Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

Terrylw1

The switching process is different for gas & elec in terms of what goes on behind the scenes but its essentially achieving the same result.

The new supplier takes the action to register you which kicks of all the industry processes.

The fuels could easily be proposed to have the same switch date but sometimes in supply companies, they have seperate teams for each fuel. Silly really, but it does go on. So, one person isn't looking at a switch date proposed for the fuel.

In terms of remaining credit, once the account is closed it will, generate a final balance against your credit. This will be based on your switch reading. Then they will send out a cheque which may take 10-14 days or so. You can always chase them.

The obligation for creating a final bill is 6 weeks, anything over and you could complain. This can be tied with the 21 days for the switch.

I guessing with 2 weeks between your switch dates, there's a good chance the latter fuel will fail the 21 day standard.

Irfquake

Hi, so just to confirm, the earliest you can instruct a new supplier is approx 10 days before your contact expires?

Seems a bit of a waste though, given it takes at least 6 weeks for the switchover to take place. So each year you waste one month on a generic tariff while awaiting switchover.

Is there not a way to order in advance, and advise the new company to switchover the day after the contract expires?

INSPIRED

Searching for the cheapest electricity supplier always raises my anxiety levels. Never simple.

We are with Npower Go Fix 10 until April 2013 - move now and we lose the discount.

If we do not move, it could be that all tariffs have shot up. Is anyone else in the same boat?

Terrylw1

Irfquake wrote: »

Hi, so just to confirm, the earliest you can instruct a new supplier is approx 10 days before your contact expires?

Seems a bit of a waste though, given it takes at least 6 weeks for the switchover to take place. So each year you waste one month on a generic tariff while awaiting switchover.

Is there not a way to order in advance, and advise the new company to switchover the day after the contract expires?

If the new supplier is willing to set a date with you instead of for you, yes. Its just whether they will. You also have to remember that you are talking to sales people and they are not the back office admin teams that for the work, hence it could never get to the people that need it. If the back office people don't work it quick it enough, they will propose a new date as they have to abide by industry rules and you can't object to this other than to complain about the delays.

If your cooling off period is 14 days, you can easily use that. The switch date is unlikely to 21 days away from when you apply if you add in the 5 days of objection period plus 1 weekend, but it could be longer.

Ofgem need to enforce a rule stating "if current supplies receives a switch request by a new supplier within X days of current rate expiry, the current rate must be retained providing the switch completed" which would stop customers losing out to standard rates because the industry processes won't allow it to take place inline with customer expectations.

EDF actually do this as its in their t&c's, but Ofgem state its just for unilateral changes, so EDF are promoting a Best Practice here.

Just remember the switch reading is never at the end of the process, so even it was 6 weeks, your switch date has to be earlier to allow for sequential processing steps.

alanandcathie7pd

We want to change from M & S energy to a fixed rate deal but we would like to know who actually owns the main supplier.
Is there any british companies left that own any of large suppliers.

Alan

mchu6am4

Dont understand but MSE article on switching states you can get £70 for switching to Scottish Power through Moneysupermarket but when you click link it only states £30!

pichon

mchu6am4 wrote: »

Dont understand but MSE article on switching states you can get £70 for switching to Scottish Power through Moneysupermarket but when you click link it only states £30!

This promotion of 70-pound cashback ended on Thursday last week!

Sashara86

I think e.on is your best option. I have a freind who works there and he was telling me about all the package deals you can get. Best thing to do he said, is play around with the setting online and see what you can come up with. I think we ended up saving around 40%.

missymouse

the whole thing is so complicated. are you better with a fix that lasts as long as possible. i thought the first utility one looked good as it ran til Dec 31st 2014.

however, the jargon that it ran for 2 winters'. does winter end on 31st Dec.

i think EDF has been pulled so is it worth ringing them to ask what they can do still.

shaggy

missymouse wrote: »

the whole thing is so complicated. are you better with a fix that lasts as long as possible. i thought the first utility one looked good as it ran til Dec 31st 2014.

however, the jargon that it ran for 2 winters'. does winter end on 31st Dec.

i think EDF has been pulled so is it worth ringing them to ask what they can do still.

Yes edf has been pulled. My own fault for not taking it up as I ummed and Ahhed for too long. Oh well.