Fixed Price deals vs Standard Variable Tariffs

chimneyman

Has anybody else noticed that some Standard Variable Tariffs have very similar prices to the same supplier's Fixed Price deals?

I'm with SSE for electricity and my current deal ends in early March so I'm already beginning to look around. Right now (for my low consumption level) there is very little difference between any of SSE's tariffs. They have one year and two year tariffs, with or without paper bills, and they have their SVT. For my annual consumption of around 1600kWh, there is barely a fiver's difference between all of SSE''s tariffs.

When fixed price tariffs were introduced, energy prices were spiralling upwards in a fast and unpredictable manner. Fixed price tariffs were mostly set at an initial higher price than the current SVT price because they were designed to protect the consumer from random and ever upward price changes. That was when Martin Lewis's mantra was 'Fix your energy prices now and protect yourself from imminent increases'.

Times have changed and energy prices are no less stable than any other commodity prices. The mantra now is 'Keep on Switching' but it is hard not to think that the biggest beneficiaries of frequent switching are the comparison sites themselves. MSE's cheap energy club is even offering me £12.50 cashback to switch to SSE's standard variable tariff.

I always make sure that I'm on the best available tariff but it's several years since I switched supplier and I'm far from convinced that the process of switching supplier will be the quick and simple procedure that it ought to be.

I think that, far from helping the consumer, the comparison sites depend upon keeping the consumer in the dark. MSE recently said that switching energy supplier takes no longer than making a cup of tea. That may very well be true but if you take no more than a couple of minutes then, in my opinion, there can be no certainty that you will enjoy a simple, fast and satisfactory experience.

Gerry1

Wrong forum !