Electricity Quotes

kc1994

Hi!

My partner and I move into our first home (newbuild apartment) in two weeks. We're finding it impossible to compare quotes as all of them seem to require the details of ourcurrent electricty supplier, which we don't have as we live with our parents.

Any ideas of where I can get a simple quote?!

Thanks

JJ_Egan

Use the averages .
And just use any suppliers tariff . Ignore the savings from this and just look at the unit costs .
Any quote will be an estimated direct debit yearly spend . That could be over or under your actual usage .
Key components are like everything the unit costs and daily standing charge .
3p per kwh is cheaper than 4p and standing charge of 25p is dearer than 20p .

Bigphil1474

kc - you normally only need the current supplier to compare the difference between what you are paying now and what you would pay with a new supplier. If all you are wanting to know is how much each would cost relative to each other, then pick any random current supplier .
You should just need a rough estimate of usage - I'd just google typical electricity usage in a new build electric apartment to get a rough idea on kWh - then put those figures in, or some comparison sites will give you a rough idea for the type of property It's not going to be a perfect system in year 1, but after a year you'll know what your actual usage is for a future switch.

System

Hi- welcome. You must contact the existing supplier with a meter reading when you move in. You are then free to switch.

The easy bit first. Make up a supplier as it is only needed to show a price comparison. Go for GBEnergy Premium Saver which is available as an electricity only tariff. The slightly more difficult bit is estimating your annual usage. Hopefully, a new build flat will be well insulated so I would go for something like 5000kwhs per year. It's a guess. The comparison site will then show you the best deal with savings/addtl costs with respect to the GBEnergy offer. I would also run the comparison again at 2500 and 7500kWhs usage just to see how the best deal changes.

You then need to monitor your usage very carefully and provide the supplier with frequent actual meter readings. I also use a 99p app called Meters which allows me to enter my tariff details and as I enter actual meter readings it will calculate an up to date, and accurate, estimate of how much I owe.

The GBEnergy Premium Saver offer is a standard variable tariff but its lower than most fixed tariffs. No exit fees so you can switch out at any time. GB also has to inform you of any tariff price increases. I pay £358.50 (£30 per month) for a projection of 3000kWhs of electricity usage per year.

I hope this helps.

matelodave

All you have to do is put in any supplier and any tariff as it makes no difference to what you'll eventually pay. You are looking for the cheapest tariff rather than any savings.

Just use the default supplier & tariff.

What does make a difference is your region, that's why they want your post code, roughly how much you think you'll use in kwh, whether you are on E7 and how you want to pay - DD or quarterly bills.

You won't know exactly how much you'll use so you either have to guess yourself or let the power company make an estimate. It's a bit more difficult if you are all electric and on E7 but a good estimate would be around 3000kwh on peak rate and 12,000 on off peak.

Make sure that you read the meter the instant that the house becomes yours - which may be before you move in. Register with the power company that is already supplying the power as you's automatically be in a contract with them untill your swap goes through and give them the meter reading. Once you've done that you can initiate your swap to the suppier of your choice. It will take around 3-6 weeks and so you'll have to pay the existing supplier for the energy that you've used before the swap goes through.

Save the reading yourself just in case of any hiccups later. do the same with both gas if you've got it and water, especially if you are on a meter.

It's a really good idea to read your own meters at least monthly and phone or send the readings to your suppliers, not forgetting to keep your own record of your consumption. That way you can keep on top of your bills and ensure that you don't get any nasty surprises in the future.

Ensure that all bills are correct - check the bills against the meter and get them corrected immediately. do not accept estimates. Make sure that any direct debits are being taken from your bank account and being recorded on your bills.

footyguy

kc1994 wrote: »

Hi!

My partner and I move into our first home (newbuild apartment) in two weeks. We're finding it impossible to compare quotes as all of them seem to require the details of ourcurrent electricty supplier, which we don't have as we live with our parents.

Any ideas of where I can get a simple quote?!

Thanks

You cannot switch supplier (which is what comparison sites offer you the ability to do or compare) unless you have a supplier.

When you move into your new home, you must first contract with the existing supplier to the property. Then you will have a supplier to compare against and to switch from

If you want to get ahead of the game, simply choose any supplier/tariff as your existing - the results will show you all the available options and prices - the cheapest is normally at the top of the list.

Just don't attempt to switch until you have completed the above, and then use the correct data.

DavidP24

You obviously can't show a previous supplier so use the averages. things to consider when estimating

Does the flat have central heating or individual heaters - the latter mean you do not have to heat a 2nd bedroom.

Will you have Gas and Electric - Bar Tender energy companies do not consider Electric only dual fuel so costs you £40 more a year when you switch

If Electric only does the flat have economy7 storage heaters, these need to be set really low to save money

Does the flat have an electric shower, if things are tight and you do not mind boiling water for washing up you can save £325 by not heating a tank of water every day.

Does the flat have a gas combi boiler, these are supposed to be cheaper to run but often go wrong so a £7 a month insurance policy may be worth considering.

My advice would be to go into property for a month and meaure everything, not just the metres but for £10 you can get a device that measures units used. I found my old fridge freezer cost 400% more than a modern one (check Which? site to see). I found an old high performance PC with two drives and LCD display cost way more than a modern one with LED display.

You cannot manage what you do not track, so turn down the heating thermostat and give the place a chance to warm up. Also turn down the water a few degrees, I stayed in a place where the water felt barely warm enough to wash dishes and could not be turned higher, it just meant I washed up differently (using running water) but saved a fortune on hot water.

Plugging in devices you do not use costs money, old AV or computer kit is a prime example. Don't bother with Sky, get netflix and save not only on the price per month but on electicity too. Same with two routers, consolidate to one means less electricity and you can sell old ones on eBay.

There are lots of moving costs so to begin with do not take on any obligations of monthly fees, even if you are doing OK financially, every penny saved goes towards that holiday!