Which comparison site can I trust?

Gerry1

EnergyTwist wrote: »

Citizens Advice and Which both use Ofgem accredited energy comparison site Energylinx.

So they will both have all the same info as Energylinx, but the others don't pay possible cashback.

Interesting. But they all work in noticeably differently ways and they don't give identical results.

I'd agree that Which? uses Energylinx, although it's slightly less accurate because E7 is only to 5%. Which? gives the same results, even including Gulf's 'exclusive to Energylinx' tariff. But the results from CA and Energylinx don't seem comparable: Energylinx misses out Green Network Energy, but CA miss Northumbria Energy.

Citizens Advice doesn't look up your type of electricity meter (e.g. E7) because it doesn't ask for your address. That means you can also get single rate quotations if you have an E7 meter.

Energylinx looks up the electricity meter, but is slightly less accurate because it asks for the percentage used at night to 1% (why??) instead of the simple Night and Day kWh values shown on the bills. Although it asks for the address, Which? doesn't check the meter and is even less accurate (E7 night usage only to 5%).

Another problem (apart from persistently defaulting to the Narrow Market) is that Energylinx doesn't include results from Outfox The Market. It's probably because OTM don't quote for E7, their sister company Eco7 does that. At least CA allow you to find companies that offer cheaper single rate tariffs for people with E7 meters.

I thought I was well aware of all the mega-complicated rules to get the best deals from comparison sites (try dual fuel, then separate gas / electricity, then with E7 as single rate, then looking for exclusives on commercial PCWs, then deleting cookies and checking cashback sites such as Quidco etc) but now it seems to be even more complicated than I could ever have imagined...

wild666

Don't trust any of them. Before you do any comparison get the prices of your meter, daily charge, per Kw/h then when you get the comparisons it will tell you what your supplier is charging you for each day and Kw/h, these can often be out of date.
I did this and the cheapest supplier, beginning with L was exactly the same as I was paying only the daily charge and prices where not what I was paying, I cannot remember if their was a charge for leaving but I didn't change to them I stayed with Bulb.

P.S.
If you have a smart meter and have already left the supplier who installed it the charges on the IHD won't be what your supplier is charging unless it's a SMETS 2 meter, so use a bill for the charges.

poppellerant

The one I use and trust is Energy Helpline:
https://www.energyhelpline.com/

nigelbb

JohnChapman26 wrote: »

I always use Energy Compare by the Citizens Advice

I know it's powered by Energy Helpline but its the only one that doesn't try to force you to a supplier it receives money from.

However be aware that Citizens Advice doesn't show every deal available. Some cheaper tariffs are only available by going through a website that gets a backhander from the supplier.