Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

John_Pierpoint

harryhound wrote: »

Interesting programme on the Radio "File on 4" about the UK Electricity and Gas supply.
In my words, not theirs, it seems we have so many clapped out old power stations, especially the atomic ones, out of action for breakdowns and maintenance that we are ONE power station away from the lights going out in November.
On the gas side, we have the ability to store ONE week of gas supply. Other European countries can store months of supply. This means we cannot buy gas at cheap summer prices. We face being screwed for price increases, especially the minute there is a gas or oil supply problem in the world.
It would seem that while we were squandering N. Sea oil and gas it never occurred to the government that we would be in trouble when it started running out. The companies don't care, in fact they make bigger profits by putting up the prices, than they would by building new facilities in the UK. As they are nearly all foreign companies now "milking" the UK is a profitable business.

Check you supply of candles and listen to the programme again on Sunday @ 17:00.

Harry

Very interesting - it seems we are paying up to 400 pounds extra per year because
"the private sector has very little incentive, in fact a disincentive to invest to make any of these long term investments".
"Margins in supply are much tighter than we would like to see at this time of year it is not any one company's responsibility to supply that security".

Ah well unseasonally cold weather forecast for next week.

achan891

Martin's article is, as always, very useful - but I have a question that the article (and the switching websites) don't answer. I am about to move out of a university hall of residence (all bills included!) into a rental property. What's the best way for me to choose an electricity/gas provider? Obviously I'm not 'switching' so none of the switching websites is much help because they require you to enter your current provider - and besides, I presumably can't get the incentives (cashback etc) if I don't switch!

I'd be grateful for any advice....

KimYeovil

achan891 wrote: »

Martin's article is, as always, very useful - but I have a question that the article (and the switching websites) don't answer. I am about to move out of a university hall of residence (all bills included!) into a rental property. What's the best way for me to choose an electricity/gas provider? Obviously I'm not 'switching' so none of the switching websites is much help because they require you to enter your current provider - and besides, I presumably can't get the incentives (cashback etc) if I don't switch!

When you move in you'll be taking over the existing suppliers. Make sure you take a reading the day you move in (and preferably one in the presence of the agent/landlord). You will be accepting a 'deemed' contract so make sure the actual opening reading is agreed between the agent and yourself - otherwise you may end up owing anything under-declared by the previous tenants.

You can switch immediately. To choose a supplier just stick a typical usage in the calculators and pick one. (You're at university so I'll let you track down the figures yourself.) You should still receive a cashback (if you wish) as there will be an existing supply.

After a couple of months you will have an idea of your actual usage and will be able to compare again to see if you are on the best tariff for your consumption (as this does vary widely.)

John_Pierpoint

achan891 wrote: »

Martin's article is, as always, very useful - but I have a question that the article (and the switching websites) don't answer. I am about to move out of a university hall of residence (all bills included!) into a rental property. What's the best way for me to choose an electricity/gas provider? Obviously I'm not 'switching' so none of the switching websites is much help because they require you to enter your current provider - and besides, I presumably can't get the incentives (cashback etc) if I don't switch!

I'd be grateful for any advice....

I well remember being in a similar situation to yourself.
Beware of the pitfalls. You might be well organised, but in my case I was thankful to get a roof over my head and I came in as a replacement in a household of four people. I don't think the landlord cared as long as he got the rent each month.
Have you checked gas & electricity certificates, deposit protection, energy efficiency report (condensing combi? If so who pays the servicing and repairs on Xmas eve when it goes wrong?).
In my case I had lived there two weeks when a HUGE quarterly electricity bill arrived. Had interesting frank discussions with my new flat mates about who paid what and somehow ended up banker to the operation running a kitty system that paid for breakfast, supper and heating. (None of the nonsense about padlocking the fridge, the 4 of us mucked in together.)

Beware of electricity bills in all electric flats in a cold winter. Paraffin heaters solved that problem but since then world population has doubled, oil prices have rocketed and the type of heater we used has been banned:D.
Also beware of the situation where everyone thinks "Ah well I'll only be paying 1/4 of what I spend" as they sit there in a "T" shirt instead of long-johns.
Good luck, welcome to reality.

juditha

Hi
We are considering moving into a residential park home ( mobile home ) It's operating on calor gas at present, back boiler.. ( very expensive ) We have no former bills to compare with. Question being , are there better electric or gas deals . Not sure what to switch to.
Thanks
Judith

shells_angel

Hi, I'm a new home owner- even yet to move in and I'm looking for the cheapest energy provider. Can anyone help? New to all this completely so a bit stuck. I'm looking for gas and electric. Living in South Wales if that's any help. Any avice would be very gratefully received

Niemand

shells_angel wrote: »

Hi, I'm a new home owner- even yet to move in and I'm looking for the cheapest energy provider. Can anyone help? [...]

See if this helps: Cheap Gas & Electricity.

John_Pierpoint

juditha wrote: »

Hi
We are considering moving into a residential park home ( mobile home ) It's operating on calor gas at present, back boiler.. ( very expensive ) We have no former bills to compare with. Question being , are there better electric or gas deals . Not sure what to switch to.
Thanks
Judith

I don't know about the regulations for heating caravans; but it sounds as if mains gas is not an option for you.
"Calor" gas is notoriously expensive, the gas does not have the same heat in it as does mains gas and the tank belongs to the supplier, making it difficult to switch.
(The Government is meant to be clamping down on this monopoly position, anyone know the latest position?)
Electricity is inherently expensive as the UK's old power stations only turn 30% of their fuel into electricity (the rest goes up the cooling tower or into the local river/sea). A caravan has no thermal mass so I would not recommend night storage heaters and you probably won't have the room anyway?

The low cost solution is a wood stove, but this could be dangerous if incorrectly fitted, would make you smell like a gypsy and annoy the neighbours.
As well as being cheap wood heats you three times: When you drag it home, when you saw it up and when you burn it! Sustainable too.:D

You could consider an air source heat pump plus electric heaters when it is very cold - but that is a fairly expensive capital outlay

moswinner

Hi can you tell me if the power companies can backdate price increases. Just recieved a letter at the end of October 08 from my power company (Atlantic)saying that the price of gas is going up 29.9% from August 08 and electricty 19.9% from August.

KimYeovil

moswinner wrote: »

Hi can you tell me if the power companies can backdate price increases…

Do keep up.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1226275

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=122803

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1245303