comparison sites commissions

mrwowfactor

I always find the best deal through comparison sites but then switch directly via the new supplier's site thus saving them the commission, if everyone did this suppliers
costs reduce and bills could (hopefully) go down.
Does this make sense?

System

mrwowfactor wrote: »

I always find the best deal through comparison sites but then switch directly via the new supplier's site thus saving them the commission, if everyone did this suppliers
costs reduce and bills could (hopefully) go down.
Does this make sense?

Not all suppliers (particularly, the newer ones like Iresa) do not pay PCW referral fees. Sites like MSE Cheap Energy Club make this very clear in their listings. In an ideal World, reduced costs should lead to lower prices; however, ........

The only real advantage that I can see in signing up directly with a supplier is that it reduces the risk of something going wrong in the PCW to supplier process.

JJ_Egan

If everyone did that result is NO comparison sites .

System

JJ_Egan wrote: »

If everyone did that result is NO comparison sites .

Ofgem might then have to establish one PCW funded by suppliers; ie, no third-party referral commissions.

Cardew

JJ_Egan wrote: »

If everyone did that result is NO comparison sites .

Whilst this argument has been made for years, there is no doubt that the hundreds of £millions profit that goes to the comparison websites is paid for by the consumer in increased prices.

Wouldn't it be better if we had a single Government backed organisation - like the Energy Saving Trust(which do little now) to run a single comparison website. They could run it at cost and we could be assured that they wouldn't try to 'steer' customers toward firms that paid higher commission.

JJ_Egan

Whats next nanny state best tv guide best MP3 player best consumer forum .

mrwowfactor

In nnswer to everyone
"there would be no comparison sites" - It doesn't cost £££ions to create a site
even a robot could do it so they are simply parasitic I don't know why the
suppliers don't suggest my idea to customers. Of course this might impact on
M.L.S shares in moneysupermarket.com he could even suggest this idea on his TV prog.
some chance.

mrwowfactor

and BTW who pays for those annoying compare site ads ?
yes you and me it's added on to the gas bill

Anthorn

mrwowfactor wrote: »

I always find the best deal through comparison sites but then switch directly via the new supplier's site thus saving them the commission, if everyone did this suppliers
costs reduce and bills could (hopefully) go down.
Does this make sense?

In my experience not a lot of energy companies accept business via comparison sites and therefore the comparison sites will not be earning commission from those companies. For example when I compare on Switch and leave the filter at the default of tariffs which can be arranged through Uswitch I get just two cheaper tariffs. However if I change the filter to all companies I get 17 cheaper tariffs.

Tom99

I use the comparison site to choose a suplier, then clear cookies and go via a cashback site if there is an offer via quidco etc.