Price rises that Energy Suppliers don't tell you about

Mark333032

I switched my gas and electric to Orbit in March to their 10%4life tariff. It was he cheapest deal coming up on Cheap Energy Club. The last communication I received from Orbit about rates in mid Feb meant I expected to be paying about £2.5k per year.

I was vaguely aware of general energy price increases in April but had not received anything from Orbit about increases and I have still yet to receive a bill. So today I emailed Orbit asking about rates and was surprised to see learned they have gone up by 20% overall which makes the 10%4life deal poor value for money in comparison to others that are available. I asked Orbit why they had not informed me of price rises and why the rates are not shown on their website. Orbit pointed out that the T&Cs for 10%4life state that Orbit will not inform customers of price rises. They did not answer my question about rates not shown on their website

This is all rather unethical in my view. If Orbit are hiding price rises in this way, then other suppliers are likely to be doing the same, so watch out.

Here we go....time to switch again

Hasbeen

It is good practice to check the rates on your statements regularly on your online account?

PaschalFun

Mark333032 wrote: »

... If Orbit are hiding price rises in this way, then other suppliers are likely to be doing the same, so watch out.

Here we go....time to switch again

Why? Whats the point? :huh:

PaschalFun

Mark333032 wrote: »

I switched my gas and electric to Orbit in March to their 10%4life tariff. It was he cheapest deal coming up on Cheap Energy Club. ...

The Orbit tariff still is 10% discounted. But it is discounted against a cap the regulator changed, and was well publicised here on MSE.

If you are a member of the Cheap Energy Club, you should be being alerted if there is cheaper tariff that has since come to market, or which becomes available as a result of an increase in a variable rate tariff which seems to be the issue here.

Mark333032

Hasbeen wrote: »

It is good practice to check the rates on your statements regularly on your online account?

Indeed it is...but I have yet to receive a statement

Mark333032

PaschalFun wrote: »

Why? Whats the point? :huh:

The point is Orbit imposed a 20% hike on my fuel bills without telling me. They say they don't have to tell customers about price rises because it says so in their T&Cs. If Orbit is doing it, then other probably are as well - so best to check. Frankly, I find this unethical. Don't you?

PaschalFun

Mark333032 wrote: »

The point is Orbit imposed a 20% hike on my fuel bills without telling me. They say they don't have to tell customers about price rises because it says so in their T&Cs. If Orbit is doing it, then other probably are as well - so best to check. Frankly, I find this unethical. Don't you?

You knew what you were signing up for

You had the option to fix & forget

But you chose the 10% less than the ofgem cap tariff. The recent change to the ofgem cap was spoken about when the ofgem cap came in late last year

Hasbeen

Mark333032 wrote: »

The point is Orbit imposed a 20% hike on my fuel bills without telling me. They say they don't have to tell customers about price rises because it says so in their T&Cs. If Orbit is doing it, then other probably are as well. Frankly, I find this unethical. Don't you?

No not unethical if it states it in the t&c that you agreed to.

If people don't read them , that's not the company's fault.

Mark333032

PaschalFun wrote: »

The Orbit tariff still is 10% discounted. But it is discounted against a cap the regulator changed, and was well publicised here on MSE.

If you are a member of the Cheap Energy Club, you should be being alerted if there is cheaper tariff that has since come to market, or which becomes available as a result of an increase in a variable rate tariff which seems to be the issue here.

I am and yes I was. But initially I thought there was some sort of mistake because Cheap Energy Club was showing tariffs £500 per year lower than my Orbit tariff to which I had just switched. So I checked the Orbit rates CEC was using and compared them with the rates I had been quoted by Orbit in mid Feb when I started my switch (which was completed on 6 March). The CEC Orbit rates were 20% higher than what I thought I was paying. Having heard nothing from Orbit about price rises I thought CEC had made a mistake and emailed Orbit to check. Lo and behold, CEC was correct and Orbit seem to think it is OK to stay silent about price rises hiding behind some dubious clause in their T&Cs. Orbit don;t even publish their tariff rates on their website!

Hasbeen

Mark333032 wrote: »

I am and yes I was. But initially I thought there was some sort of mistake because Cheap Energy Club was showing tariffs £500 per year lower than my Orbit tariff to which I had just switched. So I checked the Orbit rates CEC was using and compared them with the rates I had been quoted by Orbit in mid Feb when I started my switch (which was completed on 6 March). The CEC Orbit rates were 20% higher than what I thought I was paying. Having heard nothing from Orbit about price rises I thought CEC had made a mistake and emailed Orbit to check. Lo and behold, CEC was correct and Orbit seem to think it is OK to stay silent about price rises hiding behind some dubious clause in their T&Cs. Orbit don;t even publish their tariff rates on their website!

To check the prices on their site enter your post code number of bedrooms and it shows you the 10% etc tarrif and rates.

Mark333032

Hasbeen wrote: »

No not unethical if it states it in the t&c that you agreed to.

If people don't read them , that's not the company's fault.

Hands up, I did not read the T&Cs. Just because something is in the T&Cs does not mean it is ethical. If a supplier is increasing prices for whatever reason, they have a duty to inform their customers.