How to get new I HD and check cheaper suppliers

PennineAcute

Never ever switch, on the say of a salesman at the door. They only want one thing, and that is their commission. Will they tell you the truth to help them set that commission - I will leave it for you to decide.

PennineAcute

I had one last year from Utilita, who just completely lied to me. Told him no thanks, I am on a fixed tariff. He replied, well your standing charge can change. In the end, I told him to Post Office.

Robin9

crazyshady wrote: »

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How do you know that Tina is cheaper than Katy. I can't see any details on what the differences are. ....................

What would be difference between the smart meters? Don't they all operate the same? Do they have you locked in at certain kwh/ per year? I thought the energy suppliers decided everything and the smart meter was just standard for everyone.

So every month I read the meters and give those readings to Nabuh? What do they do with those readings? For instance will they automatically put me on a different tariff if I am not consuming as much or is that something I need to keep on top of and make sure I ask to be on the right tariff or do the meter readings have a different function?

I used a comparison site and that listed Tina as a few £ cheaper than Katy.

Smart meters are very similar but the older ones called SMETS1 will only communicate with the supplier that installed them - they will not (generally) communicate with other suppliers.

Your supplier will write/email to you when a tariff is about to end - if you ignore this then the tariff will become a standard tariff.

crazyshady

He said they don't represent any specific supplier. I guess I should have known better.

If I call Spark on Monday and tell them to cancel will it be OK or will they make it difficult?

My first name has a unique spelling so I don't know if that's why I haven't had any emails but there's been no paper bills or anything. I will have to find the letter but I am sure the letter says something along the lines of being on a cheaper tariff but I don't recall it mentioning the name or the specifics. When I'm on the phone to Nabuh I will make sure they have the correct spelling of my name and email address on file. I'll also ask to create an online account because when I try and do that with the account number they gave me it says not recognized. Will I also ask them how long I will be on the Katy tariff and if I change tariff can I ask them how long I will be on that tariff and if it's time specific?

Robin9

Tariff's like Katy are generally fixed for 12 months from the day you started. Often there may be an exit penalty should you change to another supplier but this is often waived if you change within the existing supplier. As above Nabuh will email you before Katy ends.

Have you looked in your spam folder for missing emails. (or is your late fathers email account still live)

crazyshady

His email is still live. I've checked both and no emails at all. I actually had the account changed over when the supplier was still Avid. The most I have is a text from Nabuh giving me a PAN ID for Gas and an account number but the account number and email is not recognised when trying to register an account.

One of the things in the letter from Nabuh is that there would be no exit fees if switching to another supplier but since I am staying that should be fine? I don't know if things will change on Monday but the person I spoke to on the phone said I could change tariffs but I don't know if there would be a charge for that? Should I ask to be put on the Tina tariff?

I see on their website it is easy to give meter readings so I will be doing that regularly but the lack of contact and the fact that sometimes it can be a while waiting for someone to answer the phone annoys me. The app is not great as it doesn't give any info, it only lets you top up. I only just got an answer this week about the IHD but that's well over a month now I've been asking for help. I've sent emails and never got a reply and I've never once seen their live chat working so all of that stuff has affected my opinion of them but if I'm better off staying with them just now and trying to get on a cheaper tariff I will and if giving regular meter readings is going to keep me right and keep me on a low tariff then I will do that.


I do believe things happen for a reason so maybe I was meant to go through all that today to learn about all of this. I knew nothing about reading meters or tariffs and obviously with the gas meter I don't like messing around with anything like that so me poking around down there I just don't like it. It's not easy to read as it is but I can do it. I think I was too comfortable with the IHD and just having the price in front of me of what I was using and what I had left.


Thank you to all of you who have replied to me and helped me out today. Hopefully I keep learning about all of this. I've also put in a request for a smart meter with them.

mac.d

You mention topping up, so is that how you currently pay your gas and electric? Is this how you know you spend roughly £10 per week on electric right now, because its a pre-payment meter that you need to top up? This would also explain why you don't have many bills or letters detailing your costs and kwh usage figures.

Pre-payment meter costs cheaper now, but most of the cheaper, 1 year fixes with exit fees are based on you paying by direct debit every month, and you will get at very least annual statements and sometime monthly bills (usually by email).

Using a comparison site you need to use those usage figures you have from Utilita (Electricity - 3,100 kwh per year, Gas 5,840 kwh per year*), and know what tariff you are on with your current supplier, and if its a pre-payment meter you have. Putting that information in will give you a rough comparison that you can use to pick the best option for you.

*(Are those figures from when your Dad was still in the house, as you may be using less than that now if you are on your own?)

crazyshady

How do I know if it's a prepayment meter I have? Prior to getting the smart meters we either used the keys that you slide into the meters to top up. We would take them to the local newsagent, then plug it straight into the meter and it would accept the top up. Since we got the smart meters installed I just always did via the apps on my phone. Always pay as you go and only topped up when we needed to. No direct debits or anything like that.

Yes those figures are from when my Dad was here and it's only very recently I am here on my own and I use very little of anything so I would expect those costs to be much cheaper going forward. I just didn't know about meter readings or how to take them or why to take them.

I contacted Nabuh and they said to contact Spark and when I called Spark they said a cancel request had already been put through so it's been refused so I think means everything is ok?

I still need to get things sorted with Nabuh and make sure they have my correct email address and they need to give me my correct account number to set up an online account with them. I would like a new IHD but I can manage just now.

It was mentioned that a different tariff Nabuh have is cheaper than the one I currently have, since I am Pay As You Go, is it still worth me asking them to switch me to that other tariff or does that mainly affect those paying by direct debit and work out cheaper for them?