Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

Consumerist

Dewpoint wrote: »

Why is it that all the comparison sites, including the MSE CEC ask for either consumption in either KWhr or cost in GBP for the year, but exclude the ability to input meter readings at the start/end of the year. For me its far easier to get these from my current supplier than to calculate the cost/consumption in KWhr, and I assume the cost/consumption can be calculated quite easily by the comparison sites from meter readings.
Am I missing a trick here?

I would suggest the answer is that you need only to input one number for each fuel on the comparison sites instead of two per fuel.

The calculation is simple enough for electricity usage but there could be a (minor) problem for gas because the Calorific Value used for calculating gas consumption in kWh varies over time. The CV used on your bill is supposed to be an average over the period of the bill.

Dewpoint

Consumerist wrote: »

I would suggest the answer is that you need only to input one number for each fuel on the comparison sites instead of two per fuel.

The calculation is simple enough for electricity usage but there could be a (minor) problem for gas because the Calorific Value used for calculating gas consumption in kWh varies over time. The CV used on your bill is supposed to be an average over the period of the bill.

Actually, only one meter reading is reqd. i.e. the difference between the first and last. In fact, I would suggest that most people would be far more ready to put two readings in per fuel than mess around with calorific values and rummaging for their calculators.



The whole point of comparison sites is to make it easy for people to assess savings and switch. Surely, adding additional functionality would help. Relying on energy suppliers to present accurate usage info. is perilous in my experience.

System

Dewpoint wrote: »

The whole point of comparison sites is to make it easy for people to assess savings and switch. Surely, adding additional functionality would help. Relying on energy suppliers to present accurate usage info. is perilous in my experience.

Put your proposal to consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk

PCWs are required to comply with Ofgem's Confidence Code. Suppliers are required to comply with Standard Licence Conditions. If the estimated usage figures on your bill are incorrect, then this is something that you need to take up with your supplier. Currently, Ovo Energy is under investigation by Ofgem in respect of its compliance with its obligations under the gas and electricity supply licences (Standard Licence Conditions 31A and 25C (SLC 0 from October 2017)).

SLCs require suppliers to:

provide customers with consumption information that is accurate, or based on a best estimate, complete, and not misleading.

All that said, I am not sure what your proposal would do as supplier estimated consumption figures include an element of seasonal adjustment. If I look back at my gas usage for the past 12 months, it has been higher in previous years because it was a cold Winter. When making a comparison, I would probably err towards an average consumption taken over a number of years. I would then run 2 further comparisons +/- 10% to see if the tariff/supplier changes.

Consumerist

Dewpoint wrote: »

Actually, only one meter reading is reqd. i.e. the difference between the first and last. In fact, I would suggest that most people would be far more ready to put two readings in per fuel than mess around with calorific values and rummaging for their calculators.

The whole point of comparison sites is to make it easy for people to assess savings and switch. Surely, adding additional functionality would help. Relying on energy suppliers to present accurate usage info. is perilous in my experience.

Adding "functionality", for most, is only adding complication.

To enter two meter readings for gas would need a further option for metric meters (in cu.m.) and imperial meters (in 100s of cu.ft.). I suspect many wouldn't have a clue as to which type of meter they have. What CV would be used?

It's a fairly simple matter to add up the number of kWh for which you have been billed over the past year and enter the totals in a comparison site.

Dewpoint

Consumerist wrote: »

Adding "functionality", for most, is only adding complication.

To enter two meter readings for gas would need a further option for metric meters (in cu.m.) and imperial meters (in 100s of cu.ft.). I suspect many wouldn't have a clue as to which type of meter they have. What CV would be used?

It's a fairly simple matter to add up the number of kWh for which you have been billed over the past year and enter the totals in a comparison site.

Far easier just to submit two meter readings and let an application do the work for you. Adding functionality is only "adding complication" for defeatists and those who have no imagination. After a lifetime in IT I see the obvious deficiencies in most of current comparison sites (including CEC), and quite understand why so many people fail to switch suppliers.

victor2

Dewpoint wrote: »

Far easier just to submit two meter readings and let an application do the work for you. Adding functionality is only "adding complication" for defeatists and those who have no imagination. After a lifetime in IT I see the obvious deficiencies in most of current comparison sites (including CEC), and quite understand why so many people fail to switch suppliers.

Not really. You are billed in kWh and it makes sense to enter the annual kWh (a single figure) usage for each fuel, as shown on your statements.
The additional complexities introduced by gas meters being either imperial or metric have already been mentioned, plus the gas calorific value for each billing period. Add to that the role out of smart meters to a lot of consumers. How would you show the meter readings for that? The new meter doesn't start where the old one left off. Similarly, if you switch from an imperial gas meter to a smart metric one, even adding up the differences between the two sets of meter readings produces a meaningless number.

Mancunian_Nick

Hi guys. I have a query please. I'm currently on duel fuel with E.on and I've been with them (not switched before!) for a LONG time - probably getting on for 18 years now. On Wednesday I received Martin's usual emails including information on the Cheap Energy Club so I went and joined right away and ran a projection and was informed that E.On's Go Online 1 year V14 would save me £220 a year: £195 a year plus £25 cashback. Great I thought. Friday 20th July (my contract expires on 31st August this year incidentally) I got a letter from E.On also recommending the same plan so here I am on Sunday (22nd July) back onto Cheaper Energy Club because you can only switch onto this plan via a price comparison site and as we all know, CEC is included BUT now for some odd reason, there's no sign of this plan - which is seemingly replaced by a Go Online 1 year V15 which only saves me £160 a year; £135 a year plus £25 cashback! So what gives and why is v14 no longer listed? In only 5 days it's going to cost me a further £80 just like that?! Even this website is yet to be updated because doing some reading still talks about v14! I'm really frustrated and confused over this. I tried calling E.On to ask them but they're not open on a Sunday so I thought I'd come on here and ask instead. Has the cheaper v14 disappeared or is CEC not showing it for some reason because on Wednesday, as I said (and I even have it written down!) the saving was £220 a year and now this v15 is 'only' saving me £160 a year. ARGH!!



Thanks for any insight.
Nick

JJ_Egan

Real saving or just estimates ??

[Deleted User]

Any tariff can be removed from the market at anytime.
The rule is if you see one you really want then apply immediately.
Some tariffs last a day or two as the energy companies only allow so many people to sign up. Then they close it and add a new tariff.
So it was too popular and has now been replaced.

codger

Mancunian_Nick wrote: »

In only 5 days it's going to cost me a further £80 just like that?! Even this website is yet to be updated because doing some reading still talks about v14! I'm really frustrated and confused over this. . . as I said (and I even have it written down!) the saving was £220 a year and now this v15 is 'only' saving me £160 a year. ARGH!! Thanks for any insight.
Nick

If you're talking about figures dished up from a 'projection', then you need to look again at JJ Egan's post (above).

'Projected savings' are more likely than not to be inaccurate and misleading. The only way to compare two tariffs is by looking at kWh unit rates and daily Standing Charge (if applicable.) The only way to determine just what -- if any - savings you will make by changing tariffs is to identify, from the bills / statements you have from your existing supplier, how many kWhs you have used in 12 months, and how much you have paid in daily standing charges in that same 12 months.


Anything else is fantasy. Hopefully, you followed the above route and so your disappointment at missing out on a bargain is well-founded. If you didn't follow that route, and merely accepted a third party's 'projection', then no: the savings you're agonizing over are very probably mythical anyway.