Baffled by energy switching & supplier reviews!

REager

Dear all,

I am sure I am not the first nor will I be the last but whilst I am determined to switch, I am really struggling to find a provider I can trust!

So I have been the loyal dog to Brit Gas for many years, but having done a few comparisons over different sites I could save a max of £385.00 pa. Great, BUT I then went to check out the reviews of these providers and it does not make for pleasant reading.

Is there currently a stand out good supplier who is offering a good deal? I am in the Bristol area, currently on Fix n Reward with Energysmart dual fuel with BG and used my monthly DD amounts to compare with? Any held greatly received as my tariff will go to standard on 29th so I need to get this sorted.
TIA

CashStrapped

You sound like a friend of mine. Loyal to British Gas for no reason at all and reluctant to switch and save £350!

If British Gas were called Centrica would that make it easier? As that is their real name these days. British Gas is just a brand name they were allowed to continue using after privatisation.

You will get stories about poor service from all suppliers and British Gas are no different in this regard. Scottish Power have terrible reviews but I have had nothing but fantastic service from them. So it is all swings and roundabouts.

Just stick with a company you have heard of. Ovo has very good, above average positive feedback. EDF, Eon again have pretty good results.

But...

Do not get too distracted by poor reviews. They are not servicing you car, they are supplying you metered amounts of energy. So as long as you take meter readings often, they cannot really mess things up too much.

It frustrates me that British Gas still hold on to many customers through some misplaced loyalty and impression of trust, when all they are doing is supplying metered amounts of energy at much higher average prices.

Sign up to cheap energy club. Use your annual KWH use for comparison and see what comes up. As a rough guide cheapenergyclub does provide positive feedback ratings on the results to assist you in considering customer service but do not read too much into it.

System

REager wrote: »

Dear all,

I am sure I am not the first nor will I be the last but whilst I am determined to switch, I am really struggling to find a provider I can trust!

So I have been the loyal dog to Brit Gas for many years, but having done a few comparisons over different sites I could save a max of £385.00 pa. Great, BUT I then went to check out the reviews of these providers and it does not make for pleasant reading.

Is there currently a stand out good supplier who is offering a good deal? I am in the Bristol area, currently on Fix n Reward with Energysmart dual fuel with BG and used my monthly DD amounts to compare with? Any held greatly received as my tariff will go to standard on 29th so I need to get this sorted.
TIA

Hi - welcome to the forum. The simple answer is 'no'. Energy costs vary by usage and postcode so I am afraid that you have to do the legwork yourself. Sign up for the MSE Cheap Energy Club and enter your annual usage in kWhs for gas and electricity and the site will do all the hard work. You will then will eligible for any future MSEC Collective switches.

I should add that any comparison of £s is meaningless in the context of energy so please do look closely at your bill for the estimated annual usage for your property. For example, I use 10000kWhs for gas and 3000kWhs for electricity per year. My cheapest option is two suppliers: Zog for gas and GBEnergy for electricity.

Finally, ignore much of what you read on feedback forums. I have had issues with a number of suppliers but it wouldn't stop me from returning if the price is right. That said, I have had no issues with Zog or GBEnergy is the 2 or so months that I have been with them. Ovo is also a good company for new switchers with an easy to use website.

NittyGritty

as with most if not all energy companys, all have their fair share of bad reviews. no one company will have great reviews


you just got to weigh up the savings (also any exit fees) then take a punt with the company if the savings are big, if theres not much savings then I tend to go with a big company over a lesser known companys for abvious reasons.


but that's just my personal choice

JJ_Egan

OP trusts BG but they are charging him/her for that trust .
As already said negative reviews are in general biased and its rare for those that have no problems to post a good review .
Generally i just look at the reviews/ problems on MSE to see if their is a continual problem like npower and scottish power and avoid them .

REager

:TWow, fast responses, thank you so much! Isn't it sad that I am weirdly "scared" to switch! What's that about? As you say it is only energy, I need to get a grip!!

I will take your advise and join the energy club as suggested then I promise, come Feb 29, I will NO LONGER be a BG customer!! :O):A,

CashStrapped

To be honest, having to switch is such a common thing these days, that for those who are used to it may forget how odd the whole concept can seem.

We all have (whether we like to admit it or not) brand bias/favourites in some way or another. That is what these companies rely on to make money. It is just shows how powerful a brand is when we have a favourite for supplying something as generic as Gas and Electricity!

JJ_Egan

They don't supply as such .
Its all the same supply just different companies billing .
Check out the comparison and if in doubt ask here.

REager

OMG! Thanks again I can now save £408!!

It is with that GB energy though, but I think I will have to bite the bullet, what's the worst that happen???:eek:

System

REager wrote: »

OMG! Thanks again I can now save £408!!

It is with that GB energy though, but I think I will have to bite the bullet, what's the worst that happen???:eek:

You will receive a Welcome Pack with details of your switching date/s. On the day/s of your switch/es, you will get an e-mail asking for meter readings. You will also be asked to pay your first DD 3 weeks from today. Provided you give them actual meter readings, you will get accurate bills. I joined them on the 10th so I give them a meter reading on the 9th.

My daughter has been with GB for over a year and I have been with them for 2 months: no issues whatsoever. Have faith.

CashStrapped

REager wrote: »

what's the worst that happen???:eek:

All I am thinking about now is Dr. Pepper.....damn you brands!

Back to the subject.....just ensure you have compared using your annual KWH figure and not just an arbitrary Direct Debit amount.

You should ideally use two meter readings one year apart for gas and electric to work out your annual KWH figure. This will give you much more accurate results.