Cheap Energy Club: Misleading Pricing!

editor1

Bit confused with Cheap Energy Club price comparison system, having checked out the guide I'm being quoted savings that don't actually exist and am doing this comparing Avro Energy with OVO. Simple fact is CEC displaying wrong tariff for OVO, in my instance instead of showing 'Better Energy Online' charges, its showing 'Simpler Energy' online charges, which are more than 1 pence more per KWH than they actually are with OVO's best deal - that's on electric charges.

Anyone else having this misleading issue?

That said, having gone through the figures correctly, no doubt my folks will save approx. £10 per month with Avro Energy, which ain't bad, but no where near the claimed £200 plus savings CEC is displaying.

Avro's own comparison being more in line with reality if checked on their website, which suggests on present tariff we are paying only a Fiver per year more with OVO on present Better Energy Online costs as of today, but save considerably more once present deal with OVO ends in February and I make it £10 per month once £60 Duel Energy rebate taken in to account.

Opinion please?

System

Comparisons for consumers on a fixed tariff with LESS than 12 months to run are misleading because that is how Ofgem mandates comparison sites to work. MSE CEC provides both the Ofgem-mandated comparison and, imho, a more accurate 12 months on present tariff compared to 12 months on this tariff comparison.

Just in case you are even more confused, the calculation goes like this. Let's assume you have 1 month left on your present fixed tariff:

Price for next 12 months = 1 month on present tariff plus 11 months on supplier's SVR equals £X

Price for next 12 months on new tariff equals £Y

Savings = £X-Y

Because X has been artificially inflated then so are the savings.

The moral is for your own sums.

editor1

Hengus,

many thanks for input. AND 'YES' IT'S BLOODY CONFUSING!

However, no doubt at all folks will save money with Avro Energy based on standing charges and lower gas and electric costs to the tune of £120 based on my calculations - if it was a saving of only £3-4 per month not really worth the hassle given we now have OVO smart meters installed, however, 10 quid a month is not small change!

teddysmum

It's better to go to individual providers' sites and put your usage into their calculator (or use their prices to do your own calculations).

Cardew

teddysmum wrote: »

It's better to go to individual providers' sites and put your usage into their calculator (or use their prices to do your own calculations).

Not however if you are trying to find the best tariff charges from your present company. e.g. if you are, say, an Eon customer you won't be able to have the best Eon tariff.

This is because some companies penalise loyal customers by preventing them having access to the cheapest tariffs!

Also going to individual provider's sites will not show the many 'collective' tariffs that are offered from time to time.

So much for Ofgem's declared intention of simplifying the tariff structure!!!

System

Cardew wrote: »

U

So much for Ofgem's declared intention of simplifying the tariff structure!!!

I agree. Ofgem has just rolled over in face of the CMA's recommendations. I sense that they thought that failure to do so would result in the Govt coming up with a new Regulator. No bad thing imho.