Cheap Energy Club - confused

anneevo

I'm slightly confused as to how MoneySavingExpert Cheap Energy Club (CEC) works. According to CEC if I choose Avro Energy I should be paying £34 per month. I know it depends on how much you pay/use but I have updated my usage for the year on here. Yet when I got a quote from Avro they're saying my payments will be £57pm. I know they are giving me that quote based on what I currently pay (I used what I pay as when I put in what I used the monthly payments were even more). I'm just wondering how CEC works out what you would be paying when you change supplier.

WhoIsThat

anneevo wrote: »

I'm slightly confused as to how MoneySavingExpert Cheap Energy Club (CEC) works. According to CEC if I choose Avro Energy I should be paying £34 per month. I know it depends on how much you pay/use but I have updated my usage for the year on here. Yet when I got a quote from Avro they're saying my payments will be £57pm. I know they are giving me that quote based on what I currently pay (I used what I pay as when I put in what I used the monthly payments were even more). I'm just wondering how CEC works out what you would be paying when you change supplier.

Welcome back to MSE after 4 years absence.

It can be confusing can't it? :cool:

The MSE CEC works out the anticipated annual cost of the energy you will use on any particular tariff.
If you have provided the anticipated annual usage in kWh, then the calculation is quite easy.

Otherwise, the CEC will estimate the anticipated annual usage in kWh, to then calculate the annual cost.

It then divides that annual cost by 12 to give you a monthly figure.

Of course, if the CEC has had to estimate your anticipated annual consumption in kWh, then another site may estimate a different figure.

Also, be aware that some suppliers do not ask for 1/12th of the anticipated annual cost in the first year or part thereof. e.g. perhaps they expect you to have a zero balance on the account at a certain date or do not wish you to ever go into debit on the account (although the latter usually affects to those who apply late summer/Autumn/Winter.

Avro say on their website that they do not follow the normal convention of asking for 12 equal monthly payments, but rather 'sculpt' (my word) the payments in an attempt "to keep your balance as close to zero so you do not build up a credit or debit on your account."

anneevo

I understand that. But I updated my energy consumption for last year (a full year to date) on the Cheap Energy Club page. As I say according to CEC I should pay £34 pm based on the figures I'v given. When I got a quote from Avro they say I'll be paying £131pm. However when I put in what I'm actually paying monthly to my current supplier Avro's quote is £34pm. I am currently £20.77 in credit with current supplier. (I currently pay £59.98pm but that's due to go up as my fixed term tariff is due to end).

JJ_Egan

Post your usage here and someone can lookup.

anneevo

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Post your usage here and someone can lookup.

Thanks. But look up what? I'm curious about where Cheap Energy Club gets their prices as there is a discrepancy between what they say Avro should charge me and what Avro have quoted when I go on their website.

molerat

You have entered your annual kWh use on both sites - not annual £, not monthly £ but only kWh ?



CEC will simply multiply that annual kWh figure by unit price, add standing charge and divide by 12.



The supplier may use a different approach such as "sculpting" which is adjusting the DD seasonally or to build up a credit before winter. They may also use the historical data for the property and not what you have provided.

AndyPK

Under the deal, there is a link, called Feedback and info.
This expands and shows the tariff rates. Check these against the other website.

Usually the name is slightly different, so different rates!

anneevo

molerat wrote: »

You have entered your annual kWh use on both sites - not annual £, not monthly £ but only kWh ?



CEC will simply multiply that annual kWh figure by unit price, add standing charge and divide by 12.



The supplier may use a different approach such as "sculpting" which is adjusting the DD seasonally or to build up a credit before winter. They may also use the historical data for the property and not what you have provided.

I'll see if I can explain more clearly.
When I joined the Cheap Energy Club I input my annual fuel consumption. As a result of that the Cheap Energy Club (CEC) has recommended cheaper tariffs, one of which was Avro. CEC say, using the figures I have input, that my tariff with Avro would be £34pm. However when I went onto Avro's website and got a quote, using the same usage figures, it said my tariff would be £131pm - I don't understand the discrepancy between Avro's quote and what CEC said my tariff would be.
Also as an aside when I input my current monthly payments on the Avro site, as opposed to my fuel consumption, the Avro quote then was £58pm.
But it's the difference between what CEC quote and the actual quote I got from Avro that puzzles me.

FullForce

anneevo wrote: »

Thanks. But look up what? I'm curious about where Cheap Energy Club gets their prices as there is a discrepancy between what they say Avro should charge me and what Avro have quoted when I go on their website.

It seems to have already been comprehensively explained in post#2 of this thread by WhoIsThat

You've already replied in post#3 saying you understood that.
But then come along with a completely different set of figures.

:huh:

FullForce

anneevo wrote: »

I'll see if I can explain more clearly.
When I joined the Cheap Energy Club I input my annual fuel consumption. As a result of that the Cheap Energy Club (CEC) has recommended cheaper tariffs, one of which was Avro. CEC say, using the figures I have input, that my tariff with Avro would be £34pm. However when I went onto Avro's website and got a quote, using the same usage figures, it said my tariff would be £131pm - I don't understand the discrepancy between Avro's quote and what CEC said my tariff would be.
Also as an aside when I input my current monthly payments on the Avro site, as opposed to my fuel consumption, the Avro quote then was £58pm.
But it's the difference between what CEC quote and the actual quote I got from Avro that puzzles me.

So do I take it you have not understood the explanation given in post#2 by WhoIsThat?

Please try reading it again, as it seems a very comprehensive explanation to me.

anneevo

FullForce wrote: »

It seems to have already been comprehensively explained in post#2 of this thread by WhoIsThat

You've already replied in post#3 saying you understood that.
But then come along with a completely different set of figures.

:huh:

I didn't use a completely different set of figures. In my initial post I simply posted how much Cheap Energy Club said my tariff would be if I changed to Avro and how much Avro quoted - When I went on Avro I input my annual consumption and the tariff was so much higher than CEC so I then input my monthly payments and got the quote I mentioned in my initial post. As respondents hadn't understood what I was asking I then put; in one of my replies; how much the Avro quote was when using my actual energy consumption.