Bulb Energy Reviews: Give your feedback on the energy supplier

beardiedog

rich_shot2003 wrote: »

My switch to them takes place tomorrow so will see if it all goes to plan.

Not so happy about email saying prices are going up in Nov but they still work out cheaper then BG.

In email it says new customers will start paying new prices from when they sign up so does that mean as i switch tomorrow will i pay new prices from now or in Nov?

I was in mid-switch when the price rise was officially announced.

I received an email a few days ago telling me the price rise would be effective from November so I imagine you are deemed to be a customer if you were already switching.

alleycat`

steven_cardwell wrote: »

Totally agree with you, back in May my e-on fix was about to end and their new offerings were quite a bit higher than what i was paying so i started the search of what other companies offerings were.

Basically you are me down to the timings and moving from Eon. OutFox were even cheaper than bulb but an "unknown" quantity. There wasn't a Fix i'd have trusted at the price point you mention (Avro have good reviews up to when people want to leave).


I predicted Bulb would put their prices up but 30%+ on Gas has caught me by surprise.


Ironically EON are now the same price as Bulb for me (Give or take).


It seems an odd game as Bulb will lose customers but, in their t's and c's they'll pay exit fees, you can take a fix now that's cheaper and still move back if they drop their prices (at least once).

RayH

Switched to Bulb from First Utility on 3rd July. Everything smooth on their side, but still waiting for refund from First Utility, who took their normal direct debit on 5th July, I awaiting feedback from Bulb. Anyone else had this kind of trouble?

satchef1

If I'm reading this right, Bulb are suggesting overall wholesale costs for the average consumer have increased around £130 in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, their retail pricing has increased by ~£190 for the average consumer. An average increase in profitability of £60 per customer, multiplied by 750,000 customers. So an extra £45m in gross profit?

I wonder if they're maybe taking their rising fortunes for granted? They've gone from 70,000 customers to over 750,000 in just over a year, and are now nipping at the heels of First Utility and OVO. But they've done most of that through referral marketing. The problem with referral marketing is those customers can be encouraged to move again. I've already started working on the people I referred, with some success in the 14 hours since I started sending emails.

I suppose I should be thanking Bulb really. They've given people a reason to switch, which has given me the opportunity to make another £50 from every person I referred to them.

System

satchef1 wrote: »

If I'm reading this right, Bulb are suggesting overall wholesale costs for the average consumer have increased around £130 in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, their retail pricing has increased by ~£190 for the average consumer. An average increase in profitability of £60 per customer, multiplied by 750,000 customers. So an extra £45m in gross profit?

I wonder if they're maybe taking their rising fortunes for granted? They've gone from 70,000 customers to over 750,000 in just over a year, and are now nipping at the heels of First Utility and OVO. But they've done most of that through referral marketing. The problem with referral marketing is those customers can be encouraged to move again. I've already started working on the people I referred, with some success in the 14 hours since I started sending emails.

I suppose I should be thanking Bulb really. They've given people a reason to switch, which has given me the opportunity to make another £50 from every person I referred to them.

It is not quite that simple. Wholesale costs now equate for less than 38p in every £ that we pay:

Bill breakdown

Breakdown of a typical dual fuel bill Source: Ofgem
Wholesale costs 38%
Network costs 26%
Environmental and social obligation costs 8%
Other direct costs 1%
Operating costs 17%
Supplier pre-tax margin 5%
VAT 5%

It follows that there must be increases in the other 62p in every £ that we pay. So what might these increases include:

Smart meter roll out costs

Ofgem's Consumer Levy covering failed suppliers (paid for by a levy on all consumers)

Warm Home Discounts; feed in tariffs (paid for by a levy on all consumers)

Home insulation (paid for by a levy on all customers)

It is these costs that are arguably out of control. It is too simplistic, in my view, to say that the increases are all down to increases in wholesale costs. That said, the hardest hit in this regard will be the smaller suppliers who had not had the foresight or cash to forward buy. Spot prices run well ahead of average increases in wholesale costs.

question

I was in the process of making a switch to Bulb and then they advised me that they will be increasing their prices, so I cancelled the switch. On 10/09/18 I received an email advising me that they were confirming that I had cancelled the switch and that I should wait 3 days if I wished to do another comparison.
Subsequently I received an email from my old energy supplier saying that they were sorry I was leaving. I said I wasn’t and so they said they would advise Bulb that I wasn’t.
Today I went on MSE’s Energy Club to do a new comparison. Low and behold, according to MSE I’m switching to Bulb. Until Bulb advise them otherwise, I can’t do another switch.
This got me thinking 🤔. I helped my father to do a switch through MSE’s Energy Club to Bulb at least 6 months ago. So, I checked his Energy Club page and according to that, he’s still in the process of switching to Bulb 😳, despite having been supplied by Bulb for months! Of course this means that my dad cannot change supplier through MSE’s Energy Club as everything is put on hold whilst a switch is taking place.
I can’t help thinking that this works in Bulb’s favour.
(I have asked Bulb to update their records and advise MSE)

wavelets

question wrote: »

I was in the process of making a switch to Bulb and then they advised me that they will be increasing their prices, so I cancelled the switch. On 10/09/18 I received an email advising me that they were confirming that I had cancelled the switch and that I should wait 3 days if I wished to do another comparison.
Subsequently I received an email from my old energy supplier saying that they were sorry I was leaving. I said I wasn’t and so they said they would advise Bulb that I wasn’t.
Today I went on MSE’s Energy Club to do a new comparison. Low and behold, according to MSE I’m switching to Bulb. Until Bulb advise them otherwise, I can’t do another switch.
This got me thinking ��. I helped my father to do a switch through MSE’s Energy Club to Bulb at least 6 months ago. So, I checked his Energy Club page and according to that, he’s still in the process of switching to Bulb ��, despite having been supplied by Bulb for months! Of course this means that my dad cannot change supplier through MSE’s Energy Club as everything is put on hold whilst a switch is taking place.
I can’t help thinking that this works in Bulb’s favour.
(I have asked Bulb to update their records and advise MSE)

Simply contact MSE Energy Club, advise them of the situations and request they release the accounts accordingly.
Contact deatils can be found on the MSE CEC FAQ page.

(Presumably your father hasn't received his cashback yet either?)

This situation is not unique to Bulb Energy; it can equally apply to any supplier.
MSE only updates (automatically) once a switch has been confirmed.
So a cancelled switch will always cauuse issues, as will late confirmation by a supplier that a switch has completed. When the supplier does get around to advising MSE of the completion, then MSE will pay the cashback due

Switching again before cashback is paid, may mean cashback will not get paid for that first switch.

TonyDonaghy

I have just changed to Bulb, this is now my 3rd switch in as many years, the process was smooth, I was well informed and updated at every stage, no issues yet, but, will update if any issues arise

oldagetraveller

oldagetraveller wrote: »

I'm switching from E.on to Bulb at the moment. Going "live" on 3rd September.

They offered the best prices available, but I would have preferred a 12 months or longer fix.
However, as the previous poster states, it is a variable rate but there are no exit fees. I did receive an e-mail, very soon after initiating the switch, that as the wholesale energy prices have risen, they would be reviewing their prices in November.
There have been e-mailed updates as to the switch progress. Possibly these are a bit too flippant and familiar rather than professional but that could be an age thing!

Once the switch has completed I will further update.
My only concern, so far, is their referral offer. If they can pay their customer and a referred customer £50 each then why not do away with that referral money and reduce every customers' prices instead?

The switch went smoothly, they took the first payment when it was due and I have received the final bill from E.0n.
However, although there was a pre-switch warning re a price rise, from Bulb, it was confirmed by an e-mail not long after the switch.
Not happy about the large increase in gas/unit.
Therefore I'm switching away for a two year fix which is slightly cheaper than the new Bulb variable tariff. I suspect they will increase their prices within two years too.

I will have been with them a whole month and two days!


It's a shame Bulb don't offer a fix for 12 or more months.

question

Just a quick update. Matt at Bulb got back to me, said it wasn’t their fault and suggested I use alternative comparison websites to MSE Energy Club “such as U Switch and Compare the market”....