It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!!

MallyGirl

atw_uss said:

Octopus have worked well for us over the past couple of years (although response rate to emails has been painfully slow at times). They fitted our smart meters with no issues when Ovo could not. I do keep checking the tariffs and they seem to remain one of the most competitive providers. We opt for the Green Options, so never the cheapest but not too far off.

Now I just need to persuade my husband to use thermostats and close doors ....

we are with pure planet right now, which is green for both, and their rates are quite a lot lower than octopus for variable. We are high users so go for lower rate/higher standing charge for best savings. I am going to switch to Sainsbury's I think - green electric but not gas. We'll get a smart meter which might focus people's mind - like Mr 'the hifi sounds better when it is left on all the time to stay warm'!

Bravepants

I had smart meters installed when I was with EDF and now I am with Pure Planet. I still have the smart meters but they cannot be used with Pure Planet, which does annoy me somewhat. One limitation is that they need the internal SIM card to be changed for each provider!

atw_uss

Bravepants said:

I had smart meters installed when I was with EDF and now I am with Pure Planet. I still have the smart meters but they cannot be used with Pure Planet, which does annoy me somewhat. One limitation is that they need the internal SIM card to be changed for each provider!

Interesting - will take a look at Pure Planet, as we come out of the fixed rate in a couple of months. Not being able to 'reuse' smart meters is a bit of a pain, although I find ours never seems to transmit all the time and I often end up not bothering looking at all. It is a bit scary on cold winter days though.

michaels

Melvinsmum58 said:

michaels said:

Because of the way the cap works I suspect that until the reset next March it will be best to stay with an existing fix and then roll onto the standard variable tariff although it is not impossible that the situation my be so difficult for the suppliers that there may be an emergency cap increase.  I would definitely not switch to any company not in the 'big 6' right.

But which of the big 6 give good customer service? It isn’t just about cost….

We have just been moved from British Gas to their Evolve brand, with no permission required, very little notice and, it seems, Evolve are very difficult to contact. No phone line, online chat times out, emails take days.  DD details not transferred across, now 2 showing on our bank app…having been loyal to BG for many years as their CS was good, we will almost certainly switch now. But where to? I am happy to pay a little more for a company who will talk to me.

I certainly wasn't recommending them based on price or CS, just on probability that they will still be in business next spring.

westv

Bravepants said:

I had smart meters installed when I was with EDF and now I am with Pure Planet. I still have the smart meters but they cannot be used with Pure Planet, which does annoy me somewhat. One limitation is that they need the internal SIM card to be changed for each provider!

This is why I will never get a smart meter until this problem  is resolved.

Sea_Shell

westv said:

Bravepants said:

I had smart meters installed when I was with EDF and now I am with Pure Planet. I still have the smart meters but they cannot be used with Pure Planet, which does annoy me somewhat. One limitation is that they need the internal SIM card to be changed for each provider!

This is why I will never get a smart meter until this problem  is resolved.

I'd just have to send DH back out in the cold to read them manually!

trevjl

atw_uss said:

Octopus have worked well for us over the past couple of years (although response rate to emails has been painfully slow at times). They fitted our smart meters with no issues when Ovo could not. I do keep checking the tariffs and they seem to remain one of the most competitive providers. We opt for the Green Options, so never the cheapest but not too far off.

Now I just need to persuade my husband to use thermostats and close doors ....

I am with Octopus too. Not the green tariff as green tariffs imo are the biggest load of old cobblers going. A bit like throwing a barrel of mineral water in a swimming pool and saying you only swim in mineral water. All electricity generated is supplied to the national grid. You can not choose which bit of electricity you are supplied with, no more than you could choose which water come out of your taps

QrizB

westv said:

Bravepants said:

I had smart meters installed when I was with EDF and now I am with Pure Planet. I still have the smart meters but they cannot be used with Pure Planet, which does annoy me somewhat. One limitation is that they need the internal SIM card to be changed for each provider!

This is why I will never get a smart meter until this problem  is resolved.

That problem has been resolved for almost all customers. Only old SMETS1 smart meters used SIM cards, the current SMETS2 ones generally use a different radio network. Most SMETS1 meters can be upgraded to work with the new system.

michaels

trevjl said:

atw_uss said:

Octopus have worked well for us over the past couple of years (although response rate to emails has been painfully slow at times). They fitted our smart meters with no issues when Ovo could not. I do keep checking the tariffs and they seem to remain one of the most competitive providers. We opt for the Green Options, so never the cheapest but not too far off.

Now I just need to persuade my husband to use thermostats and close doors ....

I am with Octopus too. Not the green tariff as green tariffs imo are the biggest load of old cobblers going. A bit like throwing a barrel of mineral water in a swimming pool and saying you only swim in mineral water. All electricity generated is supplied to the national grid. You can not choose which bit of electricity you are supplied with, no more than you could choose which water come out of your taps

The way I see it they need to put in as much green leccy as you pull out.  So the more people who opt for a green tariff the more leccy suppliers will need to buy green energy which will eventually mean that the price of green electricity rises compared to not green (as more and more people want to buy only green) and this price difference will encourage green generators.  So no direct impact but hopefully over time it will make a difference.

shinytop

MallyGirl said:

MallyGirl said:

scary isn't it - I went on the MSE energy checker and it said I was on the cheapest tariff already but I might look at the fixed version even if it is more.

Wow - I just went to look at the prices if I was to fix with current supplier. Gulp!
variable rate:
gas - 3.409/kWh plus 26.3p/day standing chg minus a £15 dual fuel discount
elec - 17.725/kWh plus 26.3p/day standing chg minus a £15 dual fuel discount

fixed for 12m:
gas - 6.46/kWh plus 21.9p/day standing chg minus a £6 dual fuel discount
elec - 24.83/kWh plus 21.9p/day standing chg minus a £6 dual fuel discount

would take my annual bill from £3k to £4.7k. Shows how much they expect prices to rise.
Time to Switch

Since this is an MSE site it's worth pointing out that dual fuel deals are rarely the cheapest.  I fixed electricity last month at 16.5p for a year but I don't know if that is available now.  BTW that's a lot of energy use if you've got gas... 

I think gas will come down again but maybe the days of ultra cheap 3p per kWh prices are over.