Cheap Energy Club - difference between club and supplier quotes

Andrewzy

Hi all - we switched energy supplier after using the Cheap Energy Club about a year ago and were very happy with the savings and the simple process.

As our contract is coming up for renewal I used the club again and found that there were a number of suppliers offering cheaper deals.

I picked a supplier which, apparently, would give us a saving of around £342 a year - according the Club figures - and which had reasonable feedback from users. (So Energy to be specific.)

It's not possible so switch automatically with So Energy so I went to their site and input the same usage figures and scheme details I'd given to the Cheap Energy club. Their figures suggested that I would only save £121 pa with them, so considerably less than the Club quote.

Does anyone have any thoughts why the figures are so different? As I say, I used the same usage figures with each site.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

System

Under OFGEM rules an assumption is made that when your switch ends you will move to the supplier's standard variable tariff for the year ahead - less the time you have left on your current deal. MSE CEC does make this point very clearly and it provides a comparison that doesn't use the inflated savings methodology. The page, in my opinion, is very cluttered but unlike most comparison sites it does show a more accurate cost analysis. I suggest that you have a look at the MSE CEC comparison page again.

I switched my dual fuel supply to two suppliers last week and I found that the savings quoted on the MSE CEC site matched exactly the quotes on the individual supplier's pages.

daveyjp

It depends what assumptions they make as to how much you would be paying when your current supplier deal ends.

Most sites assume you will be going onto their standard tarriff, when in practice you have probably received a renewal for a different tarriff with your current supplier.

For true figures you need the standing charge and unit charges for the suppliers tarriffs you are considering and a calculator!

I've just switched today from M&S and had to do exactly this, with the added complication that M&S tarriffs include discount vouchers for the store. Last year this meant they were still cheapest, this year they are much higher than my alternative supplier.