Add your feedback on energy supplier Powershop

Quentin

When posters tell us how much they are saving by leaving Powershop they miss that their rates are only applicable in their area, and comparisons depend on their usage!



Equally they can't be cheapest for everyone's pattern of usage or they would come out top of all the comparison sites

Talldave

Essexuser wrote: »

I am somewhat confused by the fact that experienced forum members find Powershop so expensive and in fact back it up with evidence. My confusion arises from the fact that over the last 12 months (Aug 18 to July 19) my Powershop electricity cost has been £341. This is based on buying the special packs when they become available with only 2 future packs and no baseline packs purchased in this period.

I have obtained a couple of quotes based on my annual usage from the suppliers mentioned on here and they don't come anywhere close.

Am I missing something here?

What did you get for your £341?

Essexuser

Circa 3700 kw.

fewkeste

Essexuser wrote: »

I have obtained a couple of quotes based on my annual usage from the suppliers mentioned on here and they don't come anywhere close.

Am I missing something here?

If you are a customer still in your first year then it appears you will be getting better discount offers than customers who have been with PS longer.

We surmise that once a customer passes the one year mark the Powerpacks they are offered tend not to be of such a high discount and for not such large amounts as similar usage level customers in their first year.

In the first year it becomes relatively easy to exceed the Top Shopper tariff, but from year two onwards you definitely sense less discount that is worth having is available to buy.

Sure there are Jumbo packs for large amounts at poor discounts and it's important to remember that every pack you buy that is at a discount less than the difference between your Baseline Tariff and your Top Shopper Tariff has to be compensated by more purchases that are at a discount greater than the Baseline to Top Shopper difference.

So the thing is - are the quotes you are getting from other suppliers being compared with your calculation of what you will achieve going forward or what Powershop tell you your effective Top Shopper tariff will be? If it's the latter you need to be wary - it may be difficult to actually achieve Top Shopper tariffs from year two onwards - they are not guaranteed.

Somebody did make the point that because the effective achievable Top Shopper rate is on the Tariff information label, it is sort of guaranteed. It would be interesting to ask PS if it is.;)

Boohoo

fewkeste wrote: »

If you are a customer still in your first year then it appears you will be getting better discount offers than customers who have been with PS longer.

We surmise that once a customer passes the one year mark the Powerpacks they are offered tend not to be of such a high discount and for not such large amounts as similar usage level customers in their first year.

In the first year it becomes relatively easy to exceed the Top Shopper tariff, but from year two onwards you definitely sense less discount that is worth having is available to buy.

Sure there are Jumbo packs for large amounts at poor discounts and it's important to remember that every pack you buy that is at a discount less than the difference between your Baseline Tariff and your Top Shopper Tariff has to be compensated by more purchases that are at a discount greater than the Baseline to Top Shopper difference.

So the thing is - are the quotes you are getting from other suppliers being compared with your calculation of what you will achieve going forward or what Powershop tell you your effective Top Shopper tariff will be? If it's the latter you need to be wary - it may be difficult to actually achieve Top Shopper tariffs from year two onwards - they are not guaranteed.

Somebody did make the point that because the effective achievable Top Shopper rate is on the Tariff information label, it is sort of guaranteed. It would be interesting to ask PS if it is.;)

I have been with PS for just over 2 years for electric and i also had gas with them for about 12 months but left 2 months ago to go to Utility as they were cheaper.


I have noticed that this year my electric monthly bill after discount packs is about £10 pm more than last year and to get any where near to the same as last year my discount would have to be at 25% discount on the 17.5 unit price. The discount packs have not been any where near that for a few months.


As for my gas my 1st month with Utility was £10 cheaper for May and the units used were nearly the same as last year with PS.


I think PS are only good for the 1st year and then the prices go up.

Boohoo

Boohoo wrote: »

I have been with PS for just over 2 years for electric and i also had gas with them for about 12 months but left 2 months ago to go to Utility as they were cheaper.


I have noticed that this year my electric monthly bill after discount packs is about £10 pm more than last year and to get any where near to the same as last year my discount would have to be at 25% discount on the 17.5 unit price. The discount packs have not been any where near that for a few months.


As for my gas my 1st month with Utility was £10 cheaper for May and the units used were nearly the same as last year with PS.


I think PS are only good for the 1st year and then the prices go up.

Just as i was doiny this post i got my account review from PS.


For 273 units used of electric it would cost me £52.48 and after they used the pack discounts the total was reduced to £41.14 and that is for 30 days of power. I make it just over 21% discount on the bill including the daily charge so £1.37 per day.

tlcgrantham

Why? Because the Price Cap is almost certain to be reduced in October. Baseline and it's twin Npower Standard tariff are set at the maximum Price allowed by the Energy Regulator so have to fall when it is reduced. This means that high discounts locked in now by buying future winter packs will be off the reduced Baseline.

Essexuser

In answer to Fewkeste's question, I joined PS in October 17.

DocFrog

Orbit Energy have today emerged as my best switch for electricity with their "Beat The Cap Extra - Jul19" Variable tariff. 12.088p/kWh and 23.07p/day.

I have been with PS less than 1 year and am on the Oct 18 tariff. My usage is 6500kWh/yr and the Orbit tariff equates to a current average monthly discount of 26.2% and 33.6% against the current PS2019 Issue 3. The tariff has no exit fees and Orbit scores 93% Great/Excellent on Trustpilot.

The final month of my first year is November when I have locked in a 31.9% discount. My "loss" on that month is equivalent to my "win" on each and every other remaining month.

This month's 20% and 14.1% PP discounts are derisory and a slap in the face to all PS customers, 1st year or not.

Nuff said. I'm off.

fewkeste

Essexuser wrote: »

In answer to Fewkeste's question, I joined PS in October 17.

In that case are you achieving the Top Shopper rate each month? The generally accepted view is that once a customer passes the one year mark, the % discount and total value of Powerpacks offered are reduced such that it becomes difficult to achieve sufficient discounted credit in your 'pot' to cover your bills in the Spring/Summer and Autumn months whilst achieving Top Shopper rate.

Are you still able to do that?

I left in April because I suspected that the Powerspacks that were likely to be offered in the Spring/Summer/Autumn wouldn't allow me to achieve my Top Shopper rate.

From what people are reporting on this forum my suspicions were correct.