Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

paul2louise

Consumerist wrote: »

Six weeks before the end of your contract you should receive notice that the contract is ending. Once you have received this notice you are free to switch without payment of any early-termination fees.

Thanks for this, I had an email yesterday to tell me the contract was ending which is why I thought I needed to look for a new contract. I feel much happier knowing this.

Gratis

paul2louise wrote: »

Thanks for this, I had an email yesterday to tell me the contract was ending which is why I thought I needed to look for a new contract. I feel much happier knowing this.

paul2louise,

If, as it appears from what you have posted, you have not yet initiated a switch to a different supplier, I venture to suggest that the email you received yesterday from Scottish Power did not “tell you that (your) “contract was ending” but that, instead, it was a reminder from Scottish Power that your current fixed price tariff is due to expire on 31 March, after which date (under the Terms & Conditions to which you agreed when you entered into it) you remain in contract with Scottish Power and will be moved to its Standard Variable Rate(s) tariff(s) unless you take action to switch to another Scottish Power tariff.

These are two very different things. Do not confuse them...

paul2louise

Gratis wrote: »

paul2louise,

If, as it appears from what you have posted, you have not yet initiated a switch to a different supplier, I venture to suggest that the email you received yesterday from Scottish Power did not “tell you that (your) “contract was ending” but that, instead, it was a reminder from Scottish Power that your current fixed price tariff is due to expire on 31 March, after which date (under the Terms & Conditions to which you agreed when you entered into it) you remain in contract with Scottish Power and will be moved to its Standard Variable Rate(s) tariff(s) unless you take action to switch to another Scottish Power tariff.

These are two very different things. Do not confuse them...

To be on the safe side I rang Scottish power and asked this question. They said I was free to switch with no penalty.
I did a energy calc via this website this morning and it has now changed from last night. Ovo energy has moved right down the list. The top 2 are spark energy and first utlility both with questionable feedback. Then comes Scottish who I am with. So might hang on and see if it changes again next week

Consumerist

Clarification

Gratis wrote: »

. . . These are two very different things. Do not confuse them...

I beg to disagree.

The fixed-term tariff is the subject of a fixed-term contract which is, in this case, about to come to an end. If a customer has not switched, the supplier will start a new contract from the day after the old contract ends. The first contract (fixed-term) will definitely have terminated and a new one (variable-rate, indefinite term) will have begun.

Gratis

Consumerist wrote: »

Clarification


I beg to disagree.

The fixed-term tariff is the subject of a fixed-term contract which is, in this case, about to come to an end. If a customer has not switched, the supplier will start a new contract from the day after the old contract ends. The first contract (fixed-term) will definitely have terminated and a new one (variable-rate, indefinite term) will have begun.

With great respect, I demur from your view.

If a customer takes no action when their Fixed Rate Term expires, Scottish Power cannot modify the existing contract unilaterally nor can it, as you claim, make the customer party to a new contract without the customer’s consent.

That is why Scottish Power’s right to move the customer on to the Standard Variable Rate and perpetuate the existing contract when the Fixed Rate Term expires is written into the original contract between Scottish Power and the customer.

The tariffs and Fixed Rate Terms are subservient to the contract. When a Fixed Rate Term expires, the contract itself continues, at the Standard Variable Rate, unless and until one or other of the parties to it gives notice to cancel it or both parties agree to modify it or to replace it with a new one.

If the contract terminated when the Fixed Term expired, continuation of it on the Standard Variable Rate would be redundant and it thus would not have been written into the contract. Which it has been.

If the customer takes no action to cancel at the conclusion of the Fixed Rate Term, the contract continues at the Standard Variable Rate, under the Terms & Conditions of the original Agreement, and both parties are obliged to honour their obligations under it.

If what you argue was correct and the contract terminated on the final day of the Fixed Rate Term, the customer could simply walk away at the end of the Fixed Rate Term without needing to cancel anything nor contact anybody – and, conversely, Scottish Power could simply cut the customer off on the final day of the Fixed Term and leave the customer to go and find candles and a petrol-powered generator before nightfall.

Clearly, that would not be an acceptable situation; it would cause chaos. And Scottish Power cannot impose new contracts unilaterally. So, provision is made under the original contract to continue it, at the Standard Variable Rate, when the Fixed Rate Term ends, until such time as the customer, or a new supplier authorised to do so by the customer, gives notice to terminate the contract and transition from Scottish Power to the new supplier can take place in a properly organised manner.


By the way, I have two eyes; so what would that make me in the kingdom of the blind? Emperor?

Consumerist

You are splitting hairs here.

For all intents and purposes, when a fixed-tariff ends the contract to supply under its terms also ends. Unless a customer is cut off, there must be a supplier so a NEW contract is started. The old one is TERMINATED.

Changing suppliers is fraught enough with difficulties for many without barrack-room lawyers splitting hairs over immateriality.

tali

Consumerist wrote: »

It seems likely that perhaps you joined Sainsburys during winter for a period longer than a year. This means the period of contract was longer than one year and included two winters. In these circumstances your consumption is likely to be more than would be expected over a single year including only one winter.

I joined in April 2013 - so only 1 winter
Not quite sure how they calculate their quotes -but they are unrealistic - and there is a £60 hit if leaving - just aswell the contract is almost finishing.

Consumerist

tali wrote: »

I joined in April 2013 - so only 1 winter
Not quite sure how they calculate their quotes -but they are unrealistic - and there is a £60 hit if leaving - just aswell the contract is almost finishing.

Hard to know what went wrong there then. Most Ofgem-accredited sites are fairly accurate when it comes to estimating annual cost. There is always the possibility that you somehow managed to enter your consumption wrongly - perhaps only one fuel or something.

Always be suspicious of estimated costs which come more than about £300 pa cheaper; it's a fair bet that will not happen in reality even if you are on an old expensive tariff. In the current energy climate you will be doing well to get next year's energy at the same price as this year's

You should receive notice of the end of your contract about mid-March so keep abreast of prices from now on and be ready to jump as soon as the notice arrives. [Edit: I'm assuming the contract ends 30 April 2014 otherwise it's 6 weeks before the end of contract]

Hope it works out better for you this time.

amsquared

My fixed price deal with Scottish Power ends on 31 March - using the Energy Club calculator OVO and Sainsbury are cheaper than the Scottish Power Standard Tariff that I will switch to if I don't switch myself. However if I go to the OVO or Sainsbury site and use exactly the same details about my usage Feb 2013 to Feb 2014. MSE quote for OVO is £1360 / annum OVO want £1480 for the same tariff. MSE quote for Sainsbury is £1441 / annum Sainsbury want £1654 for the same tariff. It is strange that the quotes are so different. Just used Moneysupermarket.com with the same data and for the same tariff on OVO they quote £1563 / annum and for Sainsbury £1655. My mind is a bit boggled with different results.

Consumerist

amsquared wrote: »

. . . It is strange that the quotes are so different. Just used Moneysupermarket.com with the same data and for the same tariff on OVO they quote £1563 / annum and for Sainsbury £1655. My mind is a bit boggled with different results.

For what it's worth, so is mine. There shouldn't be that much difference between them.

My first reaction is that, if the consumption was the same in each case, you should check the tariff details to confirm the unit rates and daily fixed charges to see how they stack up against each other. Make sure such things as payment method and online/paper-billing are the same in each case.

Edit
I notice that Ovo announced new tariffs (price increases ?) on 14 Feb. It's possible that not all comparison sites have caught up yet. You could try UK Power (who have) or leave it a day or two to try again.