Switching Supplier in New Home

BusyDee

Hi all

We have been in this house almost three months the previous owners were with British Gas which I believed you have to go with and switch later, well its time to switch but we do not have a year’s history of usage to go on, how do I go about switching please? Also just listening to Martin on TV at the moment think I caught him saying switch this weekend - why please?

BD

BusyDee

Gosh this must be a first, no one able to help me please?

JJ_Egan

You require a price comparison site or MSE Energy Club .
Average usage in the checker .
Direct Debits estimate ignore its the standing charge and price per kwh that count .

BusyDee

Hi and thanks for your input.

Without a year's worth of usage to go on in this house, how will it work?

BD

Nada666

BusyDee wrote: »

Hi and thanks for your input.

Without a year's worth of usage to go on in this house, how will it work?

BD

Weather variations year to year will make any actual previous usage an estimate. Just take a sensible idea bearing in mind your comfort and usage patterns. Choose a tariff and switch. You may be a few tenners out of your optimum at the end of the year - beats being a few hundreds down by doing nothing.

JJ_Egan

BusyDee wrote: »

Hi and thanks for your input.

Without a year's worth of usage to go on in this house, how will it work?

BD

Each tariff has a priced standing charge per day and per KwH . One is cheaper than another tariff and so on .
Based upon usage you will be given a direct debit estimate for the average user . This DD will be subject to change over your billing period if you use less/ more than this theoretical average user .
Price per KwH and price of standing charge is all that matters plus any discounts cashback etc .

A typical quote page with average usage .
https://switch.ovoenergy.com/your_needs/

Nada666

(But if you have been there three months (including a month or two now when heating will have been on) you really ought to know by now how much you will be using. What is it that you can't make a reasonable guess at?)

Nada666

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Each tariff has a priced standing charge per day and per KwH . One is cheaper than another tariff and so on .
Based upon usage you will be given a direct debit estimate for the average user . This DD will be subject to change over your billing period if you use less/ more than this theoretical average user .
Price per KwH and price of standing charge is all that matters plus any discounts cashback etc .

A typical quote page with average usage .
https://switch.ovoenergy.com/your_needs/

Actually the price per kWh and standing charge as presented by Ofgem diktat are pretty useless for unsure posters such as the OP. Charges ambiguously displayed twice (included in price, mentioned as a discount) can be a nightmare to suss out.

robotrobo

BusyDee wrote: »

Hi all

We have been in this house almost three months the previous owners were with British Gas which I believed you have to go with and switch later, well its time to switch but we do not have a year’s history of usage to go on, how do I go about switching please? Also just listening to Martin on TV at the moment think I caught him saying switch this weekend - why please?

BD

hi busybee!!
Why are you switching ?, the tariff you are on maybe cheaper than the change. Give the house a chance it may compare very well with your previous bills.

BusyDee

Hi and thank you all.

I switched from BG in my previous house and saved tons of money so just figured it was at the higher end of tariffs.

BD

matelodave

If you really haven't a clue then use the average figures of 3500kwh for electricity and about 13500kwh for gas. These will point you in the right direction.

Don't look at the "savings" look at the cost per kwh and the daily standing charge, if they are less than what you are currently paying then you'll save money, if they are more they won't.

Based on the info you get you can work out how much it will cost and what the direct debits should be. You should be reading your meters at least monthly to monitor your consumption, to make sure that your bills are correctly based on accurate readings and not estimates and that your payments are covering your consumption.

Reading meters and doing your own sums isn't rocket science, it's basic maths and it will ensure that you are paying for what you use and won't get any nasty surprises.