Avro Energy reviews: Give your feedback

Consumerist

Perhaps I should correct a small inexactitude above: CEC uses MSM's prices database but not its search engine - else it would give exactly the same results as the MSM search engine.

Telegraph_Sam

So overall the net result is an improvement (with CEC) compared to MSM and the others?

I think pragmatically it is a matter of culling the top few providers, depending on one's filters, from just a few search engines and running the numbers from the sites themselves in one's own spreadsheet to select the least worst, and decide accordingly.  If one or two slip through the net well just too bad.

Consumerist

With tariffs chopping and changing so frequently these days, it's probably impractical, if not impossible, to do the job thoroughly.

QrizB

Telegraph_Sam said:

If your crystal ball is accurate and we are in for an everlasting period of price increases then the logical reaction would be to change no exit fee fixed tariffs every few weeks in order to "lock in" at the present (best available) rates for as long as possible - to the extent of cancelling and renewing one's present tariff.

That would not work, you're essentially creating your own variable tariff but on any given day the best variable rate will almost certainly be lower than the best fixed rate.

Telegraph_Sam

I'm sure it would not be playing by the rules but on paper there's nothing stopping you from changing from one no exit fee fixed rate to another mid term rather than wait till renewal time. If you are anticipating constant price rises.

QrizB

Telegraph_Sam said:

I'm sure it would not be playing by the rules but on paper there's nothing stopping you from changing from one no exit fee fixed rate to another mid term rather than wait till renewal time. If you are anticipating constant price rises.

Agreed, but you would be mad to do it.

It would cost you *more* than sticking with the fix until it expires, and could cost *more* than being on a variable rate.

QrizB

I suppose I should explain.

• Imagine it's the 1st of January and the best variable rate is 12p/kWh while the best fixed rate is 13p/kWh. You sign up on the fix. You pay more than the variable rate for the month.
  
• It's now the 1st of February. Prices have risen, the best variable rate is 13p and the best fix is 14p. You could stick with your current fix and pay 13p, switch to the variable rate and pay 13p or switch to the new fix and pay 14p.
• It's now the 1st of March. Prices have risen again; the best variable is 14p and the best fix is 15p. If you stuck to the 12p January fix, you're paying 13p which is less than any current tariff.

By the end of the year:

• If you stick to the January fix you've paid 13p for 12 months.
• If you've been on the variable tariff you've paid 12/13/14 ... 21/22/23p, and average of 17.5p.
• If you've switched to the new fix every month, you've paid 13/14/15 ... 22/23/24p, an average of 18.5p.
  

Telegraph_Sam

It gets a bit theoretically academic.

Leave variables out of it for the sake of simplicity.

Say I'm on a fixed rate @ 13 p which has 9 months to run.  If I am clever / lucky I cancel and renew mid term on the same terms but gain an extra 3 months currency @ 13 p. I am quids in assuming that there is a price increase to 14 p announced for new contracts before the end of the original fixed term. The time scales can be varied according to the accuracy of one's crystal ball.  But of course in the end it might not be worth the candle. The more  practical conclusion might be just not to wait until the end of one's fixed rate contract before renewing "prematurely" in a world of constant price increases. And not try to be too clever beyond that.

polymaff

Telegraph_Sam said:

I'm sure it would not be playing by the rules but on paper there's nothing stopping you from changing from one no exit fee fixed rate to another mid term rather than wait till renewal time. If you are anticipating constant price rises.

False assumption of saving - as you've recognised in all but name in your latest.

2010

@Telegraph_Sam

I thought you were on a tariff that changes everyday with Octopus?
That gives you the decreases (if any) as well as the increases.

Seems you`re already on what you suggest without doing anything.