Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

markiev

I'm with SSE for electricity and BG for gas. I'd like to change and fix, but I also have solar panels and receive FIT payments via SSE. What's the situation if I change electricity supplier? Can I leave the FIT with SSE? I'm not sure all the suppliers offer FIT payments and SSE are very efficient in sending out the FIT payments whereas I've heard horror stories about other FIT suppliers. Thanks in advance for any advice/info.

2010

glennamy wrote: »

Hi Beate,

I am in the same position/deal as you (Blue+ EDF ends April '14 fix) duel fuel with all discounts. I also like EDF (best of a bad bunch) :rotfl:

I have just worked out the unit & standing charge costs of both gas & Electric of my current plan against the new LTF'17 and worked out that by switching now to the Long Term fix March '17 I would be paying 35% extra for electricity each year (4 winters 13/14/15/16) than what I pay now & 20% extra for gas.

I do not know about your bills, but my electric is roughly twice the cost of my gas and this is what they are bunging the bigger rise upon.

IMO even if they were to go up a massive 10% each year, that year you pay 10% extra (not 35% immediately all the way through).

I am staying on the current deal so that I still get my 'cheaper' price this winter until April '14. I will then see what deals are around then, but you need to stay on top of it and get the best deal then, do not let them roll you over into something etc.

I have also joined the Cheap Energy Club run by this site, do this and that will also give you the latest advice tailored to your bills/usage/circumstances.

This of course is my opinion but I agree that you are 'NOT missing something'. HTH

I`m in much the same position as you and Beate, only I`m with SP March 14 fix.
I have looked at changing to either SP March 15 or EDF March 15 fix.
According to the switching sites there`s only a fiver difference but it will cost me £97 year more if I do change now.

Both SP and EDF still have to announce price increases which will basically be around what the other sheep have already done -- 10%.
When I added 10% to my current deal it works out about the same as the increase I can expect by changing to a March 15 fix.
The other thing to remember is when the "sheep" announce a 10% price hike, this is AVERAGE.
Some people are finding their gas goes up 7% but their electric 20 odd% and vice versa.

Switching time takes up to eight weeks so I would have to act by the end of the year because SP March 14 ends 28th Feb.
Waiting `til then would mean an even bigger increase than acting now.
If I stay with SP and go on their March 15 fix, it would happen straight away and I would lose four months at my current tariff.

I`ve decided to switch now to EDF March 15 fix, at least I will only lose about 8/9 weeks at my current rate but will be fixed up for two winters before the tariff is pulled and replaced with a higher one and also before the EDF price hike.

2010

ikr2 wrote: »

Incidentally is MSE losing some of its independence? The switching guide doesn't mention casback sites, which in my case give a more generous switching reward than the Cheap Energy Club.

Quick comment, I use topcashback quite a bit but EDF gives nothing.
MSE cheap energy club gives £30 for EDF.

Doc_N

markiev wrote: »

I'm with SSE for electricity and BG for gas. I'd like to change and fix, but I also have solar panels and receive FIT payments via SSE. What's the situation if I change electricity supplier? Can I leave the FIT with SSE? I'm not sure all the suppliers offer FIT payments and SSE are very efficient in sending out the FIT payments whereas I've heard horror stories about other FIT suppliers. Thanks in advance for any advice/info.

You should have no problem. My FIT payments have always come from e.on (who are now pretty good at paying up), but my power supplies haven't been with them for a long time.

The two aren't interlinked, it seems.

pooch

ajitdattani wrote: »

Hi My contract with Ovo runs out in June 2014.There are exit fees to pay if I change suppliers now.My total bills over the year comes to approx £2200.
Can someone please advise if it would be worth moving and fixing the price now while they have not gone up yet on some fixed tarriffs although ! would have to pay the exit fees or it might be worth waiting untill May2014 before I should look at moving?

If you are with Ovo until June 2014. you only switched (or agreed another 12 month deal) a few months ago.

That would have been the time to check the Ovo deal was the best one for you. If it was the best deal then, I doubt you will find a better deal today.

pooch

Beate wrote: »

I am on the EDF Blue +Price Promise April 2014 (no exit fee). It seems the cheapest deal as they never send me letters about better deals (which is their Price Promise) and the MSE Cheap Energy Club seems to agree...?

I think you have not read the EDF price promise correctly.

EDF will only notify customers of a cheaper deal based on certain criteria (I think it's average usage), not your particular usage.

The CEC should be alerting you based on your own usage data.

Or you can consult a comparison site if you want to be doubly sure

(But I too doubt you will get anything better than the EDF Blue +Price Promise April 2014, which is no longer available to new applicants, today - particularly if you chose wisely at the time you did take up the offer)

pooch

The_Enforcer wrote: »

Hi,

I am with iSave Fixed v3 December 2013. I have signed up with the Cheap Energy Club. I have told it to alert me when I can save more than £0. However, in the current climate, this isn't going to be the case until this fixed deal has ended i.e. 1st January 2014....

What makes you so sure?

New prices and tariffs are coming out all the time, and even new suppliers are entering the market place.

However, the current trend on prices is upwards, so if you've been on this deal for almost a year now, you may struggle to find anything today to beat it - assuming you chose wisely in the first place.

pooch

Jen_Jen1985 wrote: »

I'm trying to look into switching suppliers but on the comparison sites I use they don't seem to have my tariff listed for accurate comparison.
Was wondering if anyone can help me, this is all probably really simple and I'm probably over thinking everything but I'm a little worried about the announce price rises.

I am currently with NPower, I have electric only in a 2 bed flat and currently pay £83 per month. I have just found out my tariff is "Elec Super Tariff". I believe, but could be wrong, that I have an economy 7 meter (I know I have cheaper usage over night hours).

If anyone can help or at least point me in the right direction I would be most greatful.

The Electric Super Tariff from nPower is what is known as a Protected Tariff.

The reason you won't find it on any comparison site is it is not generally available and I doubt any other supplier can support your existing set up/metering. nPower only do because it is a protected tariff than goes back to the days of the old legacy regional suppliers, which presumably npower bought/took over at some time.

pooch

ikr2 wrote: »

...Incidentally is MSE losing some of its independence? The switching guide doesn't mention casback sites, which in my case give a more generous switching reward than the Cheap Energy Club. The CEC does have ease-of-use in its favour but to be completely independent the alternatives should be covered. MSE was always transparent about alternatives in the past.

Edit: The guide DOES mention alternatives but in a single sentence that you have to click on to expand at the end of the section of the Cheap Energy Club. Perhaps I am being fussy but it would be clearer if this was referenced at the 3 points in the article that the Cheap Energy Club cashback is mentioned.

Should have gone to specsavers!

The article has a massive section on "
More help with switching energy & picking tariffs"

but you do need to expand the article to see the content.

It includes at laest 5 different comparison sites, all of which offer cashback/wine, and also this section:

It may be possible to INCREASE the cashback even more
Occasionally, some energy companies pay even more if you switch directly via their websites or via cashback websites. Therefore, for the ultimate finesse, first use the comparison services to find the cheapest, then check the winner's website direct to see if it offers more cashback.

Also check if you can get more going via a cashback website both for the energy provider itself and, on rare occasions, for going to the comparison site - try the Cashback Sites Maximiser.

Other optician services are available - fortunately MSE has a guide to them too
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-glasses-discounts

jrs101

hi i am worried about all these energy price hikes.

I'm on an npower fixed price protector until Sept 2016 but i've just entered my details into the cheap energy website and it says I can save well over £100 a year for another fixed price deal with another supplier for a lesser term of dec 2015.

Confused - is it worth doing???

thanks