Price Statement from EBICo re Equipower/gas - is it time to leave them?

EAB2

"At EBICo, in addition to ensuring that we offer the fairest electricity and gas prices in the UK, we’ve also always tried to keep our prices stable - overall that means cheaper - rather than constant changes in price which costs customers money. Over the past 4 years, on average our competitors have changed their prices 7 times – and most of those were increases. In the same period we’ve moved the price of EQUIGAS and EQUIPOWER on just 2 occasions. However, we know that recently other companies have put their prices down. And we want you to know that we have been thinking about how to do the best for you the customer. So we are pleased to announce that we will now “benchmark” the price of EQUIGAS and EQUIPOWER. Essentially what this means is that we’ll match the moves that Scottish and Southern Energy make to their general gas and electricity tariffs. We believe that in benchmarking our prices to those of a major energy company whilst at the same time continuing our not for profit ethos – which means us not having to return money to shareholders - we can continue to deliver competitive prices and help those for whom paying for energy is a major headache. If we can make your home energy package better value we will, and we are always looking for ways to do this. EQUIGAS and EQUIPOWER will continue to remain the best deal for prepayment meter holders and our promise remains; to be fair, honest, and the cheapest we can."

So please help me!

I have been with Equipower and Equigas for about a year and in that time they increased their prices around 30%, whereas everyone else has cut their prices lately.

The statement above tends to suggest they wont be cutting their prices unless SSE do, and they did so fairly recently. So is it time for me to switch again?

British Gas (spit) Click Energy 4 and Priority Response which includes central heating cover looks like a good deal, but I am loath to go back to British Gas after their appalling service last time I was a 'customer'

If anyone is clever enough to get an effective comparison, i am in AL5 and live in a 3 bed semi with elec cooker and gas heating. I have done the comparison sites but most of them do confusing X for the first units then Y for any more tariffs so I cant really make a correct comparison, can I?

The Central Heating cover is worth around £200 a year unless I am much mistaken

Woby_Tide

I think you're a bit confused by smoke and mirrors here. Just because Ebico have 'increased' prices by 30% since you joined whilst all the others have decreased it's a bit telling that an Ebico price with 30% on top is still on a par with the majority of other companies who have even reduced their prices. What was the difference prior to that. It's a shame Ebico have changed policies but on the face of it, if they are matching one of the big comapnies then it's likely to just retain a level playing field going forward, bad for the consumer really but then if you factor in customer service and their polcieis then Ebico still comes out close to one of the best in a fair amount of calculations.

As for the British Gas deal, it looks to have worked it's magic on you with teh slick advertising. priority response isn't strictly heating cover, it means they turn up within 24 hours before they attempt to over charge you, if you read the T&C's you'll see its worth £18 per year, not £200. if you need lots of work doing to the boiler, then it might even out over a year, if something minor goes wrong you still pay a minimum of £120 so you could win or lose.

It's really a question of just how much you will save going elsewhere. It's also an odd time to move in some ways as all teh cheap months have just passed so all your 'excess' if you pay by DD will have mounted up to keep your payments low over winter. If you move now you'll be in debt straight away to the new supplier due to more expensive bilsl so they will probably set a high initial DD.

Choices choices

EAB2

OK so i AM very much mistaken. Priority response just means they'll come out and see me if the boiler breaks, I'd still have to pay them £160 when they come

ic

I jumped ship on Electric in May to BGs Click 2 tariff, I've just switched both the gas and electric to Click 4 - I won't save massively, but I will get the quidco £80 switching bonus which will pay off what I owe on my gas account! I've had no problems with BG - calls have been answered quickly and paperwork has all been correct.

midflight

Stick with Ebico. Please don't go back to BG.

I'm just in the process of switching from BG to Ebico, and I wouldn't stay with BG if they promised me free fuel for life.

Switching suppliers/tarrifs via Quidco just to earn a few extra quid is not the pathway to a happy life. Sticking with a fair, simple, and ethical not-for-profit organistion is worth a few pennies, I reckon...

CrazySaver

ic wrote: »

I jumped ship on Electric in May to BGs Click 2 tariff, I've just switched both the gas and electric to Click 4 - I won't save massively, but I will get the quidco £80 switching bonus which will pay off what I owe on my gas account! I've had no problems with BG - calls have been answered quickly and paperwork has all been correct.

How did you manage to get £80 Quidco for switching from Click2 > Click4 ?