Help needed in selecting a new tarif.

BML

I'm currently using PFP Energy and they tell me that I have to select a new tariff so I asked them to advise me what one was the most effective for my use. They replied as follows.
"We are not able to roll customers onto the cheapest tariffs available, this is due to the fact that we are not allowed to roll our customers onto fixed term agreements without the customers permission."


As I'm in my 80s I remember when the energy companies were publically owned and there was no choice but I think that we trusted them. Now we have choice but I trust none of the privatised energy companies further than I can throw them.
I resent having to work my way through the various tariffs have in an attempt to pick the most cost effective one so I have come to this forum to ask for assistance. Part of the assistance might even be that someone tells me there is a more cost effective energy supplier than PFP.

[Deleted User]

@BML

You would be best off working through this article about how to swap http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

molerat

Put your annual kWh consumption into one of the energy comparison sites and it will do all of the difficult work for you.

System

BML wrote: »

I'm currently using PFP Energy and they tell me that I have to select a new tariff so I asked them to advise me what one was the most effective for my use. They replied as follows.
"We are not able to roll customers onto the cheapest tariffs available, this is due to the fact that we are not allowed to roll our customers onto fixed term agreements without the customers permission."


As I'm in my 80s I remember when the energy companies were publically owned and there was no choice but I think that we trusted them. Now we have choice but I trust none of the privatised energy companies further than I can throw them.
I resent having to work my way through the various tariffs have in an attempt to pick the most cost effective one so I have come to this forum to ask for assistance. Part of the assistance might even be that someone tells me there is a more cost effective energy supplier than PFP.

See if you can find a family member that can help or pop into your local CItizens Advice with a copy of your latest bill.

BML

Many years ago when I worked as an Industrial Relations Manager a device was introduced by government referred to as, "A Prices an Income Policy" it had very little to do with prices but everything to do with Incomes in that it was used by government in a failed attempt to hold wage increase down. The Personnel Manager I worked for used to draft a wages offer and then ask me if I understood it and inevitably I had to reply that I didn't. The Personnel Manager then said, great then neither will the Prices and Income board.
Reading the information from PFP reminds me of that Personal Manager because the information appears deliberately designed to be somewhat obtuse so it looks like although I would love to believe that PFP has my best interests in mind I just don't believe that they do so in the same way that I'm forced by the duplicity of motorcar insurance companies to go to comparison sites each year I will also have to use one for my power and I resent that is the case. .

System

BML wrote: »

Many years ago when I worked as an Industrial Relations Manager a device was introduced by government referred to as, "A Prices an Income Policy" it had very little to do with prices but everything to do with Incomes in that it was used by government in a failed attempt to hold wage increase down. The Personnel Manager I worked for used to draft a wages offer and then ask me if I understood it and inevitably I had to reply that I didn't. The Personnel Manager then said, great then neither will the Prices and Income board.
Reading the information from PFP reminds me of that Personal Manager because the information appears deliberately designed to be somewhat obtuse so it looks like although I would love to believe that PFP has my best interests in mind I just don't believe that they do so in the same way that I'm forced by the duplicity of motorcar insurance companies to go to comparison sites each year I will also have to use one for my power and I resent that is the case. .

You are railing against the supplier when it is Ofgem, the Regulator, that sets the policy that all suppliers have to comply with. This includes stating what information suppliers have to put on energy bills. Like it or not, the Government is keen to see more competition in the domestic energy sector: hence, the licensing of 50 plus energy suppliers. FWiW, no energy supplier has the 'best interests of its customers in mind': they often talk the talk but, in my experience, that is as far as it goes. Resent it or not, if you want the best deal then you must run some form of price comparison. Suppliers like the fact that people cannot be bothered.

BML

A simple answer is to Re-nationalise Energy distribution.

System

BML wrote: »

A simple answer is to Re-nationalise Energy distribution.

I am old enough to remember just how bad many of the publicly-owned sectors were. Even if we wanted to re-nationalise domestic energy supply, I doubt that the UK taxpayer could afford the cost of doing so as each supplier is a company in its own right.

EachPenny

BML wrote: »

A simple answer is to Re-nationalise Energy distribution.

In which case, rather than messing around with price comparison sites, the best thing for you would be to switch your energy supply to the standard tariffs with British Gas. This would be as close an approximation of a nationalised energy company as you can get, and no customer input is needed as the tariff just rolls on.

You will almost certainly be paying far more for your energy than you need to though, but can take some comfort that what you pay will probably be a little less than if energy supply was nationalised and the government had even more control over what we paid in order to fund 'green' energy projects.

That said, I believe that a public sector energy supplier 'of last resort' would be a good idea for people who don't like switching and feel they get a bad deal from the big suppliers. For that reason I'm pleased to see local councils getting involved, and companies like Robin Hood being added to the range of options. Whether they are cheaper and/or better than the private sector remains to be seen, but true competition means having different kinds of supplier, not just a choice of six identical companies (just with different owners).

wavelets

BML wrote: »

A simple answer is to Re-nationalise Energy distribution.

So that was the reason for starting this thread yesterday. First post since Feb 2016.

And you would propose who as Chief Financial Officer? Dianne Abbot perhaps?

:cool:

AndyPK

If your 80 and can use the internet your half way there.

put your consumption into a comparison site. Either here or
https://www.uswitch.com

Make sure you note your password down.

Then the data will be there for good.
This is good for 2 reasons.

1) Yearly, when you want to change tariff, you just press a couple of buttons and you will see who the cheaper suppliers are.

2) If prices drop, you will get an email notification of better rates.
I would Select a saving of at least £75 for email notification.

So it's worth doing now.

TIP: You may wish to select "only show big suppliers" so you recognise the companies and they can have better customer service.