Switching when usage patterns have changed dramatically

andyeb

I'm quite used to switching energy providers at the end of each deal - using the different utility comparison websites. However this year our energy usage has changed dramatically in the last few months, because we bought an electric car in October.

Based on my calculations, I think we will use an extra 1285 KWh of electricity each year for the car.

My questions are therefore:

• How can I make sure I switch to a tariff that gives us the best value based on our new usage patterns?
• We usually go with dual fuel deals. Does this always make sense if you use more of one type of fuel?
• How can we work out whether it would be cheaper to switch to an Economy7 meter for our new usage? We normally charge the car from 3-6am, as this is more environmentally responsible.

macman

Impossible to comment without knowing what your existing heating and hot water systems are. But I very much doubt that, unless you switch to an immersion heater and NSH's,. that using just the car charger on night rate E7 will pay, because almost all of your other leccy usage will be on E7 peak rate.
You would need to post your present kWh consumption on leccy and gas, if installed.
Or just run each model through any comp site. Dual fuel is not always cheaper, so again, check both options on the comp site.

grumpycrab

andyeb wrote: »

we will use an extra 1285 KWh of electricity
How can I make sure I switch to a tariff that gives us the best value based on our new usage patterns?

Future year of electric usage = year of electric usage before car + 1285

andyeb wrote: »

We usually go with dual fuel deals. Does this always make sense if you use more of one type of fuel?

Compare individual fuel costs too.

wavelets

andyeb wrote: »

I'm quite used to switching energy providers at the end of each deal - using the different utility comparison websites. However this year our energy usage has changed dramatically in the last few months, because we bought an electric car in October.

Based on my calculations, I think we will use an extra 1285 KWh of electricity each year for the car.

My questions are therefore:

• How can I make sure I switch to a tariff that gives us the best value based on our new usage patterns?
• We usually go with dual fuel deals. Does this always make sense if you use more of one type of fuel?
• How can we work out whether it would be cheaper to switch to an Economy7 meter for our new usage? We normally charge the car from 3-6am, as this is more environmentally responsible.

How can I make sure I switch to a tariff that gives us the best value based on our new usage patterns?
- use your best guess at what the new consumption figures will be when usin any comparison site

We usually go with dual fuel deals. Does this always make sense if you use more of one type of fuel?
- not very often, but it keeps changing. Easy to compare using most comparison sites

How can we work out whether it would be cheaper to switch to an Economy7 meter for our new usage? We normally charge the car from 3-6am, as this is more environmentally responsible.
- again, consult a comparison site

JJ_Egan

<How can I make sure I switch to a tariff that gives us the best value based on our new usage patterns?>


Should still be the same unit price and standing charge.


<We usually go with dual fuel deals. Does this always make sense if you use more of one type of fuel? >


Depends upon the deal but not always .

ASavvyBuyer

andyeb wrote: »

I'm quite used to switching energy providers at the end of each deal - using the different utility comparison websites. However this year our energy usage has changed dramatically in the last few months, because we bought an electric car in October.

Based on my calculations, I think we will use an extra 1285 KWh of electricity each year for the car.

My questions are therefore:

• How can I make sure I switch to a tariff that gives us the best value based on our new usage patterns?
• We usually go with dual fuel deals. Does this always make sense if you use more of one type of fuel?
• How can we work out whether it would be cheaper to switch to an Economy7 meter for our new usage? We normally charge the car from 3-6am, as this is more environmentally responsible.

We bought an electric car last year and switched to the Octopus Go tariff that charges 5p/kWh from 00:30 - 04:30 and 14p/kWh (for our area) at other times. They then work out an average cost/kWh based on the % at the different rates. Since we switched to Octopus Go our average cost has been about 7.5p/kWh for all our electric.

They only use renewable energy supplies, so basically our car & house runs on sun & wind power.

The car is programmed to charge between 00:30 - 04:30 and also have other electric goods with high usage (washing machine/dishwasher/water heater/etc) programmed to come on at the same time.

In the summer, we still expect the average rate to be about the same, as during the day we will make best use of the power available from our Solar PV panels.