Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

CharleneUK

This price comparison and switching is a total nightmare. EDF wrote to me offering to fix the new rates,along with a bonus for doing so.

I've just received some info from them to help me decide if I'll be staying or not:


Thank you for waiting, your electric usage from Jan to Dec 2011 is 3594kwh, i'm assessing your Gas now...


Your Gas usage from the same period has been 11468kwh

The Electric in value is £400.29, the Gas is £388.52...


I am currently on their Online tariff. Anyone else?

Robin_Davies

At the end of a fixed term contract, the supplier will normally switch you to their standard (and most expensive) tariff. So the smart course is to initiate a switch before the contract ends, thereby getting yourself onto the cheapest follow-on contract as soon as possible. But if this new contract is not with your existing supplier, and your existing contract has penalties for early termination, when do you push the 'switch' button on your chosen switching website? Too late, and you end up paying extra for your energy. Too early, and you pay exit charges. Either way, your existing supplier is going to make money out of you. I am told (by EDF) that the exit charges will be applied automatically when they receive the switch notification from your new supplier, and that usually arrives one working day after the end of your 'cooling off' period. This varies in time depending on the supplier, for example Scottish Power say it's 7 working days while EDF's is 12 working days, so beware. Worse, Scottish say their computer doesn't recognise the existence of public holidays, so the week between Christmas and New Year still counts as 5 working days (beware again). This means you can't initiate a switch until very close to the end date of your contract, but then you will be paying for your energy on a pricey tariff for many weeks. It would be much more reasonable if early exit charges were not applied until the actual date the supply transfers, which would enable savings for many and bring some standardisation and fairness to the system (I'm told the transfer never takes less than 28 days). It would be really helpful if Martin and his team could offer some guidance on this difficult but important topic, please.

pigeonpie

good post Robin Davies, thanks. I am thinking of switching dual fuel from EDF to NPower, although I don't totally trust the 'saving' on the comparison sites. However I rang EDF who say that my dd on their new fixed online tariff (which isn't much more than I am paying now) would go up from £30 pm to £43 pm just for gas and they don't know on electricity as yet. As I am always in credit anyhow according to their statements - even in winter - I am pretty annoyed by this. I'm not generally unhappy with EDF as their CS is quite good and on a free 0800 no. Any ideas on how I could negotiate a better monthly dd figure with them if I agree to fix for another year?

OH is eyeing the NPower Football tariff as, as an Arsenal fan, 2 tickets are worth at least £70 (cheapest ticket at Arsenal for lower category is £35). However do NPower cough up the footie tickets and how long does it take? thanks

SGscunu1972

Hi I was wondering are there any deals when you can switch supplier if you are on a housing estate where the gas supply is LPG.

I have electric supplied by edf and gas is delivered to the site and stored in an underground tank by calor gas

I live in a village called keadby nr s!!!!horpe

Thanks for any info or suggestions

It seems that i may be in a position where i can't switch which seems unfair

I currenlty pay £88 per month for gas on a budget plan and £50 per month for electric also on a budget plan

snowcat53

Robin_Davies wrote: »

At the end of a fixed term contract, the supplier will normally switch you to their standard (and most expensive) tariff. So the smart course is to initiate a switch before the contract ends, thereby getting yourself onto the cheapest follow-on contract as soon as possible. But if this new contract is not with your existing supplier, and your existing contract has penalties for early termination, when do you push the 'switch' button on your chosen switching website? Too late, and you end up paying extra for your energy. Too early, and you pay exit charges. Either way, your existing supplier is going to make money out of you. I am told (by EDF) that the exit charges will be applied automatically when they receive the switch notification from your new supplier, and that usually arrives one working day after the end of your 'cooling off' period. This varies in time depending on the supplier, for example Scottish Power say it's 7 working days while EDF's is 12 working days, so beware. Worse, Scottish say their computer doesn't recognise the existence of public holidays, so the week between Christmas and New Year still counts as 5 working days (beware again). This means you can't initiate a switch until very close to the end date of your contract, but then you will be paying for your energy on a pricey tariff for many weeks. It would be much more reasonable if early exit charges were not applied until the actual date the supply transfers, which would enable savings for many and bring some standardisation and fairness to the system (I'm told the transfer never takes less than 28 days). It would be really helpful if Martin and his team could offer some guidance on this difficult but important topic, please.

Good post. Look at the 'EDF Online saver version 7' thread on this board for useful posts on this topic. There is debate as to when the effective date is for them to apply the ETC. Ther is also a poster who has an undertaking to extend the cheap tariff pending his switch to another supplier. I also think we need some legal advice on these questions

snowcat53

pigeonpie wrote: »

However I rang EDF who say that my dd on their new fixed online tariff (which isn't much more than I am paying now) would go up from £30 pm to £43 pm just for gas and they don't know on electricity as yet. As I am always in credit anyhow according to their statements - even in winter - I am pretty annoyed by this. ....
Any ideas on how I could negotiate a better monthly dd figure with them

Phone well armed with your exact annual consumption data and what this would cost annnually under the new tariff - and insist this figure divided by 12 is what the DD should be . As other posts elsewhere make clear they have an obligation to spell out how they arrive at their DD figures if they differ. Frankly EDF's policy on always increasing DDs (and without justification) is a scam and I wish someone would take them to the regulator

pigeonpie wrote: »

I'm not generally unhappy with EDF as their CS is quite good and on a free 0800 no.

You are a rare bird!

Xstyle

HeimRoller wrote: »

Cant believe I have left it so long! Every so often I consider switching, but then think it is probably too much hassle. Bit the bullet last month. Moved from B Gas to E-On for dual.
Using my last year consumption it indicated that by staying at BG it would cost me nearly £1900 over the next 12 months, same usage on e-on is forecast to be just over £1440, so the savings are over £450 for the year. Thank you MSE for inspiring me to switch! Off topic, just changed home insurance and saved £400 for the year for the same excess and increased contents cover (needed to increase it anyway)!

oooops, I'm in the same boat that you were in... I haven't switched AT ALL! My E-ON fantastic rate ended in June/July (can't remember what it was called now, everyone had it!), and now on the EON Energy Online (standard tariff).
What is the best tariff at the moment??

My usage for the last year is: GAS: 26,280 kwh / ELEC: 4,985 kwh

Thanks

Doc_N

Xstyle wrote: »

oooops, I'm in the same boat that you were in... I haven't switched AT ALL! My E-ON fantastic rate ended in June/July (can't remember what it was called now, everyone had it!), and now on the EON Energy Online (standard tariff).
What is the best tariff at the moment??

My usage for the last year is: GAS: 26,280 kwh / ELEC: 4,985 kwh

Thanks

Errrrrrmmmmm..........try a comparison site?

outtawork

I am currently with EDF Dual Fuel with a DD of £63.00 per month, last years consumption was Electric 2920. Gas 7516. I have tried the comparison sites, but they dont take into consideration the standing charge or the DD discount so I can't work out if the sites are correct.

Xstyle

Doc_N wrote: »

Errrrrrmmmmm..........try a comparison site?

I cant remember which ones are accurate or decent again, its too late in the day for me! USWITCH, MoneySuperMarket ... I am sure I used a different one the last time...? I'll go hunting

This one seems best option so far from Scottish Power, plus £80 cashback via uSwitch:
Online Energy Saver 17 Dual Fuel

Gas
7.463p per KWh (7.108p excl. VAT)
3.427p per KWh (3.264p excl. VAT) above 2680 kWh p.a

Electricity
21.75p per KWh (20.72p excl. VAT)
10.46p per KWh (9.96p excl. VAT) above 900 kWh p.a

ALL DONE! plus £22 from Quidco, so £102 FREE is great!!