When to switch, fix coming to an end ?

asturdy2

Im on a NPOWER fix until the end of march for electricity which is cheaper than anything on the market now, with prices rising should i switch as soon as i can leave penalty free as i think the fixes that are on the market now maybe replaced with more expensive fixes if i leave it till the end of march.

footyguy

asturdy2 wrote: »

Im on a NPOWER fix until the end of march for electricity which is cheaper than anything on the market now, with prices rising should i switch as soon as i can leave penalty free as i think the fixes that are on the market now maybe replaced with more expensive fixes if i leave it till the end of march.

If you want to lock into a deal available today, particularly as you will incur no early exit fees for switching, then the answer has to be yes.
Suppliers are pulling tariffs all the time, and prices are currently rising.

dogshome

Between a 41 - 49 day window before the end of your present tariff, n'power should contact you advising the end date of your tariff and the future tariff options available from them.
Once you are in this window, you can Switch to another supplier without penalty

nPower

asturdy2 wrote: »

Im on a NPOWER fix until the end of march for electricity which is cheaper than anything on the market now, with prices rising should i switch as soon as i can leave penalty free as i think the fixes that are on the market now maybe replaced with more expensive fixes if i leave it till the end of march.

Hi asturdy2,

Please contact us using the details on our profile page if you'd like help with your tariffs.

Thanks

Jen

System

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi asturdy2,

Please contact us using the details on our profile page if you'd like help with your tariffs.

Thanks

Jen

I fear that it might be quiet in NPower CS for some time to come. I switched suppliers 2 months ago. If I switched again today, the cheapest dual fuel deal on the market would cost me an extra £78 (11%) more. A switch to NPower's cheapest fixed deal would cost me an extra £165 (25%).

Put more simply, the cost difference is equivalent to 3670kWhs of gas which is about 40% of my annual consumption.

I only point this out to persuade people to do a full market price comparison before listening to the sales patter of their current (no pun intended) supplier.

teddysmum

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi asturdy2,

Please contact us using the details on our profile page if you'd like help with your tariffs.

Thanks

Jen

I don't believe that they need help with the tariffs. They can clearly see that all suppliers' rates are higher than their present fix, but that Npower's new tariffs are not the best on offer.


They are just wondering whether to take full advantage of their 'good' fix to the end of its term or to move as soon as possible to another provider before the best deal on offer is replaced by an inferior one.

titanflux

I have recently initiated switches AWAY from Npower dual fuel to separate suppliers. Deal end date is 28 February and I only started the switch process after NPower sent me the formal notification that end of deal was coming (13 January).

They have sent me emails for both energy switches saying that they are charging me an exit fee because it is before the end of the fixed deal. I guess I will check what appears on my final bill and then challenge it, but any pointers on their policy on this?

My electricity switch happened on 6 Feb and gas is still to happen over the coming weeks as Daligas appeared to forget about me altogether until I prompted them!

[Deleted User]

@titanflux
npower cannot charge exit fees if the switch started after they gave you notification of the end of the fix.
You are free to switch without exit fees either 41 days before the fix period ends or if the company gives notice that you are free to switch.
Challenge them now with a formal written complaint using their official complaints procedure.

rdwarr

titanflux wrote: »

I have recently initiated switches AWAY from Npower dual fuel to separate suppliers. Deal end date is 28 February and I only started the switch process after NPower sent me the formal notification that end of deal was coming (13 January).

They have sent me emails for both energy switches saying that they are charging me an exit fee because it is before the end of the fixed deal. I guess I will check what appears on my final bill and then challenge it, but any pointers on their policy on this?

My electricity switch happened on 6 Feb and gas is still to happen over the coming weeks as Daligas appeared to forget about me altogether until I prompted them!

We are in almost the same position. Our NPower deal ends on Feb 28th and last weekend I initiated a switch to Scottish Power via the MSE Energy Club. We've been advised that the likely date for the switch is Feb 27th, one day before end of tariff.

Today we received an Email from NPower stating "As you have left your tariff before the end of the fixed term we will be charging you an exit fee."

Surely they can't do this?

rdwarr

I've now dug out the original contract which states:

Early Exit Fee
If before 11th January 2017 you change your supplier or tariff for
electricity or gas, or both, to which your Price Control Agreement
applies, we may apply a termination fee of £20 in respect of each such
fuel (“Early Exit Fee”). You agree to pay any such Early Exit Fee and
that we may also take this fee by Direct Debit. We will not apply an Early
Exit Fee in relation to this tariff if you change your supplier or tariff on or
after 11th January 2017 or in various other specific circumstances set
out in this Price Control Agreement.

So I'm now assuming that the exit fees quoted to @titanflux and me are a mistake. Hope that's the case and that it is corrected in future correspondence.

dogshome

BG tried this on by claiming that the day they were advised a Switch would take place, was the day of the Switch and they could impose Exit Fee's, this despite Ofgems ruling that the Switch date is the actual day the new supplier takes over

BG got a slap from Ofgem, but maybe the particular BG employee who dreamed up their flawed policy on the Switch rules, has now changed jobs and is now with n'power