EBICo - as good as it seems?

Terrylw1

benjdr wrote: »

So say I switch to SE and have to pay by monthly direct debit. How can in ensure they take the correct amount each month? Would I need to ring them each month and give the a reading? How far in advance will the bill come before the money is taken from the account?

You need to get each and every bill replaced with a reading from the meter, whether taken by a meter reader or given by you. This will ensure your DD's are calculated based on your actual consumption, not an estimate.

Also, once they have say 4 quarters of your readings spanning the seasons they can estimate more closely to your actual consumption from the previous year. The DD's are linked to these calculations so by default your DD's become more accurate too.

If they let you submit readings online inbetween bills, it's worth it as it gives them more to play with. If not, just replace the quarterly bills with your readings.

I think based on how you have been happy to project against unit prices, you should easily be able to get your DD set to what you think your consumption will be when you start. They will only worry if you try to set it too low. They will then monitor from there.

As far as taking the correct amount - that comes from the actual readings as they base their DD calcs on that. However, they will try to raise it in winter most likely by somewhere between 10-25% to cover you.

When they generate your bill the DD amount will be shown. You can then just divide by the monthly payments prior to the next bill and then you know what it should be set to.

There is absolutely nothing stopping you from doing that and telling your Supplier to change your DD every 3 months with the bill. They won't have a problem as long as it covers your bill (and any accrued debt of course fm prior to that bill). They don't have the manpower to do this so they do it every 6-12 months.

melbury

I feel a total traitor to Ebico! I have just been online and switched to Southern Electric Price Fix 2008 tariff for both electricity and gas. My husband says that as we are quite high users and there is the threat of price increases next month, we would be stupid not to switch, at least then we will know what the charge will be until the end of November 2008.

Just hope the changeover goes smoothly.

Sorry Ebico.

penrhyn

I hope you feel really bad, but as a wise man said the site is all about money saving.
Your move prompted me to put my figures into u-Switch, your tariff came out on top, but I'd only save £12/year so I'll stay with Ebico for a while.
I'm one of those lower than average users, and use my trusty Remoska instead of turning the oven on!!

Ken68

You done right, Melbury, after all lotta money at stake.
Same administration, and Ebico is really only a revenue gathering arm for the ethicals.
Come to that even bad guys and terrorists need gas and electric, only they probably with British Gas. :-)
Have put in to Santa, Pen, for a Remoska.

melbury

penrhyn wrote: »

I hope you feel really bad, but as a wise man said the site is all about money saving.
Your move prompted me to put my figures into u-Switch, your tariff came out on top, but I'd only save £12/year so I'll stay with Ebico for a while.
I'm one of those lower than average users, and use my trusty Remoska instead of turning the oven on!!

I have been dithering about this for a couple of weeks now, but the saving is about £200 pa, so worth doing. Do hate the idea of paying by DD again though. Still if it doesn't work out I can always switch back to Ebico. If you are in a fixed price package, does that mean you have to stay with them for the duration of that fixed price, or can you just switch again when you want?

By the way, what is a Remonska?

penrhyn

Its a mini cooking wonder from the Czech republic, I was given one for my 60th and have been using it on a daily basis ever since, good grief I sound like a spammer.

Its a cooking pot with an element in the lid, no thermostat you just switch it on and off.

Here is all the guff:
http://www.hoorayforhomecooking.co.uk/home.html

They are only available from lakeland.

Cardew

melbury wrote: »

I feel a total traitor to Ebico! I have just been online and switched to Southern Electric Price Fix 2008 tariff for both electricity and gas. My husband says that as we are quite high users and there is the threat of price increases next month, we would be stupid not to switch, at least then we will know what the charge will be until the end of November 2008.

Just hope the changeover goes smoothly.

Sorry Ebico.

I don't think you are locked in to SE2008.

By the way what have they set your DDs at? (I assume you put in the figures you gave earlier.)

Farway

If you are in a fixed price package, does that mean you have to stay with them for the duration of that fixed price, or can you just switch again when you want?

I have not read the T&Cs, but I suspect you are locked, think about it, if you want to break your contract without penalty, why can't they? ie, they just say ooops in January & increase price by 15%, is same as you saying ooops, time to clear off now

Cardew

Farway wrote: »

I have not read the T&Cs, but I suspect you are locked, think about it, if you want to break your contract without penalty, why can't they? ie, they just say ooops in January & increase price by 15%, is same as you saying ooops, time to clear off now

Well there is nothing in the Terms and Conditions at all about any penalty for leaving. See:
http://www.southern-electric.co.uk/ForYourHome/EnergyProducts/PriceFix.aspx

You haven't signed a binding contract unless the penalty clauses are laid down.

I am on BG Fixed to April 30 2010 and in that the financial penalties for leaving early(not that anyone would now!) were very clearly laid down - e.g. £75 in the first year, £50 in the second etc

Terrylw1

Farway wrote: »

I have not read the T&Cs, but I suspect you are locked, think about it, if you want to break your contract without penalty, why can't they? ie, they just say ooops in January & increase price by 15%, is same as you saying ooops, time to clear off now

Not quite. You are both agreeing to a contract with terms stating there is a price freeze. Unless the T&C's state a minimum period, inform you of any rolling basis and opt out periods...they are not time based contracts and you can easily get out of them.

They cannot just opt to out because if they do they are in breach of contract and you have the law to back you up. If they could do that, it would very soon get Ofgem in the media and thye would be forced to sort it.

Whilst they can amend their T&C's inline with mandatory industry changes set by Ofgem and make minor changes - they cannot make changes that would be deemed in breach of the original contract without giving you an opt out option and making you sign a new one if you agreed to stay.