* New MSE energy collective? Math done, now fingers crossed . . .*

hybernia

Like many others here, we're on the great British Gas deal engineered by MSE Cheap Energy Club (for which, MSE, grateful thanks!)

Like many others, too, we've received an email from BG advising that the collective fix deal ends on October 3rd next. The comparison data provided in the email makes for eye-watering reading.

Our present Cheap Energy Club British Gas tariff is: gas consumption, £574.07, based on 19,593kWh per year; electricity consumption, £405.42, based on 3,587 kWh per year. Total: £979.49 per year.

British Gas's standard 'variable price' tariff will kick in if we're daft enough to let it on October 4th: gas, £837.60 a year, electricity, £619.58 a year. Total: £1,457.18.

That's a rise of £477.69 a year, more than 48.5%.

British Gas does have an alternative fixed tariff for us to change to: 'Home Energy Secure' to August 2019. If we go for that, we will save the magnificent sums of, er, £5.08p a year (gas) and £8.87p a year (electricity.) In total then, our annual bill on the new, generous 'Home Energy Secure' tariff will be . . . £1,443.23.

Not being on the large renumeration packages that Centrica's management receives, £1,443.32 for a year's, er, generously discounted dual fuel from British Gas is, to us, an expensive prospect.

We've looked at possible alternatives identified by MSE Cheap Energy Club but this forum has been so stuffed full of horror stories about new-to-the-market companies in recent years that we wouldn't seriously consider any of 'em. EDF is all that's left; and you know things are bad, are actually very bad, when EDF looks attractive.

At the moment then, we're waiting with fingers crossed that MSE can spring another collective fix for us and all the thousands who're fellow Cheap Energy Club members. We're certainly not going to take up British Gas's 'Home Energy Secure' because the parsimonious savings on offer will likely be outweighed by penalties for early exit anyway. . .

We just wondered if, having done their own math, how many others are also thinking that the British Gas alternative is no alternative at all, and that, right this moment, switching is Not A Good idea, and wait-and-see the best course? :money:

System

What makes you think that MSE will be able to pull a rabbit out of that hat? The days of market-beating collective deals are, imho, long gone as Ofgem has relaxed the rules on tariffs and the discounts that suppliers can offer. Smaller suppliers - that tend to have the cheapest tariffs on the market - are not offering PCW referral fees. Other suppliers - like Bulb and Tonik - are only offering referral fees to their existing customers. MSE - and other collectives - have struggled to come up with a good offer in the last 12 months or so.

adonis

I know what you mean, I will have to scour the existing suppliers directly to hopefully get it cheaper and avoid a huge increase in costs.

System

If people are happy to look at separate suppliers, I can give an unqualified endorsement of Zog for gas. No frills or gimmicks - just cheap prices, simple accurate billing and excellent customer service.

I am presently with Powershop for electricity. Their billing and customer service is also excellent but their offer is complicated as it requires an upfront purchase of energy to get the cheapest prices. An ongoing concern - which doesn’t just apply to Powershop - is the protection of my credit balance as Powershop is the trading name of PS Energy which is not a licensed energy supplier. PS Energy is a limited company set up by NPower. Under English Law, parent companies are not normally responsible for the debts of any limited companies that they may set up. Ofgem is still considering a question from me about the applicability of the Consumer Levy protection (5 weeks on still no answer).

Another supplier that is getting excellent feedback on this and other forums is Bulb. A quick Google search will reveal a £50 referral fee which is paid both to you and your chosen referrer.

fredandwilma

Looking at the Seven year UK energy price forecast to 2021, it's looking like the early half of 2018, to July 2018, could well be a good time to switch, particularly for a long term fix.

https://www.techuk.org/images/Seven_Year_Forecast_Jan15_20150130_JFF1042.pdf

Nothing is set in stone, but worth watching? I know i shall be following energy prices closely. Unfortunately, you can't predict, forecasts.

hybernia

Hengus wrote: »

What makes you think that MSE will be able to pull a rabbit out of that hat? The days of market-beating collective deals are, imho, long gone as Ofgem has relaxed the rules on tariffs and the discounts that suppliers can offer. Smaller suppliers - that tend to have the cheapest tariffs on the market - are not offering PCW referral fees. Other suppliers - like Bulb and Tonik - are only offering referral fees to their existing customers. MSE - and other collectives - have struggled to come up with a good offer in the last 12 months or so.

Thanks Hengus. I'm not sure I agree with you.

The current MSE British Gas collective was definitely introduced within the last 12 months. And MSE Cheap Energy Club reports -- no promises made, of course -- that it's hoping to have some news next month.

I don't know how many people are signed up as club members but if it amounts to several hundred thousand, that's one helluva lot of business to be gained in one go by any supplier without the usual acquisitions cost.

As to Ofgem and its 'relaxation' of rules, it's my personal experience of Ofgem that it is so utterly supine that its inertia couldn't get any more. . . relaxed.

Would love to see the Government wading into the price gouging venal Centrica via the regulator, but sadly, to believe that is to believe that Elvis is alive and well and driving a London double decker on the moon. It was, after all, a Conservative administration which privatised energy supply in the UK. . .

hybernia

adonis wrote: »

I know what you mean, I will have to scour the existing suppliers directly to hopefully get it cheaper and avoid a huge increase in costs.

We started to scour, but quickly gave up: the Cheap Energy Club listing of possible alternatives features a raft of suppliers about whom nothing is known.

'No customer feedback' is more than enough for us never to become customers in view of all the complaints raised on MSE from people who've signed up to new energy supply operators.

There needs to be a recommendation before we'll do anything -- and a recommendation from someone whose views we respect (like Hengus here.)

Chino

Hengus wrote: »

No frills or gimmicks - just cheap prices, simple accurate billing and excellent customer service.

The very fact that you have clearly had to make so much use of Zog's customer service to be in a position to conclude that its customer service is "excellent" is hardly a ringing endorsement of the supplier.

hybernia

fredandwilma wrote: »

Looking at the Seven year UK energy price forecast to 2021, it's looking like the early half of 2018, to July 2018, could well be a good time to switch, particularly for a long term fix.

https://www.techuk.org/images/Seven_Year_Forecast_Jan15_20150130_JFF1042.pdf

Nothing is set in stone, but worth watching? I know i shall be following energy prices closely. Unfortunately, you can't predict, forecasts.

Agreed. I'd happily accept a crystal ball instead of cashback any time.

Thanks for the link: I'm off to read it now. (Where would I be without threads as constructive as this??)

hybernia

Hengus wrote: »

If people are happy to look at separate suppliers, I can give an unqualified endorsement of Zog for gas. No frills or gimmicks - just cheap prices, simple accurate billing and excellent customer service. . .

. . . Another supplier that is getting excellent feedback on this and other forums is Bulb. A quick Google search will reveal a £50 referral fee which is paid both to you and your chosen referrer.

Thanks, Hengus. Appreciated. Will investigate tomorrow.

Zog and Bulb though. Were they not running kingdoms in Middle Earth??

Pedro1877

This is all I can find on this site. Surprised that there are not more posts but I have just received my letter of doom from British Gas this morning. What a joke and an insult. At least they fitted my smart meter after my first complaint!

BIG SWITCH 7
We’re hoping to run another collective switch later this year. We currently don’t have a date, and with challenging conditions in the energy market there’s no guarantee it will happen.
Though we’ll always aim to beat the cheapest tariff out there, today’s cheap deals may not be around when our next collective starts. So you can fix and lock in your prices now to be safe, or hold on and see if we can negotiate a better deal.
If we do get one, full details will be included in the MSE weekly email.