Can't switch. :(

Hoodlums

Good evening... I hope I'm misled but I was told that until I paid off all outstanding debt on my utilities.. that I had to stay on the STANDARD tariff.

I have paid off the Electricity to a point where it's now pennies...... seem to spend a lot of time turning off lights and unplugging chargers which are connected to anything. The effect is now that the electric company estimates are crazy high and I love calling them with an exact.

The gas is another matter... my family seem to think tropical is the only setting on the dial. Usual story... sitting in next to nothing, doors all wide open and complaining it's cold. I currently owe £857 on my gas.

I am on STANDARD for both.... seems there is a much better tariff with same company but the call centre chappie said the likelihood was I'd have to pay this off before I could switch.

Does anybody have advice?

I have worked very hard to knock all outgoings and debts off this year.... I have been able to take leave of a well paid job that I truly hated and started working for myself.... just a lot few financial nuts to crack so all advice would be very welcome.

spiro

You can't switch suppliers but there should be nothing stopping you switching tariffs with your current supplier. A DD online tariff is normally the cheapest. Under OFGEMs rules about once a year they are required to tell you if there is a better tariff.

kazwookie

I would suggest you get your family on board with the cost of gas and electric, and depending ontheir age, get them responsible for various items that use electric.

As for the gas do you have a time clock on your system, is it set correctly, ie not on all day, then turn the thermostat down a little, check all doors and windows close correctly.

When was the gas boiler last serviced?

dogshome

Don't take what the staff on the phone Customer Service desk tell you as gospel, often they make answers as they go along.

Sure enough with a gas debt of £875 they won't allow you to leave, but they should allow you to change to a better tariff, but it's bit of a catch 22 situation.

The best tariffs require that you pay by monthly Direct Debit, which will be set to clear the cost of your annual consumption, but in your case it will also be loaded to recover the £875 you owe now, so that's £73 a month before the cost of what you are currently useing is added.

Visit your suppliers website and look the tariffs they offer - You only have to enter your postcode and Annual consumption for them to show the annual cost of what you are useing on any particular tariff - By adding this to the £875 debt, then dividing by 12 will give you level of monthly D/Debit they will ask for - If you can afford it, get onto the supplier and insist on speaking to a manager to do the deal