Which Supplier!!!

MightMouse

May be some lovely people here can help me. I would be very grateful.
I have been trying to work out which is my best provider. I have asked for help from my friends, one has been unable to find the time to help me, and the other says stop on the variable rate with my current provider as things tend to even out in the long run. However, a Charity told me that variable rates are higher.
Customer Service is a high priority to me - I prefer to speak to call centres in the UK if I have to communicate via phone. I do not mind if the firm is well known or not. What is important is that they have patience when I try to communicate with them, extra time is needed because of multiple disabilities. I am listed as a priority customer with my current provider. I am not bothered about it being a green provider.
Here are the results of the web sites where I have entered in my current details but I am unable to make any sense of the figures - can you help me please? Thank you so much.

The USwitch web site says I would save the following:
Bulb - Vari Fair - No contract or early exit fee. Saves £259.15
Aryon - Fixed Rate 12 month contract with no exit fees £222.45
Scottish Power Supersaver 2020 B3 - Fixed contract 12 months, early exit fee £30 per fuel.
Saves £224.40
Octopus 12 months fixed, no exit fee. Saves £202.25

CAB Switching web site says I would save the following:
Green Oak - No tie ins or cancelation fees, Annual Costs £620.00, Save £145.62
Outfox, One Variable 6.0 £667.59
Implicity, Cauliflower 18 Price Capped for 12 months cancelation fees apply. Cost £677.72, Save 387.96

Martin Lewis Switch
Top was Scottish Power - I note they have a record for poor service so I have ruled this out.
EBICO - Prime 24 3v Estimated Costs is £841 per year, Savings of £152, Cash back £25.00 after three months. Fixed till September 2020.
Next was Npower, Go Green Energy at £863 per year, Fixed tariff till September 2021, Saving of £142 including cash back. £60 early exit fee, £25.00 cash back after three months.
EBICO - 12 fixed v4 Estimate of £851 per year, fixed trarif for 12 months, Saving of £142, £60 early exit fee, and no cash back.

Robin9

I think you are in danger of confusing yourself - you have a wide range of "quotes".

1) Forget about saving - this is based on a Regulator ruling that says "savings" are based on what happens if you stay with your present supplier and your tariff becomes a standard (ie expensive) tariff. Just look at the bottom line cost.

2) Also forget about exit fees - unless you switch within the fix period they won't apply apply

3) Forget about the "bribes" for switching - treat them as a bonus.

4) One thing you have not included is the WHD - assuming you qualify. Not all suppliers support this.

I wonder if you are using the same info when looking at the various sites. Are you using an ACTUAL consumption figure in kwh - not £'s or number of rooms or number of people or type of flat, house. The various companies will have different ways of guessing your consumption? Are you consistent is saying how you want to pay - monthly, by DD etc ?

I personally prefer a fixed tariff rather than variable - with variable you have no control over what the supplier will charge next week let alone in 6 months time.

I suspect that many people never contact their supplier and if they do it's probably about disputed bills that are caused by bills that have been estimated. The message is read your bills at least monthly, tell you supplier online, keep your own records, read and understand your bills when they come. Remember it is rare for someone to read you meter these days.

Who is your current supplier, what is the tariff, when does your tariff end ?

MightMouse

That is probably true Robin. "I think you are in danger of confusing yourself"
1. Can you direct me to which is the easiest way to do this?
Just look at the bottom line cost.
2. I do not know what WHD is.
I entered the same kwh figure, and I say the same things each time from a list that I keep in my hand.
Green Start is the Energy Provider.
Variable Tariff - no end date.

Centage

MightMouse wrote: »

May be some lovely people here can help me. I would be very grateful.
I have been trying to work out which is my best provider. I have asked for help from my friends, one has been unable to find the time to help me, and the other says stop on the variable rate with my current provider as things tend to even out in the long run. However, a Charity told me that variable rates are higher.
Customer Service is a high priority to me - I prefer to speak to call centres in the UK if I have to communicate via phone. I do not mind if the firm is well known or not. What is important is that they have patience when I try to communicate with them, extra time is needed because of multiple disabilities. I am listed as a priority customer with my current provider. I am not bothered about it being a green provider.
Here are the results of the web sites where I have entered in my current details but I am unable to make any sense of the figures - can you help me please? Thank you so much.

The USwitch web site says I would save the following:
Bulb - Vari Fair - No contract or early exit fee. Saves £259.15
Aryon - Fixed Rate 12 month contract with no exit fees £222.45
Scottish Power Supersaver 2020 B3 - Fixed contract 12 months, early exit fee £30 per fuel.
Saves £224.40
Octopus 12 months fixed, no exit fee. Saves £202.25

CAB Switching web site says I would save the following:
Green Oak - No tie ins or cancelation fees, Annual Costs £620.00, Save £145.62
Outfox, One Variable 6.0 £667.59
Implicity, Cauliflower 18 Price Capped for 12 months cancelation fees apply. Cost £677.72, Save 387.96

Martin Lewis Switch
Top was Scottish Power - I note they have a record for poor service so I have ruled this out.
EBICO - Prime 24 3v Estimated Costs is £841 per year, Savings of £152, Cash back £25.00 after three months. Fixed till September 2020.
Next was Npower, Go Green Energy at £863 per year, Fixed tariff till September 2021, Saving of £142 including cash back. £60 early exit fee, £25.00 cash back after three months.
EBICO - 12 fixed v4 Estimate of £851 per year, fixed trarif for 12 months, Saving of £142, £60 early exit fee, and no cash back.

Lets make it simple for you.

1. What is your anticipated anual consumption in kwh for each fuel
2. What is the first part of your postcode?
3. What is your current supplier & tariff?

Are there are preferences you have with regards what you will have e.g. how you pay? are you prepared to consider separate suppliers to save money? Do you want a fixed tariff ? etc
Or are you just looking for the cheapest possible option?

I see you want a supplier with a call centre where you can contact them by phone. Do you care how long they are open? Do you want 24/7/365 access to them or would Mon-Fri during normal office hours be ok? etc

Centage

Who are 'Aryon' ? :huh:

I've never heard of them before, and don't seem able to find them on uSwitch either, but you obviously did

Still, if you provide the above info, I'm sure all will become clear

ashe

I work for one of the big 6 (about to become the big 5) and I wouldn't go with any of those really.

One thing we have done for the last 2-3 years is bounce around suppliers offering referral fees. If you get a group of mates that are wanting to save money, and switch between these suppliers (the likes of bulb, pure planet, utility point etc) you can save a fortune - our gas/elec bills are generally around £900 a year for our 4 bed detached (2 people, but every gadget/tech item going) and we've paid about £400 a year or less after referrals. Every time we switch we let people know who to and our referral link and they all follow suit as it saves them keeping an eye on it. They then get free credit/cash, we get free credit/cash and they refer some of their mates as well to do the same thing.

Lot of these suppliers pay your exit fees when you switch to them as well. Saves us all a packet of cash.

If you do use sites like MSE cheap energy club, its not always in your best interest to use that service to switch - Bulb for example is £25 cash back through MSE but a referral link from a bulb member will get you £50 (or at least it was when I last used them) but they regularly bump it up to £75, and I even saw it be £100 previously too. These benefits can stack up fast! Don't rely on them if they are miles away from being the cheapest though - see them as a bonus - but if you have a good group of friends/relatives that want to save money, this can be a really effective way of cutting bills for you.

Robin9

MightMouse wrote: »

That is probably true Robin. "I think you are in danger of confusing yourself"
1. Can you direct me to which is the easiest way to do this?
Just look at the bottom line cost.
2. I do not know what WHD is.
I entered the same kwh figure, and I say the same things each time from a list that I keep in my hand.
Green Start is the Energy Provider.
Variable Tariff - no end date.

1) As you've already done - one of the comparison sites
2) Warm Home Discount - worth £140 - subject to you claiming it if you recieve benefits like Pension Credit

I think you mean Green Star - what is your tariff rates - kwh and standing charges - and what is your annual consumption.

As others have said you can reduce your bills by using referrals - however as you are find the process of comparing tariffs difficult I respectively say to you keep it simple.

Gerry1

Follow all the advice above and get comparisons for annual cost from Citizens Advice and Which?. Note that some other sites (sadly including MSE's Cheap Energy Club) don't show some of the cheapest suppliers.

You can see Customer Service ratings at Citizens Advice. If you're really nervous, choose a variable tariff or a fixed tariff without exit penalties.

Do a comparison for dual fuel and then check whether separate suppliers for electricity and gas would work out cheaper.

You may find that Variable Direct Debit gives simpler bills than Fixed Direct Debit and gives you get a better idea of how much you are spending. E.On offers this but unfortunately many companies don't, and it means higher bills in winter and lower in summer.

Remember that some companies collect their first DD almost as soon as you sign up, so don't run your bank account down too low.