSE_Dan_L wrote: »

Hi Bob

For average usage the Collective tariff works out cheaper, but depending on your usage and region it is possible for other tariffs (such as Eon's v12 which was launched after the Big Winter Switch Event started) to work out better for you.

The Big Winter Switch Event tariffs are exclusive, but we don't guarantee that they'd be cheapest for everyone.

I hope that helps.

Thanks Dan, just thought I was missing something but seems not.
Almost seems a bit of a con by e.on to negotiate a supposedly unique exclusive deal for bulk usage then bring out a general tariff for all, just a few days later, that is so similar and even better for some.

footyguy

For anyone that switches to this new MSE tariff, will that cause difficulties in a years time when the tariff expires and people will be looking for a new deal?

i.e. will the tariff only available through the CEC be featured on other comparison sites so people will be able to choose it as their current supplier/tariff when they want to compare again next year?

Presumably (hopefully?) it will be on the CEC list, and so perhaps maybe also on the MoneySuperMarket.com site, but what about the other independent energy comparison sites, particularly the ones MSE includes in it's own articles?

Or will people be forced to only use the CEC/MSM comparison service (which as we have already seen is not always 100% correct

Nada666

footyguy wrote: »

For anyone that switches to this new MSE tariff, will that cause difficulties in a years time when the tariff expires and people will be looking for a new deal?

Whether it is or not for all customers on any fix coming to an end it is always good practice to use one of your supplier's other currently available fixes as the base for the comparison rather than your now ending+standard tariff the calculator will use by default.

Pincher

E.On's V12 is not actually all that cheap in terms of unit rate.
The main thing seems to be the very low electricity standing charge. Still, haven't seen E.On near the top of the table for a couple of years.

Once upon a time, was a £100 cashback for switching to E.On.
It looks like oil prices are going down, so if we have a mild winter, there is every chance of a discount bonanza in January 2015. Looking forward to a cheap fix till April 2016 from E.On, with a welcome cashback of £100.

footyguy

Nada666 wrote: »

Whether it is or not for all customers on any fix coming to an end it is always good practice to use one of your supplier's other currently available fixes as the base for the comparison rather than your now ending+standard tariff the calculator will use by default.

Why? :huh:

If you deliberately input wrong data, you will get misleading data out.

Yes you will still get details of the deals but the indicated savings/oncost will certainly be misleading and may then cause issues with budgeting.

Hopefully, by next year the current restriction on "your now ending+standard tariff" output the CEC gives will be addressed if MSE Dan L is as good as his word.

Energyhelpline, for example, already allows the option to deviate from Ofgem's poor (imho) guideline on this.

(Or, in the meantime, if you want to trick the CEC into not giving you "your now ending+standard tariff" output, then just set the contract end date to over 12 months away )

footyguy

Pincher wrote: »

E.On's V12 is not actually all that cheap in terms of unit rate.
The main thing seems to be the very low electricity standing charge. Still, haven't seen E.On near the top of the table for a couple of years.

According to this article, E.on are in desperation mode attempting "to stop an exodus of customers to smaller [and cheaper] suppliers", hence the competitive deals they are now offering
http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/money/moneytips/eon-unveils-cheapest-energy-tariff-11363940279021

Who said the free energy market wasn't working?

Pincher wrote: »

Once upon a time, was a £100 cashback for switching to E.On.
It looks like oil prices are going down, so if we have a mild winter, there is every chance of a discount bonanza in January 2015. Looking forward to a cheap fix till April 2016 from E.On, with a welcome cashback of £100.

Those days are over, thanks to Ofgem.
Such cashback is no longer permitted direct from a supplier.

Nada666

footyguy wrote: »

Why? :huh:

If you deliberately input wrong data, you will get misleading data out.

[...]

(Or, in the meantime, if you want to trick the CEC into not giving you "your now ending+standard tariff" output, then just set the contract end date to over 12 months away )

But the end date is provided by the calculator through the name of the tariff you choose.

All that matters is the price of new tariffs available when you switch. The price of your supplier's new fifteen month fix seems to be a sensible reference point. I don't want to be reminded of how little I am paying now.