Electric contracts?

Giggs_11

Hi guys,

I've done much googling and I'm still struggling to comprehend electric energy contracts!

Basically my completion date is this Friday on a new home. When I move in, I need to take the electric meter readings. I have economy 7.

I've looked at energy comparison websites however they're all asking for the current supplier, how much I spend on electric etc. Well this is my first home so I have nothing to go on.

Do I just call up any electric energy supplier on the day and ask to take out an economy 7 contract? Should I get a fixed deal? Who would people who have an all-electric house recommend on going for?

Do I need to call up the old suppliers and give them the meter readings/tell them I'm living there now and to set me up an account?

Many thanks!!

Sedge123

You contact the existing supplier on the day and give them the readings, they wilk set you up on a temporary account and then you are free to either stay with them or switch.

G_M

Chill out. Initially just tell them your readings and carry on with the existing supplier. you can switch at your leisure anytime later.

However, if you are on good terms with the sellers, ask them either for copies of their last few bills, or just to tell you how much gas/electricity they use each month or year. Then you can use those figures in comparison sites.

martin.cat

When you ring up the current supplier just be aware that if you are put on a standard tariff they can be very expensive. In my case we ended up with bill for over £300 with first utility for 5 weeks electricity and gas. We now pay £120 per month and are in credit with our new supplier on a fixed tariff. The electricity unit cost was 23p a unit rather than about 11p. You are stuck with the current supplier initially so I would see what their best deals are.

eddddy

Giggs_11 wrote: »

...
I've looked at energy comparison websites however they're all asking for the current supplier, how much I spend on electric etc. Well this is my first home so I have nothing to go on.
...

If you're just investigating the best suppliers and deals in advance...

- Where the site asks for your current supplier and tariff, just pick any supplier and tariff

- Say you don't know how much you spend on electricity currently, and it will ask you a few questions instead (number of bedrooms etc)


The comparison site will then list the best deals, with an estimate of annual cost (based on a 'typical' property of that size etc).

It will also show the cost savings compared to the fictitious supplier/tariff you chose - but you can ignore that bit.

(Don't attempt to go on and change the tariff online, but you could phone the best supplier and discuss the best way forward.)

HappyMJ

Giggs_11 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I've done much googling and I'm still struggling to comprehend electric energy contracts!

Basically my completion date is this Friday on a new home. When I move in, I need to take the electric meter readings. I have economy 7.

I've looked at energy comparison websites however they're all asking for the current supplier, how much I spend on electric etc. Well this is my first home so I have nothing to go on.

Do I just call up any electric energy supplier on the day and ask to take out an economy 7 contract? Should I get a fixed deal? Who would people who have an all-electric house recommend on going for?

Do I need to call up the old suppliers and give them the meter readings/tell them I'm living there now and to set me up an account?

Many thanks!!

Don't relax switch as soon as you possibly can...on the first day of the tenancy.

If you don't know who the existing supplier is just pick the default ones in the comparison checker and choose either low or medium usage unless you know for a fact your electricity usage will be high. To be high you need to use heating and dryers a lot.

The new supplier can figure out who you really are supplied by and switch you away.

My flat was on an awful tariff costing 73% more yes 73% more than a discount tariff. I switched the day I moved in and eventually found out the supplier was Spark energy who the letting agent switched the supply to years ago to get a commission. Spark Energy shows last on the comparison site at £1,473 per year. Scottish Power who I switched to on the first day of the tenancy estimates my annual bill at £852 per year. I pay £71 per month on direct debit.

5 months later I still haven't been billed by Spark for the 4 weeks of usage I had as I was switching and they've been fined by Ofgem for refusing to allow customers to leave and for other breaches. If I had been billed I probably could have never left. I wouldn't touch them at all if I had a choice and if they do eventually bill me I'll probably just ignore them.

Rambosmum

By existing supplier we mean the company which is currently supplying the property. They don't need to know who your previous supplier was, just say you didn't have one if asked.

halfone

Giggs_11 wrote: »

Hi guys,
Do I need to call up the old suppliers and give them the meter readings/tell them I'm living there now and to set me up an account?

This is what I did. They will probably want to know your readings on moving in anyway.

I was in a similar situation to you - my house was/is on economy 10 and I discovered that my options for changing tariff were extremely limited. In order to 'get things going' quickly I initially went with the existing suppliers (SSE) as it was the most straightforward thing to do at the time.

Giggs_11

Thanks for all of your replies. The estate agent told me that he will find out tomorrow from the vendor who the supplier is but that it 'doesn't actually matter' who is the current supplier because they'll have settled their final bill anyway??

For the record I won't be moving in to it for at least a couple of months, but I would like to get it an account sorted on it.