How should I go about changing and fixing gas and electricity?

racing_blue

Maybe distrust was the wrong word footyguy, but you can't see their eyes. With their free meerkats and Stunt Herberts. Because I can't help thinking there are no free Stunt Herberts.

But what you say sounds fair.

As for smaller suppliers vs big companies- I'm open minded. But the upside seemed small & the downside unknown- so I made a snap decision after asking here. Good for 2 years now, maybe in 2018 I'll look again.

Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to comment & share their smarts

macman

Why do you want 'the longest possible fix'? What matters most is the rate at which you fix, not the duration. At a time when prices are falling for the first time in many years, I would not recommend anyone to fix for more than 12m ahead, unless the tariff has no ETC attached.

racing_blue

Macman I think both rate and duration matter. Cost = rate * duration.

My view, it is certain that prices have fallen, but by no means certain that they will continue to do so.

JJ_Egan

racing_blue wrote: »

Macman I think both rate and duration matter. Cost = rate * duration.

My view, it is certain that prices have fallen, but by no means certain that they will continue to do so.

That is true but you are betting that they will rise more than the excess you are paying .Even in past years when prices where on the rise no fixed long term worked out cheaper for me . OK in year three i may be slightly underpaying but the overpayment in years one and two cancelled that out .

System

I agree that now is not the time for long-term fixes. With summer almost upon us and with gas and oil stocks high, suppliers are going to be hard-pressed to defend a price cut before the coming Winter. The OP would have best served by signing up with, say, E.oN who allow tariff hopping without penalty.

racing_blue

It's a good thought, but I'm happy with what is done: electricity fixed at 10.4p per kWh until January 2018 and gas at 2.2p per KWh. I can switch sooner and the penalty would be £30 per fuel.

Thanks for the guidance, this is the first year I have actually sat down and thought about buying energy

backfoot

racing_blue wrote: »

It's a good thought, but I'm happy with what is done: electricity fixed at 10.4p per kWh until January 2018 and gas at 2.2p per KWh. I can switch sooner and the penalty would be £30 per fuel.

Thanks for the guidance, this is the first year I have actually sat down and thought about buying energy

Who is this with? Are they VAT inclusive prices?

I am paying 2.276p/KWh for gas and 10.0275pKWh for electricity (both Vat inclusive) .There are no exit charges.

I can't see any particular gain from a long term fix.

[Deleted User]

Half the compare sites don't want to show you the unit and standing charge price but that is all I'm interested in. Whichever supplier has the lowest pence per unit and daily standing charge then I'm in.

I don't care about fixing and direct debits or paying the same each month. It's all !!!!!!!!.

System

Deleted_User wrote: »

Half the compare sites don't want to show you the unit and standing charge price but that is all I'm interested in. Whichever supplier has the lowest pence per unit and daily standing charge then I'm in.

I don't care about fixing and direct debits or paying the same each month. It's all !!!!!!!!.

Comparison sites have to comply with what is know as 'The Confidence Code': an Ofgem requirement. Given that 70% of consumers are still on a supplier's standard variable tariff, these people are unlikely to drill down to the level of detail needed to get the best possible deals: usually, with 2 separate suppliers. If one applies the KISS principle, then comparison sites do work well at the macro level. They provide a simple comparison between this is what you are paying now and this is what you will pay on the following list of tariffs. The projected savings are also accurate for these consumers.

footyguy

Deleted_User wrote: »

Half the compare sites don't want to show you the unit and standing charge price but that is all I'm interested in. Whichever supplier has the lowest pence per unit and daily standing charge then I'm in.

I don't care about fixing and direct debits or paying the same each month. It's all !!!!!!!!.

Well use the half (your figures, which I would not agree with as I 've yet to come across a site that doesn't give the tariff details) that do.