Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

Consumerist

Unless your consumption is on an industrial scale, I would say it is likely to be cheaper to be a domestic customer. There is also likely to be additional consumer protection.

Wywth

wombat23 wrote: »

I work from home and at the moment have a business use elec & gas contract due to finish shortly. Would it be cheaper to have a normal usage contract or & business one ??

Why are you on a business tariff?

If your consumption is primarily for domestic purposes, then you should be billed on a residential tariff where you will only pay 5%% vat rather than 20% vat.
You also get much more protection as a residential customer.

victhesmith

Hi

My tariff has just come to an end (Go Fix 8 NPower) and am totally confused with who to go with. I have just signed up via energyhelpline to go with Scottish Hydro [FONT=Arial, Sans-Serif] Discounted Energy Bonus April 2015 (fee to exit before 2014 is £50).

I live in Glasgow and last year used 3475 KWh for electricity and 7779 for gas.

I have a 7 day cooling off period when can cancel the Scottish Hydro product and am just wanting to check that this is a good product? Does anyone have experience of Scottish hydro?

Is it better to fix rates?

Any advice appreciated! thanks :-)
[/FONT]

Wywth

victhesmith wrote: »

Hi

My tariff has just come to an end (Go Fix 8 NPower) and am totally confused with who to go with. I have just signed up via energyhelpline to go with Scottish Hydro [FONT=Arial, Sans-Serif]Discounted Energy Bonus April 2015 (fee to exit before 2014 is £50).[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Sans-Serif]I live in Glasgow and last year used 3475 KWh for electricity and 7779 for gas.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Sans-Serif]I have a 7 day cooling off period when can cancel the Scottish Hydro product and am just wanting to check that this is a good product? Does anyone have experience of Scottish hydro?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Sans-Serif]Is it better to fix rates? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Sans-Serif]Any advice appreciated! thanks :-)[/FONT]

That looks a reasonably good choice
If you also opt for paperless billing saving an additional £6 per year per fuel - you have the cheapest currently available tariff for you.

Note that it is not a fixed tariff, but rather a discounted one and whilst this year you have at least 11% discount that can drop to just 2% discount from April 2014 (and that ignores the effects of any general price changes in that time)
The good news is the early exit fee only applies until April 2014. (as you say)

I would suggest you put a reminder in your diary for March 2014 to start looking again as I think there will be better offerings available and the time to switch would probably be upon you.

Think of fixed tariffs as a type if insurance. You could get a fix for about £40 extra per year (about 5%) but it's up to you.
All the major suppliers have recently has their price increases so realistically if they were to change in say 6 months time, they would need to increase by 10% just to break even (assuming constant usage thoughout the year).

No one knows what the future holds, and energy prices can even go down as well as up.

I think you have probably chosen quite wisely already

Susan1942

My current electricity is with M&S energy I use economy 7 for 80% night use I was on a fixed rate until 31 January 2013 I have been away but am now looking at whether I should change or not. They tell me I could go on a tariff which would cost me £7 per month more.
When I changed last year I took into consideration the stand of service
I have been with Atlantic then go direct 5 and M&S As they were all SSE it meant just a name change
I was confident as I have noted how many problems some people have with changing of supplier. I am living in a retirement apartment living on my own and so feel a bit scared of changing and maybe have a problem . Annually cost £84 is it worth all the hassle of changing? Advice would be appreciated

Nuuk

I just signed up for Martin's Cheap Energy Club.

But why not go a step further Martin? How much would it cost to start a 'not-for-profit' people's energy supply company? If everybody chipped in say £20 it should be enough to fund the company, and we could then end all this fuss about where to buy our gas and electric from once and for all!

chriskn

I haven't read all the replies (life's too short!) but for me one of the main criteria is to have a quarterly variable direct debit that pays the bill for the quarter in full. I object strongly to monthly payments that gives the supplier my money up front. I'm currently with npower who do offer this facility and won't change to a company that doesn't. It would be good if this was one of the options on the drop down menu - it currently has quarterly direct debit but its not clear if this is fixed or variable, I suspect its fixed.

harryhound

Nuuk wrote: »

I just signed up for Martin's Cheap Energy Club.

But why not go a step further Martin? How much would it cost to start a 'not-for-profit' people's energy supply company? If everybody chipped in say £20 it should be enough to fund the company, and we could then end all this fuss about where to buy our gas and electric from once and for all!

You must be to young to remember what became of Freddie Laker?

The conspiracy of large airlines throughout Europe and North America, which were aggressively price-matching Laker Airways even at the expense of massive losses. This charge, which was brought to court as the largest aviation antitrust case in history, was later settled out of court.[47]

Guanajuato

I'm not sure I trust these comparison sites very much. Whenever I've tried them, I put in my actual usage for the year, and they trumpet savings of around £100. But when I actually check their numbers, they base that saving on a rather inflated figure for my cost. Often around £80 higher than I've actually paid.

boobbby

I have also signed up for the energy club and for starters asked not to be notified unless I could save over £75. I had an immediate reply pointing out just one company was cheaper than mine and would save me £46 a year. Showed loads of companies more expensive also included in the reply. Maybe still getting their software right !!