Which comparison site can I trust?

nigelbb

I was with OneSelect & have been transferred to Together Energy on their Together OS Dec 18 tariff fixed for six months (Electricity Standing Charge 25.01p/day & 15.02p/kwh Gas Standing Charge 19.06p & 3.56p/kwh). This is about 30% more than I was paying OneSelect which is doubtless one of the reasons that they went out of business.

We have a very large Victorian house & our energy consumption is Gas 68000 kWh per year & Electricity 11000 kWh per year. I am looking for an 18+ month fixed tariff paying by monthly direct debit.

I have been trying to decide which other supplier to switch to on the recommendations of various switching sites but get wildly different results from the different sites.

MSE Cheap Energy Club doesn't even have the Together OS Dec 18 tariff so I can't do a comparison.

https://www.uswitch.com gives my current spend as £4,403.21 per year & promises £401 per year savings with Utility Point but an extra £149.27 per year for a two year fix with Eon. It lists only four suppliers who would save me more than £100 per year

https://www.comparethemarket.com gives my current spend as £4328 & promises £411 per year saving with So Energy but Utility Point isn't even quoted but I can get a two year fix with Eon at a saving of £274. There are nine suppliers with whom I could save over £100 per year.

https://www.simplyswitch.com gives my current spend as £4498.78 per year & promises £390.87 per year savings with Green Network Energy but do not list UP or SO. They list three tariffs with £100 per year savings all with Green Network Energy. A two year fix with Eon will apparently cost me an extra £152.68.

I couldn't be arsed to look at any more sites when I clearly cannot trust any of them.

Why the wide variation? Are they all inaccurate or just taking backhanders from "selected" suppliers?

Is there any comprehensive & independent source of accurate pricing so I can make a sensible decision?

JJ_Egan

Accurate that will be the unit price and standing charge shown for each tariff .
Not some estimated annual usage or DD.

nigelbb

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Accurate that will be the unit price and standing charge shown for each tariff .
Not some estimated annual usage or DD.

My issue is that the various sites are either inaccurate or deliberately only listing “favoured” suppliers. When using a switching website I assumed that they were truthful & comprehensive but it appears they are not. I don’t know if MSE energy club is also guilty as it doesn’t even have my current tariff so I cannot compare.

brewerdave

Since the demise of genuine cashback offers ,I've been using the Citizens Advice tool:-https://energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk/
SEEMS to give realistic costings!
PS It does list the Together Energy OS Dec 18 TARIFF!!

nigelbb

brewerdave wrote: »

Since the demise of genuine cashback offers ,I've been using the Citizens Advice tool:-https://energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk/
SEEMS to give realistic costings!
PS It does list the Together Energy OS Dec 18 TARIFF!!

Thanks. That does look much more comprehensive. There are about 30 tariffs that will save me £100+. They also simply let you compare costs for dual fuel & gas & electric separately.

They don't have the EDF Energy - Simply Fixed Feb21tariff (cheapest of the Big 6) though but then neither do EDF so I assume that it's a special comparethemarket.com deal. This promises me savings of £350 per year so I am tempted as I've had enough of small suppliers as prior to OneSelect in a previous property I was with Iresa & before that Spark. It's also a two year fix & when the pound plummets post-Brexit I'll want as long a fix as possible.

Hasbeen

nigelbb wrote: »

My issue is that the various sites are either inaccurate or deliberately only listing “favoured” suppliers. When using a switching website I assumed that they were truthful & comprehensive but it appears they are not. I don’t know if MSE energy club is also guilty as it doesn’t even have my current tariff so I cannot compare.

Untick the box saying suppliers switch to today to all suppliers You should then see all, same as all sites.

apt

Don't get hung up on how much annual savings you will allegedly make. Usually fiction based on going on to an expensive standard tariff at the end your current deal. Compare your current unit prices and standing charges with the offers. Fixed tariffs are expensive at present. Do you want to lock into 18 months plus at high prices?

nigelbb

Hasbeen wrote: »

Untick the box saying suppliers switch to today to all suppliers You should then see all, same as all sites.

Not so. I would expect all comparison site to show the same tariffs & suppliers as https://energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk/ but they do not.

nigelbb

apt wrote: »

Don't get hung up on how much annual savings you will allegedly make. Usually fiction based on going on to an expensive standard tariff at the end your current deal. Compare your current unit prices and standing charges with the offers. Fixed tariffs are expensive at present. Do you want to lock into 18 months plus at high prices?

I'm looking at the tariff & standing charges & total annual cost of a new deal.

I certainly do want to lock in to as long as possible. The country is about to go to the dogs when the pound drops like a stone plus all the other chaos post-Brexit. In any case this 2-year fix with EDF is less than I am paying now.
Electricity 15.488p per kWh Standing charge 20.48p per day
Gas 3.236p per kWh Standing charge 20.48p per day

Hasbeen

nigelbb wrote: »

I'm looking at the tariff & standing charges & total annual cost of a new deal.

I certainly do want to lock in to as long as possible. The country is about to go to the dogs when the pound drops like a stone plus all the other chaos post-Brexit. In any case this 2-year fix with EDF is less than I am paying now.
Electricity 15.488p per kWh Standing charge 20.48p per day
Gas 3.236p per kWh Standing charge 20.48p per day

That appears expensive to me? will probably get a shock at the end of my fixed term. Currently 10.537p per KWh Standing charge 21.4p per day. Only electric. Plus vat.

brewerdave

Hasbeen wrote: »

That appears expensive to me? will probably get a shock at the end of my fixed term. Currently 10.537p per KWh Standing charge 21.4p per day. Only electric. Plus vat.

Yup - you will get a shock - many of the rates are North of 15p/kwh now:(