Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

NonGeographicalMan

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

Can somebody please tell me how long the 'leading' supplier generally stays in the lead? If I switch from company a to company b , will in a few weeks / months company c become a better deal ? Then awhile later will company a make sense once again?

The currently leading supplier at your postcode for your useage may stay in the lead anywhere from one week to a maximum of about six or eight months.

If it is a variable price deal then the best priced deal today might take two or three years to become one of the least good deals in your area or even then it might still be average. However the fixed price deals for a set period mainly still seem to roll off on to an unattractive rate (often the company's standard non discounted tariff) at the end of the fixed period unless you take action to lock in another low fixed rate.

You certainly need to move at least every two and a half years or so to avoid ending up with a really bad rate. And then there are the cashbacks for moving on top from people like www.topcashback.co.uk Of course now there are penalties for leaving early but even that has been offset by ever larger cashbacks for moving supplier (that significantly exceed the penalty for leaving in some cases).

NonGeographicalMan

oly2c wrote: »

I think this is mistaken. If you do a Uswitch comparison now you will see the following at the top of the results table:

Its a rather complex and hotly argued subject.

This article on the Daily Mail's This Is Money website shows you just how complex it is.

See https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-rip-offs/article.html?in_article_id=442577&in_page_id=5

oly2c

http://www.switchwithwhich.co.uk are independent and don't accept commission so are probably the most reliable comparison site. They don't give cashback but that can be obtained elsewhere once you have settled on your target.

Premier_2

oly2c wrote: »

http://www.switchwithwhich.co.uk are independent and don't accept commission so are probably the most reliable comparison site. They don't give cashback but that can be obtained elsewhere once you have settled on your target.

All the switching sites in the resource bar above are also independent.
They are paid commission from any resulting switch, but at least offer to share that with the customer if you use the MSE links to their sites.

The payment of commission does not affect the output of any of the comparison sites ... so why not use the ones that will pay you for switching?

Better still, once you've used the comparison sites, check out the cashback sites to see if you can't get a better cashback deal going to the suggested supplier/tariff with the cashback site.


Edit: what makes you think switchwithwhich are not paid commssion for any resultant switch? Just because they don't share it with customers doesn't mean they don't get paid it

Edit 2: Their faq's actually say they do receive commission (which they refer to as an administration fee)

http://www.whichswitch.co.uk/cms.php?m=faq&issue_id=99&topic_id=26&sid=azA6Ojo6Ojo6OjotMTotMTowLjAwOjo6OjpuOi0xOjo6OjA6MDowOjo6bjo4My4yMzEuMTg0LjMwIC0gNDg2MDUzOjo6OjowOjo6OjotMTo6LTE=&cid=&wm=-1

spaceboy

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

No if you don't like the tariff you are on you identify a cheaper one at www.energylinx.co.uk, www.whichswitch.co.uk or www.uswitch.com then you don't actually switch to it using those sites but instead after creating a free acoount at www.topcashback.co.uk where you will earn further cashback from the company you switch to This is the cashback that would otherwise have been paid to the switch comparison website if you had placed your order there.

Why do you feel this great fear of moving from the tariff you are on or supplier you are currently with. Nothing changes with the stuff physically coming down the electricity wires when you switch suppliers. All that happens is that the meter read figures get entered in to a different energy company's computer.

Unlike a broadband switch you can't have your service cut off due to switching because nothing physically changes on your supply. A disconnection if you refused to pay your bill is a completely separate action which you have to be given notice of in advance.

I don't. I'm !!!!ed off about the 6 months I've been on the current Npower tariff since I moved in.

NonGeographicalMan

Premier wrote: »

Edit 2: Their faq's actually say they do receive commission (which they refer to as an administration fee)

But I would assume the said "Administration Fee" pays all the salaries and bonuses of the staff of Which who are assigned to managing and maintaining this website and/or taking related telephone calls. So I don't think that in reality they are any different to Uswitch, Energylinx, Moneysupermarket etc.

WhichSwitch

Which? Switch does accept an 'administration fee' or 'commission' for the operation of our service. Please note though, that we are a not-for-profit switching site - and the only not-for-profit Consumer Focus accredited switching site. All profits we make are reinvested in the broader work of Which?, campaigning on behalf of consumers. I hope that helps clarify why we are different !

MartinCB

Used Simply Switch on 30 November to change energy supplier. Received email confirmation saying click on link when supply live to claim John Lewis vouchers. When I did and filled in the form, I was rejected and was referred to their Terms & Conditions, which contain a 60 day time limit. By first bills from the new supplier were received just on the limit and I was not prompt in claiming because I had not read the T&Cs. Warning to those using Simply Switch -read the T&Cs because they will not draw this strictly enforced time limit to your attention. I feel conned.

NonGeographicalMan

MartinCB wrote: »

Warning to those using Simply Switch -read the T&Cs because they will not draw this strictly enforced time limit to your attention. I feel conned.

You clearly have been conned.

In future only use the switching websites to identify the cheapest energy supplier and then carry out the actual switch after having created and logged in to your free account at https://www.topcashback.co.uk to earn the often very substantial cashback otherwise paid to the switching websites but not passed on to their customers in most cases.

NonGeographicalMan

WhichSwitch wrote: »

All profits we make are reinvested in the broader work of Which?, campaigning on behalf of consumers. I hope that helps clarify why we are different !

So Which do make a profit on this activity but then waste that profit on work that is of no help at all to consumers attempting to find the lower cost energy supplier.

Wouldn't it be far more ethical to pay a share of the often large commissions (eg £120 for a Dual Fuel switch from Scottish Power at the moment) you earn from the energy suppliers back to the consumers who use your switching website?

I believe for many years Which (then the Consumers Association) suffered from a similar moral ambiguity in respect of the use of 0870 numbers on which it made a profit to subsidise its other activities (even though it always incorrectly denied at the time that it made such a profit from the numbers). Only belatedly did it finally see the light and condemn 084/7 numbers and encourage the use of numbers starting 01, 02 or 03. Then of course there is the disgraceful inertia selling based way that Which try to ensnare new subscribers by making them give Which a direct debit that they will forget to cancel in order to be able to receive the so called 3 month "free trial".

Which is in reality a commercial organisation which exists for the benefit of the careers of its staff members.:eek::mad: