Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

DragonQ

I thought I read some time last year that there was supposed to be some new legislation that prevented the "two-tier" pricing system for gas and electricity?

danielcrews01

"But what happens when the Standing Charge is 'abolished'? Answer: you wind up not having much clue what you're paying, because the first so many units of gas are at one price and the next, at another, and the first so many units of electricity at one price, the next at another."


as i mentioned in my original post, i checked back against my actual bills that i did pay and found that, for me, my current supplier was cheaper than the 'cheapest' one quoted on the comparison site.

i am not saying this will be the same for all users and clearly different suppliers will be different for different people. i am simply suggesting that people check themselves against actual bills whether a cheaper supplier will actually be cheaper or not. for me it would not have been and i would have been coerced into switching my supplier to a company who were being promoted as being cheaper, but actually were not.

PhylPho

Sorry, Daniel, I didn't mean to imply you were suggesting that a supplier who doesn't make a standing charge is always the cheapest; you clearly weren't saying that at all. It's just that the issue of a non-existent Standing Charge has cropped up a few times on MSE where some folks, unlike yourself, haven't done the math and just assume they're getting a good deal.

I agree entirely with you that going solely on the word of any energy comparison site is inadvisable; when we switched last November, we actually had enough time (for a change!) to use three different sites to assess their accuracy / dependability. Result? Not one of them was accurate. Nor was the inaccuracy due to any fault on our part, because we entered in specific amounts for gas and electricity usage, taken from our billing records. Yet even when given the actual data, the comparison sites still got it wrong.

The fact that in 2012, such comparison sites are still in existence is a massive indictment in itself of the appalling state of UK consumer protection and the utter uselessness of the regulatory authority.

Multi-tier variable pricing should be illegal. Simple as that. Ideally, the energy suppliers should be compelled by law to charge one price for every unit consumed just as petrol and diesel retailers can charge only one price for every litre consumed. But as the energy companies will -- rightly -- point out that low consumption users will actually cost the supplier money in terms of service overheads, then the compromise should be (a) a Standing Charge and (b) one price for one unit.

Such a legal requirement would wipe out the energy comparison websites. And, given our experience, that's no bad thing. But as Dragon rightly points out, all that's happened so far is "talk" of single tier pricing and with it, the concomitant ending of the 'no Standing Charge' stunt first dreamt up by British Gas.

One has to wonder just what the regulator -- and the Government -- are afraid of: big business? Oh dear, surely not in today's Big Society. . .

dude89

PhylPho wrote: »

Multi-tier variable pricing should be illegal. Simple as that. Ideally, the energy suppliers should be compelled by law to charge one price for every unit consumed just as petrol and diesel retailers can charge only one price for every litre consumed. But as the energy companies will -- rightly -- point out that low consumption users will actually cost the supplier money in terms of service overheads, then the compromise should be (a) a Standing Charge and (b) one price for one unit.

.

But that would not suit everyone. You have some people where there usage is minimal for parts of the year. Summer homes, landlords, properties where the owner has recently passed away and is currently in probate etc.

So these people will be paying standing charges when they are using nothing. At least this way there are options for everyone.

And what is the problem with comparison websites? They take 5 minutes to fill in and give you an accurate picture of what each tariff would cost. Even if companies had one tariff each it would still take more than 5 minutes to figure them all out.

awesome2_2

Hi

I am currently with British Gas on a Websaver 10 dual fuel account which is coming to a end. Thought I would be prepared and start looking for a cheaper supplier what a problem this is! All the comparison sites I have been on when asking what tariff I am currently on does not list the Websaver tariffs at all. How are we supposed to get any comparison if the websites are failing to list all the current tariffs available! Makes me annoyed they are offering a comaprison however they are not fulfilling what they are offering in the first place:mad:

dude89

awesome2 wrote: »

Hi

I am currently with British Gas on a Websaver 10 dual fuel account which is coming to a end. Thought I would be prepared and start looking for a cheaper supplier what a problem this is! All the comparison sites I have been on when asking what tariff I am currently on does not list the Websaver tariffs at all. How are we supposed to get any comparison if the websites are failing to list all the current tariffs available! Makes me annoyed they are offering a comaprison however they are not fulfilling what they are offering in the first place:mad:

I just checked on uswitch and it is showing on there. Did you put your payment method as direct debit

francophilissima

Apologies if this is not the right place, but wish to raise a slightly different question and cannot see how
Joined Ovo about 16 months ago for a year then signed on for another. Suddenly their web site is all over the place, next meter reading date months out, STILL waiting for the last statement-but- one, and they take days and days to reply.
Need an up to date statement as I wish to claim back over-estimated DDs
Where to now?

dude89

francophilissima wrote: »

Apologies if this is not the right place, but wish to raise a slightly different question and cannot see how
Joined Ovo about 16 months ago for a year then signed on for another. Suddenly their web site is all over the place, next meter reading date months out, STILL waiting for the last statement-but- one, and they take days and days to reply.
Need an up to date statement as I wish to claim back over-estimated DDs
Where to now?

Have you tried giving them a call?

Stompa

francophilissima wrote: »

Apologies if this is not the right place, but wish to raise a slightly different question and cannot see how
Joined Ovo about 16 months ago for a year then signed on for another. Suddenly their web site is all over the place, next meter reading date months out, STILL waiting for the last statement-but- one, and they take days and days to reply.
Need an up to date statement as I wish to claim back over-estimated DDs
Where to now?

FWIW I've been with them for about 5 months, and their website has seemed pretty flaky throughout that time. IIRC though there's a way of getting a statement on demand (as a downloaded pdf).

salad-bowl

I am in the process of switching dual fuel, as my present tariff expires at the end of Feb. Looking at the comparisons, all the tariffs that will save me money are, in fact, fixed and have a cancellation fee for early changing. The variable tariffs which I used to get seem to have disappeared into the most expensive zone or out of this world altogether! Has anyone else found this?