Add your feedback on energy supplier Powershop

donbb

I've been advised to switch to Powershop, read the site options and some of this forum comment, my conclusions are:


Npower - can f off, bad nasty experience with them


Buying packs based on what market is doing, how much I reckon I might use, using too much and having to pay extra for it plus the effort, doesn't work for me. It's very similar to the ridiculous pensions we have in the country'. I'm not an investment expert, why should I know what alternate investments are good, whether my current defaults will work, how long for, and when to switch, and why should I paid for someone else, a complete stranger, who wants to make money out of me, to advise me, wisely or badly?


It's all socially injust.

fewkeste

donbb wrote: »

I've been advised to switch to Powershop, read the site options and some of this forum comment, my conclusions are:


Npower - can f off, bad nasty experience with them


Buying packs based on what market is doing, how much I reckon I might use, using too much and having to pay extra for it plus the effort, doesn't work for me.

It's not that much of an effort once you have an account and know what you are doing. You are not tied in so you could join and if it's not for you leave. Powershop is operating under the Npower licence in the UK but they reassured me they are NOT Npower.

It is possible to get a very competitive price with not a lot of effort via Powershop.

soberton

Re donbb, Like fekeste, I have been with Powershop over 12 months. I would say that I have had nothing but extremely good experiences with Powershop - N Power or no N Power. I would also add that you are better not taking the advice to join Powershop if you will find it difficult to provide a weekly meter reading and look at the Powershop mobile Phone app or check your online account regularly in order to purchase ALL the offered Powerpacks. If you can be bothered then you will realise AT LEAST what your Top Shopper projections are.

irishesman

Hi All
been with powershop for 3 weeks now, and so far it's been really positive.
I have one question. Is there a way to add cash to the account without buying packs or some baseline energy. My logic being that my energy costs over the year average out to £150 pm. This month I've only spent £80 so I'd like to add the other £70 so that I don't have a bill of over £200 over the winter months.
The only way I can see to do this is to buy the excess amount using baseline energy and then promptly refund it.


Also, this sort of tariff is calling out to use a smart meter, but customer services are telling me they wont be using them until the end of 2019. Is this true?


Thanks

Tafrock

I am keen to find out how I may use my smart meter with powershop also
I believe powershop are carrying out investigations into customers using their existing smart meters. It certainly would be a great help

To set up a fixed payment to your account balance you should ring customer services and they can do this for you

Don't think its possible to do it yourself via the app or website

Despite all the alterations to our tariffs powershop still remain the cheapest fixed price tariff for myself though it is in essence a capped tariff as buying powerpacks reduces your fixed price

neilsedaka

Setting up a fixed payment to Powershop would I should think increase the credit balance at non-discounted rates, therefore circumventing the whole essence of Powershop. The end result would be expensive electricity.

So irishesman should consider putting the £70 aside into a savings account to be used to buy all of the discounted Powerpacks offered when they eventually become available.

Tafrock

No it wouldn't. There is a difference between credit which is electricity you have already paid for in powerpacks and credit ie Real credit which shows as a balance stored in your account.

You then use this real credit (balance) to purchase discounted powerpacks as and when you like instead of paying for each one by direct debit or payment card

I've been using this balance to pay for my powerpacks until this month as I asked for a refund of old low value powerpacks back in January

The refund was given to me promptly by showing it as a credit balance ie real credit in my account

I could have had this balance put back into my bank account but instead kept the £85 showing as a credit balance in my account and used it to buy new powerpacks as and when necessary

Most peoples real credit ie balance is zero as we just pay for powrpacks directly from bank accounts but I can see the advantage if someone wanted to top up this balance with a regular fixed amount each month

fewkeste

@irishesman Why on earth would you want to have credit sitting on your account earning nothing for you? Future Packs are of course credit sitting on your account but they eventually yield a discount as the reward for the money tied up in them. As neilsedaka posted, why not put the excess money you have currently into an online regular saver account (you can get up to 5%) while you have spare cash and so get a bit of interest - not a lot admittedly but better than nothing.

Most online savers allow you to alter the monthly payment so when funds are not so readily available you could reduce the payment into the account to as little as £1 a month. Depending on who you bank with there may already be a regular saver account available to you.

I know Santander, Nationwide, LLoyds and the TSB muppets have them (because I have an account already with three of them.)

neilsedaka

At present I have regular savers with Bank Of Scotland, Halifax, HSBC, Leeds Building Society, M&S Bank, Nationwide, Santander, TSB, and Virgin Money.

fewkeste

neilsedaka wrote: »

At present I have regular savers with Bank Of Scotland, Halifax, HSBC, Leeds Building Society, M&S Bank, Nationwide, Santander, TSB, and Virgin Money.

Wow! I'm impressed - way more than me. Do you have to have a current account with each of them to 'open access' to the regular saver?