How to choose supplier with no usage history?

ampattenden

Hi all,


My Dad has been living in a caravan with his partner, who sadly passed away very recently. Before that, he lived in her house with her, and she looked after all the bills. He's now moving into a new house on limited finances (State Pension only) and I'm keen to help him keep costs down.


How can I use Cheap Energy Club or any comparison sites, if we have no idea what he would use?


Of course we can guess that it would be low usage due to single occupancy. Then I'd estimate low electric use as Dad has not joined the 21st century yet, and possibly high-ish gas because the place he's about to start renting tomorrow is a 300-year-old cottage with thick stone walls. People from similar cottages have told us that you have to keep the heating on low all the time or you lose warmth and it takes a long time to get it back.


None of the above translates into kilowatt hours, he has no usage history, and on top of that most comparison sites including the Cheap Energy Club are all geared to people who are switching from another provider and require current supply details as mandatory answers.


Can anyone help please?

Norman_Castle

Search using average usage then unless there is a big saving choose a supplier that you can leave without penalty.

Tom99

Search with one set of figures then up/down them a bit. You will probably find the same supplier comes out on top each time.

Bark01

Most broker sites a have a function to allow you to estimate consumption based on basic property details.

You could always ask the neighbors how much they use. There is an annual projection of consumption on each bill. Its on the second page in the right hand column. Its a regulated piece of info so should be in the same location regardless of the supplier.

The Ofgem national average consumption figures are shown here:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/gas/retail-market/monitoring-data-and-statistics/typical-domestic-consumption-values

I'd suggest entering the low profile class one values for elec and the medium values for gas into broker site and going from there.

If you pick a tariff with no exit fees then you can change after a few months if you find you are using more or less than you estimated. EDF Energy tariff typically don't have termination fees.

As for needing to enter current supplier details into broker sites, most of the variables don't mater just ignore the savings quoted an concentrate on the estimated future total. The only things you need to get right on the current supplier details questions are the postcode/address, the meter type (if you have a bill this will be shown on it) and an estimate of the consumption.

trickytree1963

Good luck searching. Has your dad applied for Pension Credit?