Is there any evidence that comparison sites delivers what they promise?

ChrisK....._3

I am now 764839743982 years old and have changed energy providers 8594032 times
In each case I have entered my energy consumption history into a comparison site and in each case the top results have promised savings of around £100s per year if I switch
In each case I have switched to the 'cheaper' provider, and in each case have not really evidenced any benefit or significant savings????
Switching providers must be a £million pound business in its own right
My question is a simple
Is there any evidence that comparison sites delivers what they promise?
Or is this just a totally bogus £mulit-million scamming device that has zero accountability?

JJ_Egan

Many users read the results wrongly or only put in estimates .
My last comparison promised me between nothing and £30 pa savings .

PennineAcute

If you use that amount of energy you enter into the comparison site, then that is what you pay.

However, if you use their estimated usage, then things can hit the mire. I had to adjust my gas DD this year, as the winter was much colder than has been over the past few years.

JJ_Egan

Likewise with gas much higher use in the spring resulted in DD needing topping up.
Comparison was obviously based upon previous years usage .

System

I see Ofgem's cost methodology at play here which allows some collective switches to claim that Miss X saved £319 by switching this time last year, and other £250 by switching again now.

For consumers on fixed term contracts with less than 12 months to run, the methodology is flawed as the underpinning 12 month's cost assumption is inflated.

ChrisK....._3

I have always entered my actual usage and been promised over £100 saving, but my point is. Did you actually save £30???? I would almost guarantee based on my extensive experience that you did not. So I guess there is no consequences for an energy company to write any price, knowing they are not obligated to honour it

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Many users read the results wrongly or only put in estimates .
My last comparison promised me between nothing and £30 pa savings .

ChrisK....._3

But the previous year also had "a spring" so where have you found this increase from? DDs should be based on annual consumption, so again I can't imagine where or why these "suprises" come from?

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Likewise with gas much higher use in the spring resulted in DD needing topping up.
Comparison was obviously based upon previous years usage .

Xbigman

I have been with Ebico for gas and electric for years but I did spend one year with another supplier for electric after MSE said i could save £60. I did indeed save £60. As Hengus has pointed out, the way savings are calculated for those on fixed tariffs is flawed. For open ended tariff's like Ebico's the methodology works just fine.

For those on a cheap fixed tariff the methodology might say you will save £200 but this is compared to a standard tariff, so you won't see a reduction of £200 you will carry on pretty much as before. Maybe a slight rise over time. The thing is that you did save £200 because if you had done nothing you would have paid £200 more.
My advice is to ignore so called savings and look at the standing charge and unit prices. That is the only sure way to know what you're paying.


Darren

spiro

I ignore the savings figure becuase of the why it is calculated if you are coming off a fixed tariff. I look at how much it says I will pay over the next year and compare that with what I paid over the previous year.

JJ_Egan

ChrisK..... wrote: »

But the previous year also had "a spring" so where have you found this increase from? DDs should be based on annual consumption, so again I can't imagine where or why these "suprises" come from?

Simples in 2018 i used more Gas than in 2017 2016 2015 .
DD is based upon past annual consumption not the future .Not a surprise as i knew i was using more .

ChrisK....._3

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Simples in 2018 i used more Gas than in 2017 2016 2015 .
DD is based upon past annual consumption not the future .Not a surprise as i knew i was using more .

Then how are you comparing like with like??????
Why not just say?
"My bills are higher this year because I consumed more power - BTW, this has absolutely zero to do with price comparison websites and whether or not they deliver what they say - just thought I would have my 2 cents"

I seem to have some very bizarre conversation on this forum