Add your feedback on energy supplier Powershop

Umiamz

When I started my switch away they processed the electricity switch first and the gas a few days later. Between those two dates, they removed the 14% future packs that I hadn't purchased but left the 18% ones. Now that both gas and electricity have been processed, there are no future packs to purchase and the calendar only goes as far as my switch date.

Obviously they won't do anything with the packs you've already purchased because that is your credit that you've built up and it will all be used for your electricity if you only switch gas away.

Tafrock

I never found powershops gas rates particularly competitive hence I'm a zog customer of 4 years now. I recommend them. On uswitch for me at moment only utility point is currently cheaper

tlcgrantham

Thanks Tafrock Fewkeste and many others for this helpful thread. I joined PS in October 18 after reading the helpful advice here. I'm surprised several of you have left or considering leaving as PS remains very competitive for me. I am dual fuel user on E7. My unit costs per kw for electricity have varied between 9.59 to 12.56 and gas 2.17 to 2.85 including the standing charge according to PS (and I've checked is correct). Even on their new Cap linked rates 30% discount is achievable on dual fuel over the year and beats any quote for my use.
Also Ps customer service and information is outstanding

Tafrock

The costs were rising for myself hence I left. I've kept a tally of unit price (not including standing charge) in my time at powershop. It was as low as 7.99p in December 2017. However December 2018 it was 9.26p (still very good). Since then it was 9.77p in January, 9.82 in Feb, 11.01 in March, 11.85 in April and finally 11.95 in May. Reason it was rising was a combination of poor discounts being released for insufficient quantities of electricity and a rise in my standard (sorry baseline) tariff both in terms of standing charge and unit rate.

At the beginning I could purchase high quantities of high discounted powerpacks. I'd virtually run them dry and was relying on new releases to be high discount

My refund (I'm still waiting for it) had been confirmed as slightly over 70 pounds and consists entirely of low discount simple saver packs ie 19.4% or less

Hence why I left. I'm. Now paying 12.41p per unit consistently and 15.5p standing charge (powershops was 17. 57p)

I do miss powershops friendly staff and excellent service and the information available both on the app and on the website.

It was purely down to cost which would have risen again in October come tariff review time. Powershops current baseline tariff is about 18th in my best buy table and that's with topshopper discounts

Equites

Coming now to the end of the first year with Powershop (Electricity only) and consequently they've just sent their offer for the coming year and its pretty poor.
For reference here are the current and new top shopper rates (all VAT inclusive)...

Standing Charge:
2018/19 = 18.71 p/day
2019/20 = 20.318 p/day

Unit Charge:
2018/19 = 12.19 p/kWh
2019/20 = 14.732 p/kWh

Using Which Switch comparison site, this puts the new Powershop offer at number 10 in the list - over £100 more expensive than the cheapest annual offer from Together Energy (£538.53 vs the Powershop estimate of £638.08). That Together Energy offer is variable rate, but even the best Fixed Rate offer is cheaper (Yorkshire Energy £618.69).
So no brainer really, time to move onto another supplier, just need to research how good the other companies are.
As others have said, Powershop offer a unique and interesting way to buy electricity but ultimately that experience is not worth paying a premium for, especially when the top shopper rate requires quite a lot of vigilance on the users part in making sure you buy all of the high discount time limited power packs.

steve900

I don't find it an interesting way to buy electricity at all. I find it confusing, time consuming and too much faff. I want to know I am paying as low as I can for fuel but I also want to forget about it once I have agreed to move supply. Just because it is sucessful in New Zealand does not mean it will work in other countries. Bunnings and National Australia Bank I am sure will agree with me.

fewkeste

Equites wrote: »

As others have said, Powershop offer a unique and interesting way to buy electricity but ultimately that experience is not worth paying a premium for, especially when the top shopper rate requires quite a lot of vigilance on the users part in making sure you buy all of the high discount time limited power packs.

You've hit the nail on the head. The PS way is interesting but it is a pain having to constantly hunt for the best discount packs.

I've posted this thought before - just like electric car owners might suffer 'range anxiety' well sometimes I used to have 'pack anxiety' as I tried to hold out for the best discounted packs.

Now to be fair, the fact that PS use the highest discounted packs first helps to ease that anxiety because less discounted packs can be purchased as a fall back, but what I would have really wanted was sufficient well discounted packs that would allow me to achieve Top Shopper rate all the time.

Now I'm with Yorkshire Energy I'm not having to log on every day to see if new packs have been released. I'll presumably get an email every month asking for a reading, I'll take it, enter it and that's it for another month.

fewkeste

steve900 wrote: »

I don't find it an interesting way to buy electricity at all. I find it confusing, time consuming and too much faff. I want to know I am paying as low as I can for fuel but I also want to forget about it once I have agreed to move supply. Just because it is sucessful in New Zealand does not mean it will work in other countries. Bunnings and National Australia Bank I am sure will agree with me.

It is certainly more time consuming. You might be as well moving to a different supplier as a few are now looking more competitive than PS and packs will have poor discounts until October/November.

fewkeste

steve900 wrote: »

Bunnings and National Australia Bank I am sure will agree with me.

Can you expand on this please?

Tafrock

I see powershop has today released a new pack directors cut according to their Facebook page. I can't see the discount as I'm no longer a customer. Can someone post the level of discount please