Switching tariff with same supplier as if new customer

palsapal

My current elect/gas tariff comes to an end 30/4/17. At which point the account will be £240 in credit.

The best tariff I've been offered by the current supplier seems to be based on the inflated 2016/17 spend rather than the actual (£240 less).

This seems to be reinforced with the quote I get online with the same supplier as if I'm a new customer - £180pa less than what's being offered.

I've spoken with customer services who say that the prices offered to new customers are not available to existing ones.

The question is: will the online application (as if a new customer) be accepted & could I end up with two contracts as, if I don't accept one of the ones offered then I'll be switched to a more-expensive default tariff as of 1/5/17.

wavelets

palsapal wrote: »

My current elect/gas tariff comes to an end 30/4/17. At which point the account will be £240 in credit.

The best tariff I've been offered by the current supplier seems to be based on the inflated 2016/17 spend rather than the actual (£240 less).

This seems to be reinforced with the quote I get online with the same supplier as if I'm a new customer - £180pa less than what's being offered.

I've spoken with customer services who say that the prices offered to new customers are not available to existing ones.

The question is: will the online application (as if a new customer) be accepted & could I end up with two contracts as, if I don't accept one of the ones offered then I'll be switched to a more-expensive default tariff as of 1/5/17.

The answer to your question lies in the text I have highlighted

The only way you could apply for this tariff would be to switch to another supplier, and then switch back ... assuming the tariff is still available by that time.

If you disagree with the anticipated annual consumption your current supplier indicates (you suggest it is inflated) then ask them to review it - the meter does not lie

If it is correct that your account will be about £235 in credit once you are billed according to an actual meter reading at the end of your contract, as you suggested here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=72333866&postcount=74

Then I would even go as far as to say you over-estimated your annual consumption last year, and should consider knocking it down even more. Again, your meter readings will help you convince the supplier of this.

victor2

You will not be able to fool them into thinking you are a new customer, even if you do it online as if you were. As a "new" customer, they will find out who your existing supplier is in order to handle the transfer...
Always use your annual kWh usage when looking at future costs. Put that into a comparison site and see who comes up with a good deal and you would be happy to switch to. Completely ignore the stated "savings" as they will be utter nonsense as your existing tariff is about to end, only look at the predicted costs for the kWh usage figures you input.
If switching looks worth it, and the supplier has half-decent reviews, then go for it.

phillw

victor2 wrote: »

If switching looks worth it, and the supplier has half-decent reviews, then go for it.

All energy companies have bad reviews, picking the one with the lowest number of bad reviews is no guarantee that everything will go well. So there is an argument that you should go for the cheapest and be prepared for something to go wrong and you might be pleasantly surprised, rather than pick a slightly more expensive one and expect it to go smoothly and be disappointed.

Personality and income play a big part in what choices are best for you.

System

There is the little but not insignificant matter of meter numbers. The supplier would know instantly that the property was already on supply.

palsapal

I attempted to switch last week only to find out that my address has what's referred to as a "partial postcode" i.e. it does not appear on the national elect/gas database. So I can't pick it on the switching procedure & can't go any further.

This can be corrected but by the current supplier only, who was asked to do this last Tuesday & it has still to be actioned. Strangely this has not been a problem with the two previous suppliers I have used at this address.

As far as my annual consumption is concerned, I am plotting monthly kWh figures on a Moving Annual Total basis which enables me to estimate future demand. But I've only been at the address for 20 mths so I originally accepted the estimated figures provided by the supplier for size of house, etc. I'd previously lived in a house with no gas so didn't have any historical figures.