MSE Cheap Energy Club - A Con?

System

Biggles wrote: »

Which is exactly why it is, really, either a con or lazy web design. Probably both.

Just use http://www.energyhelpline.com/, where you will find a tool, which has been there since last year at least, which will give you the real comparison. Energy Helpline can to it, but CEC says 'Ooh, no, we'd love to but it's an Ofgem requirement that we mislead you'.

I am not sure who you are shouting at? I have gone to the trouble of writing to my MP about this flawed methodology and got absolutely nowhere. It currently is a licence condition on electricity and gas suppliers to use this methodology and, if memory serves, it was about to become a requirement for all comparison sites included within the Ofgem Confidence Code.
Bear in mind, the comparison is only inflated for those consumers on fixed contracts with less than 12 months to run. For the majority of consumers - i.e., those on a standard variable tariff or with a long fixed term tariff - the savings are accurate. I am not defending the policy, I am just explaining it.

I agree that the methodology needs to be looked at again; however, we shouldn't forget that a large number of people who post on MSE cannot even be bothered to read their meters, so there is an argument that many people coming to the end of a fixed term tariff will also let this slide.

Biggles

Hengus wrote: »

I am not sure who you are shouting at? I have gone to the trouble of writing to my MP about this flawed methodology and got absolutely nowhere. It currently is a licence condition on electricity and gas suppliers to use this methodology and, if memory serves, it was about to become a requirement for all comparison sites included within the Ofgem Confidence Code.
Bear in mind, the comparison is only inflated for those consumers on fixed contracts with less than 12 months to run. For the majority of consumers - i.e., those on a standard variable tariff or with a long fixed term tariff - the savings are accurate. I am not defending the policy, I am just explaining it.

And I'm not 'shouting' at anyone, not sure why you would think so, just explaining that the 'unloaded' 12-month comparison is available on at least one other website.

I'm not necessarily agreeing with the OP that the CEC is a scam, but when I was looking to switch last year, I found my CEC quote very different (due to the standard tariff loading) from my calculations using the actual tariffs, and was able to avoid an unnecessary switch that wouldn't have saved me a penny.

I also found that Energyhelpline made available the unloaded comparison. Presumably due to the Ofgem code that you mention, it isn't the first figure you see, but at least they give you the choice of seeing some meaningful figures.

System

If you want a direct comparison between your 'old bill' and 'new bill' then use theenergyshop.com comparison site.

For MSErs who think that the Ofgem energy tariff comparison criteria/method should be changed, then I suggest you e-mail:

consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk

The more people that complain - the more Ofgem will take notice. It does say on its website that one of its principal aims is 'to protect the interests of Britain's gas and electricity consumers.'

MSE_Dan_L

Hi all

As mentioned in my post a couple of week's ago, we've been working hard on developing a solution for the calculation issue discussed in this thread.

I'm pleased to share that we've now released this, so hopefully our results page and savings will be easier for to understand.

If you've a fix expiring in the next 12 months, you should find that your results page now looks similar to the screenshot below. The new page defaults to compare against your current fix (unless you're approaching the tariff expiry), providing you with the option on what cost you wish to base your savings on.

I hope you find this new feature helpful.

Pincher

Provided you know how the mechanism works, there are workarounds.

I am on Scottish Power Online Fix March 2016, so the official calculation uses the SP standard tariff from April to August 2016.
Hey presto, it comes back with a saving of around £160 for a similar tariff, including SP Online Fix August 2016, which is almost the same to the March 2016 fix.

The trick is to choose SP Online Fix August 2016 as my existing tariff, and the result is close to the non-official (correct) method.


In the end, you should always check the ACTUAL prices.
Ovo's Better Energy is supposed to save me £6 a year, but the standing charge is 27p instead of 20p, and the electricity is 11p instead of 10p. The only thing cheaper is the gas rate, which is 2.8p instead of 3.0p.

September is coming, people are about to switch like lemmings.
Waiting for a 9p electric 2.8p gas tariff, otherwise I'm not switching until March 2016.

Crude oil price, please stay low, until I have fixed.