MSE News: Is The Great British Collective energy switch worth it?

Former_MSE_Paloma

Energyhelpline.com has launched The Great British Collective Switch. But how does it stack up? ...

Read the full story:

Is The Great British Collective energy switch worth it?




Click reply below to discuss. 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.

modsandmockers

As usual, the actual prices are not given. All we get are ifs and buts and averages and comparisons, but never the actual price! If there are regional variations, then say so, and give the regional prices, one by one.

Doc_N

Try switching via your local authority - a lot of them have collective switches too.

Just switched two households to British Gas (of all companies!) and by comparison with the MSE/Energyhelpline switch rates the savings were pretty substantial.

There are usually better rates to be had than from MSE/Energyhelpline.

brewerdave

I switched thru EHL back in March from one EON tariff to the EHL March 2016 EON tariff. Saved me real money.
HOWEVER, the latest mailshot claims that I can save money by switching again to a July2016 fix but the unit rates are actually higher than my current tariff, so all the "savings" come from the 4 months on EON standard tariff that the comparison assumes I will move on to from March 2016.
It also assumes a much higher usage for these 4 months than I have used over the 7 years that I have records !!!:)

Doc_N

brewerdave wrote: »

I switched thru EHL back in March from one EON tariff to the EHL March 2016 EON tariff. Saved me real money.
HOWEVER, the latest mailshot claims that I can save money by switching again to a July2016 fix but the unit rates are actually higher than my current tariff, so all the "savings" come from the 4 months on EON standard tariff that the comparison assumes I will move on to from March 2016.
It also assumes a much higher usage for these 4 months than I have used over the 7 years that I have records !!!:)

Same here - which is another reason I investigated the local authority switching scheme and found it a lot better value.

The MSE/EHL 'switch now' emails are misleading, unhelpful, and confusing - causing thousands of people to think it's worth switching when it isn't. At worst, a lot of those people will end up actually paying more.

Martin Lewis should be ashamed of himself - and at some point there's going to be a backlash which will damage him and MSE.

jamesd

As usual a frustrating story without any real pricing information, so it's impossible to just read the story and check whether the tariff you're on is better or worse than the one it's about. There are 14 pricing regions in the UK and a table listing them all is possible.

For the possible convenience of others, in region 22, SW, the offered deal was around £40 more expensive for my actual usage than the MSM collective switch offered by MSE/MSM earlier this year. The tariff details quoted were:

Region: 22 SW England
Gas: 3.331p/kWh 21.90p/day standing charge £30 exit fee
Electricity: 12.128p/kWh 16.42 p/day standing charge £30 exit fee
E.On reward scheme points are collectible with this tariff.

The MSM switch quote was:

Region: 22 SW England
Gas: 3.165p/kWh 21.903p/day standing charge no exit fee
Electricity 11.519p/kWh 16.422 p/day standing charge no exit fee
E.On reward scheme points are collectible with this tariff.

So effectively the same standing charge but higher per unit charges on this new scheme than on the MSM switch one.

Results will be different for different regions, it's why I provided a link to the region list and gave the region.

How does it compare in your region?

Fellwalker

The energyhelpline sign up page insists that my phone numbers are in the wrong format - however I input them. So it doesn't really matter whether or not I would save - I cannot get in.

Also, it would appear that unless I have both a landline and a mobile phone, I would be unable to register. Now that makes me think that tehy want to get my details so they can bombard me with junk.

brewerdave

Fellwalker wrote: »

The energyhelpline sign up page insists that my phone numbers are in the wrong format - however I input them. So it doesn't really matter whether or not I would save - I cannot get in.

Also, it would appear that unless I have both a landline and a mobile phone, I would be unable to register. Now that makes me think that tehy want to get my details so they can bombard me with junk.

When I registered with EHL in March I definitely only gave them landline number -HOWEVER, EHL have been "bombarding" me with calls re telephone/bband deals since early June EVEN THO' I have told them several times that I'm on a deal which runs til July 2016:mad::mad:

footyguy

Fellwalker wrote: »

The energyhelpline sign up page insists that my phone numbers are in the wrong format - however I input them. So it doesn't really matter whether or not I would save - I cannot get in.

Also, it would appear that unless I have both a landline and a mobile phone, I would be unable to register. Now that makes me think that tehy want to get my details so they can bombard me with junk.

You don't need to input any phone number to obtain the prices, or even register - simply click on the link that is provided for those that are already registered and do a comparison based on your postcode.

[Edit: http://www.energyhelpline.com/greatbritishcollective ]

If having seen the results, you then decide to progress matters further, and you still have difficulty with the online application, then give them a call - it's a FREEPHONE number

DavidHughes

Just looked at comparisons through Great British Collective, and the automatic calculation process is inaccurate. Using identical usage data throughout, I was offered savings by switching to B Gas of £90 per annum. Actual savings, based on my own (accurate!) calculations are £66. Quite a difference!

footyguy

DavidHughes wrote: »

Just looked at comparisons through Great British Collective, and the automatic calculation process is inaccurate. Using identical usage data throughout, I was offered savings by switching to B Gas of £90 per annum. Actual savings, based on my own (accurate!) calculations are £66. Quite a difference!

Hell DavidHughes, and welcome to MSE. :hello:

Presumably you realise that you have bumped this old thread that was originally created back in July?

Presumably you are also aware that the collective switch tariff offered at that time has long since closed to new applicants?

Anyway, quite opportune that you have bumped this thread as there is now a new live offering. Sadly it doesn't look very good this time.
One of the collective tariffs, as provided by FU fixed to Dec 2016, appears to actually be more expensive than their everyday fixed tariff fixed to the same time. Same units rates but a higher standing charge. Not competitive anyway. (only checked it for 1 region, so it might be better in other regions).

I think you'd probably be better off using the uSwitch collective tariff offering

As to the difference, how sure are you of your own calculation? e.g. How does uSwitch calculations compare?

The Great British Collective Switch is actually provided by EnergyHelpLine. Their comparison service is actually usually very good. Perhaps you have confused yourself and created your own spreadsheet other than in accordance with Ofgem rules? Well EHL is one comparison site that actually offers two different calculations; the Ofgem official comparison calculation (which they called weighted( and the one you may have possibly done (which they call standard).

If you are still having issues, and want someone to check, please provide full details.