Swapping energy tariffs

Gavk1

Please can someone point me in the right direction. I am a dual fuel customer on a variable price plan paying £154 per month. According to my present supplier, my assumed annual consumptions will be 12500 kwh of gas and 3100 kwh of electricity per year. I have looked at various options for swapping and they say that due to my usage, I currently pay £1114 per year so I could save approximately £20 per month. But, if you work out that I pay £154 per month over the year, is £1848. So, I gather that my usage must be more than what my supplier is telling me if I pay £154 a month. On the price comparison sites, what should I put it to see how much I could save? On my latest bill, I can see that from the beginning of April until the middle of August I used 1760 kwh of electricity and 1236 kwh of gas. I know the gas will be more throughout the winter months, but nothing appears to tie up with this usage and what the are saying I will use on the bills etc. Is the only way to work out my usage, to go back over the last 12 months to see what I have used and then use these figures?

Robin9

Yes you need an ACTUAL set of consumption figures - forget all about DD's - and then use a comparison site

gt94sss2

Gavk1 wrote: »

According to my present supplier, my assumed annual consumptions will be 12500 kwh of gas and 3100 kwh of electricity per year.

These are not your actual usage figures - instead they are the usage figures Ofgem tells firms to use for typical 'medium users' - see http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/energy/2015/09/energy-usage-figures-fall-but-it-doesnt-mean-youll-pay-less for some details.

On the comparison use your actual annual usage/khw figures to get more accurate results for you.

Regards
Sunil

[Deleted User]

If you can get two actual meter readings approx year apart.its easy enough to work out your annual kwhs from these readings .Multiply your metric gas (or imperial by 33 ) units by 11 to get gas kwhrs. Either you have got a lot of a credit build up or your suppliers estimate is way off.

molerat

Gavk1 wrote: »

.......... Is the only way to work out my usage, to go back over the last 12 months to see what I have used and then use these figures?

Yes, not forgetting that we have had a couple of warm(ish) winters so a slightly higher gas figure could be more realistic.

SoWhatIsNext

Call your supplier, they will be able to tell you your annual usage.

molerat

SoWhatIsNext wrote: »

Call your supplier, they will be able to tell you your annual usage.

But if you want an accurate figure it is best to work it out yourself

Gavk1

Thanks to all of your informative answers. I have found last years usage, 17500 kwh of gas and 5970 kwh of electricity.
I have looked at the comparisons and can save a lot of money per year by switching, but I see on some of the polls, most of the companies in the top six in the list have a lot of poor percentages around the 60 - 65 % region. What are these percentages based on? Is it poor service or just poor after care?

[Deleted User]

Gavk1 wrote: »

Thanks to all of your informative answers. I have found last years usage, 17500 kwh of gas and 5970 kwh of electricity.
I have looked at the comparisons and can save a lot of money per year by switching, but I see on some of the polls, most of the companies in the top six in the list have a lot of poor percentages around the 60 - 65 % region. What are these percentages based on? Is it poor service or just poor after care?

You have a much higher than average usage so its important to get that tariff at the lowest possible with a reliable supplier. Just grab the MSE BG 2016 collective.BG are the best run supplier out there. Just look at how little the countries biggest supplier is mentioned on this forum with complaints

macman

How big is the property and how is it heated and hot watered? You particularly need to investigate your electricity consumption, as it is nearly twice the national average.

molerat

Look at separate suppliers, Zog are probably cheapest for gas at the moment. Small with excellent CS, look at their thread on here - not a single moan (apart from them slowing down and taking 18 minutes to reply to my e-mail query !) Old fashioned with no fancy web site but prompt accurate billing.