MoneySaving Poll: How many times have you switched energy provider?

Former_MSE_Sam_M

Poll started 7 July 2015

How many times have you switched energy provider in the last five years?

The Competition & Markets Authority has just launched a damning energy sector report, proving most people are being overcharged (see energy news).

One of the major problems is not enough people switch, and those who do don’t switch often enough (one reason we launched our Cheap Energy Club.)


So we want to know how many times someone in your household has switched in the last five years.

Vote in this week's poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below. To see the results from last time, click here.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

Thanks!


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Pmarmalade

Did a lot of switching in the past between moving from rental to rental and before price fixes became a thing.

happydays89

I have just switched to first utility,I joined a a big switch that was advertised on TV,if over 20,000 joined they negotiated a good rate.

Tigsteroonie

Only switched provider three times in five years, but that was because the comparison sites advised that my current supplier actually had the best deal so I stayed with the same provider and switched deal instead.

Not sure the poll will be accurate, even though making it clearer could create even more options. Better would be "how many times have you looked into changing provider ...", as that gives a more accurate measure of how many of us are actually concerned about prices.

Consumerist

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Only switched provider three times in five years . . .

It's a pity the survey makes no distinction between changing supplier and changing tariff. I wonder if the CMA is similarly deceiving itself.

techno12

I've switched every year to my provider's current cheapest tariff - done this 5 or 6 times now.

Also collected around £30 cashback each time as I do it via a comparison site so it's a no-brainer, especially as my provider is often near or at the top of the 'cheapest' list whenever I check for my postcode.

patanne

I too have switched to my providers cheaper deal regularly, but not switched providers as the max savings have been £16 per year. Frankly that just isn't enough to go through the aggravation of them getting something seriously wrong. Sometimes it is better the devil you know. With the emphasis on devil because even a long term supplier is NOT your friend and needs to be watched with an eagle eye. Just don't get me started on replacement meters.

Re the vote - not an appropriate category for me to vote in - which is why I have posted.

XRAT

ARE YOU WITH EDF?
I went for long fixes but have switched 3 times in 5 years. Because yesterday, I noticed that a year into my three year fix they now do a two year fix (so to around the same 2017 end date) cheaper. With no exit fees to worry about, of course I changed.
(I wonder how long it's been available, I might have saved a few quid more!)

Electricblue

I've reviewed and fixed prices regularly, but not switched supplier because my budget is too tight to cope with higher monthly direct debit rates that a supplier who does not have history of my usage could levy.

Consumerist

I see that, in this week's newsletter, the question for this poll has been changed from changes of provider, as at the head this thread, to changes of tariff.

Teddy3

I'm another who has stayed with the same provider but changed tariff several times. This site is great for enabling research into what offers are around, giving me the confidence to ask for what I want and so far I've got a better deal. I do wish they would put us - their customers, on the most suitable tariff to start with rather than us having to wade through all the confusion to ask for the best deal.