Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

footyguy

Consumerist wrote: »

There have been reports of "teething troubles" with CEC recently so best advice is to go to an Ofgem-accredited comparison site for the comparison then switch via CEC if you prefer it.

The CEC is supposed to get it's comparison data direct from moneysupermarket.com (which owns this site, and hence the CEC) and moneysupermarket.com is Ofgem accredited for comparison of gas & electricity tariffs.

victor2

I'm registered with CEC and my account is set for it to notify me when I could save £75 a year. As my EDF fixed tariff is ending this month, I've already arranged a switch (with cashback of course!), but was curious why CEC never notified me. Logged in today and it greeted me with "Hurrah! You could save £267 a year! ", and the last comparison was done on March 12 (not by me though). It did suggest the same cheaper suppliers I could go with that I found elsewhere, namely FU and OVO. Decided FU can do what their name suggests, as that's what they appear to do to customers anyway, and my switch to OVO is well underway.
Why CEC never notified me I don't know, but having read other people's troubled experiences with them, I was not too concerned...

PhylPho

The switch facilitators certainly had it made when a hapless Government urged everyone to shop around and find a better energy deal. Boom time for all those website operators: rake in, let's say, £100 commission on a dual-fuel supply switch, hand out £30 as a cashback to the punter, pocket the remaining £70 as pure profit. . . easy money gets no easier than that.

But what happens when a switching site appears to become too greedy for the consumer's good? When a pattern of withholding £30 cashbacks -- the effect of which is to pocket *all* the commission -- begins to emerge?

What should happen then, when a sustained attempt is made to rip off consumers? Should the switch facilitator be reported to the very Government (or one of its regulatory agencies) which made it so easy to rake in all that luvvly commission from British Gas or Npower or Scottish Power etc etc?

Hmmm. I wonder.

That aside though: I also wonder if anyone has any details about the ownership and operation of something called Simply Switch, an energy supply switching site which owes me a chunk of money from November last year and -- six months on -- is still remaining resolutely silent about that despite repeated approaches from Top Cashback (which tracked the transaction) and the fact that I have a page-by-page record of the Internet history.

This could all very well be an administrative mix-up, oh what a shame, these things happen, apologies all round, draw a line in the sand, go forward from here, never happen again, lessons learned, rain got in the server, a virus got in the software, bubonic plague got into the staff, it was half day closing in Halifax, etc etc ad nauseum.

Even so. Information about Simply Switch appreciated: thanks.

Consumerist

Simply Switch is an Ofgem-accredited comparison site and, as such, must have a <complaints procedure> so I'd say you need to start their formal (written) complaints procedure. If the complaint has not been resolved after 8 weeks, you can refer it to the Ombudsman Services: Energy. I have to say I'm not sure whether cash-back is within the ombudsman's remit but you should <check that with them> before you get started.

Let us know how you get on.

footyguy

PhylPho wrote: »

The switch facilitators certainly had it made when a hapless Government urged everyone to shop around and find a better energy deal. Boom time for all those website operators: rake in, let's say, £100 commission on a dual-fuel supply switch, hand out £30 as a cashback to the punter, pocket the remaining £70 as pure profit. . . easy money gets no easier than that.

But what happens when a switching site appears to become too greedy for the consumer's good? When a pattern of withholding £30 cashbacks -- the effect of which is to pocket *all* the commission -- begins to emerge?

What should happen then, when a sustained attempt is made to rip off consumers? Should the switch facilitator be reported to the very Government (or one of its regulatory agencies) which made it so easy to rake in all that luvvly commission from British Gas or Npower or Scottish Power etc etc?

Hmmm. I wonder.

That aside though: I also wonder if anyone has any details about the ownership and operation of something called Simply Switch, an energy supply switching site which owes me a chunk of money from November last year and -- six months on -- is still remaining resolutely silent about that despite repeated approaches from Top Cashback (which tracked the transaction) and the fact that I have a page-by-page record of the Internet history.

This could all very well be an administrative mix-up, oh what a shame, these things happen, apologies all round, draw a line in the sand, go forward from here, never happen again, lessons learned, rain got in the server, a virus got in the software, bubonic plague got into the staff, it was half day closing in Halifax, etc etc ad nauseum.

Even so. Information about Simply Switch appreciated: thanks.

1. Simply Switch (when accessed via the special MSE link) pay £20 for a single fuel switch or £40 for a dual fuel switch.
I don't know of any circumstance when they would pay £30.

2. I've used them in the past, and followed their terms (including making the claim as specified once the switch has actually occurred) and received the due amount no problem

silvercar

I am currently with British Gas and have reverted to their standard tariff. I tried the MSE cheap energy club and the cheapest tariffs it found were the same price as moving to a better British Gas tariff. Yet it never mentioned that, even the list of tariffs didn't include one from BG and BG was definitely cheaper than some of the ones on the list, so I'm questioning whether the CEC even looks at your existing supplier?

Consumerist

silvercar wrote: »

I am currently with British Gas and have reverted to their standard tariff. I tried the MSE cheap energy club and the cheapest tariffs it found were the same price as moving to a better British Gas tariff. Yet it never mentioned that, even the list of tariffs didn't include one from BG and BG was definitely cheaper than some of the ones on the list, so I'm questioning whether the CEC even looks at your existing supplier?

I think it unlikely that BG would turn out be the cheapest for most. Ovo Energy and First Utility are tending to be front runners at the moment. Have you checked the options you have selected e.g. monthly direct debit and online billing.

boobbby

Consumerist wrote: »

I think it unlikely that BG would turn out be the cheapest for most. Ovo Energy and First Utility are tending to be front runners at the moment. Have you checked the options you have selected e.g. monthly direct debit and online billing.

I am just changing from EDF to Ovo rather than First utility as the customer service feedback was far better. Using Quidco to get a bit extra cashback.

silvercar

British Gas came up with 1461(G) + 657(E)= £2118 on their dual fuel tariff "Fixed price May 2015".

CEC came up with Ovo energy at £2103.

We have homecare BG which gives us a £15 discount because we take energy from them, so there is no difference.

Consumerist

silvercar wrote: »

British Gas came up with 1461(G) + 657(E)= £2118 on their dual fuel tariff "Fixed price May 2015". CEC came up with Ovo energy at £2103. We have homecare BG which gives us a £15 discount because we take energy from them, so there is no difference.

You seem to be a relatively high user so perhaps that has made a difference.

If in doubt, use any of the Ofgem-approved energy comparison sites to confirm your findings. I use <UK Power> if you want to try that one.