Bulb Energy - beware

[Deleted User]

Janisunshine wrote: »

Gosh, I don't think anyone has taken my point.

Yes I do know my usage, both in £ and kWh, I also know the details of my current tariff and yes, Bulb are definitely cheaper. I am not complaining; it was obviously my choice to sign up and therefore not an issue for complaint.

In all my years, however, I have never come across an energy supplier who demands payment BEFORE they even start to supply you, thus Bulb would be taking MORE cash from my account within the remaining period of my contract, whilst offering a considerably cheaper tariff. That's an anomaly that I felt other potential swappers might be glad to know.

I was not expecting a load of people jumping down my throat without bothering to understand what I was actually saying.
It was my first post, but now my last. I'm sorry I bothered.

Usually I think nowadays its only the Big 6 who direct debit after a month.
I would think every small supplier dd s in advance.I can t see a problem myself. No one loses by it either way.
I have had a year with Bulb and if you know a few friends , they run a very generous friends referral scheme of paying £50 to both parties.. They also have some of the lowest rates and do not differentiate between credit or prepayment. They are almost the cheapest prepayment meter supplier apart from Nabah. Personally OP I would stick with them, and tell your friends especially if they use prepay meters and collect £50 a time.Get a couple of referral fees a year and they are the cheapest supplier.. in the UK
Richard Herring, the comedian , was reported to have collected £26k from Bulb when he prompted people to use Bulb on his Twitter account

tempus_fugit

Janisunshine wrote: »

Gosh, I don't think anyone has taken my point.

Yes I do know my usage, both in £ and kWh, I also know the details of my current tariff and yes, Bulb are definitely cheaper. I am not complaining; it was obviously my choice to sign up and therefore not an issue for complaint.

In all my years, however, I have never come across an energy supplier who demands payment BEFORE they even start to supply you, thus Bulb would be taking MORE cash from my account within the remaining period of my contract, whilst offering a considerably cheaper tariff. That's an anomaly that I felt other potential swappers might be glad to know.

I was not expecting a load of people jumping down my throat without bothering to understand what I was actually saying.
It was my first post, but now my last. I'm sorry I bothered.

The reason that people "jumped down your throat" is because you fell foul of the pracice of people selling things to you in what is a poor environment for the prospective customer, ie at a supermarket, at the front door etc. To be honest, the fact that they charge you in advance is largely irrelevant, as many other suppliers do the same and is just one of the things that have to be considered before changing supplier.

The issue is that by signing up in a disadvantageous situation, there could have been any number of other pitfalls that could have occurred, and most readers at MSE already know this. And knowing your usage in itself does not really help. I know my usage too but until I have checked the figures, including the effect of different standing charges, and compared them against my current and other suppliers, I am not in a position to agree to anything. All this has to be done at home and these comparisons, not to mention the small print in the terms and conditions, cannot be checked "on the fly" when talking to a salesperson.

btr30

I think the OP makes a valid point that for some people the cash flow aspect can be a consideration when changing energy supplier. You will have two DDs coming out for energy at the same time from your existing and new supplier, and if you are on a tight budget this can be an issue. You may also have to wait for a period to receive any credit balance refund.
Having said that, I found Bulb Energy to be an easy supplier to deal with but made my switch online with Quidco cashback, and I also would be checking the market rather than taking the advice of a supermarket salesman.
Also if you are not happy with the switch you have a cooling off period to cancel without penalty