Look after My Bills

crocks007

Has anyone else had problems with switching companies. I recently switched with the new switching web site Look after my bills, my new energy company took a direct debit of 159 on the 6th of may two days after my old company took the standard 114 that I was paying this meant that I paid out 273 pounds in two days. The new companies explanation is that all customers must be in credit. Not only have my direct debits increased (meter reading submitted and annual usage figures provided) I fail to see how I will save over 468 pound that the switching web site said i would. ? "Look after my Bills" recent Dragons Den success, but my opinion is don't use.
Any one else have the same issue. 

victor2

LAMB will only switch you to companies who pay them for new customers.

Many (especially smaller) suppliers require a month's payment up front. If you were paying the old supplier in arrears then you do get two payments in one month. That or the old supplier didn't stop your direct debit so took a payment despite you leaving. You should eventually get any credit balance back when the final bill is produced and settled.

Switching sites use the OFGEM mandated formula for calculating "savings", which is utter nonsense for anyone not on a supplier's standard tariff.

If you're serious about money saving, don't use a service like LAMB.

Gerry1

Previously discussed: it gets the thumbs down.

Neil_Jones

crocks007 said:

Has anyone else had problems with switching companies. I recently switched with the new switching web site Look after my bills, my new energy company took a direct debit of 159 on the 6th of may two days after my old company took the standard 114 that I was paying this meant that I paid out 273 pounds in two days. The new companies explanation is that all customers must be in credit. Not only have my direct debits increased (meter reading submitted and annual usage figures provided) I fail to see how I will save over 468 pound that the switching web site said i would. ? "Look after my Bills" recent Dragons Den success, but my opinion is don't use.
Any one else have the same issue. 

The issue of a payment to the new provider and the previous provider is common.  The payment to the previous provider will eventually return minus the final bill amount and with any surplus credit, any point between now and the next eight weeks, often significantly sooner if the previous supplier pulls their finger out.

That being said, I suggest you read up on how direct debits to energy providers work:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits/

And then next time with all due respect, do your own switching rather than taking the lazy way out with LAMB.

Smodlet

Why on earth does anyone need some bunch of randoms to switch their energy (or any other) provider for them when it takes about 30 seconds to do it yourself on here/any other comparison site and you actually get to choose who you are switching to?

crocks007

yes I agree once bitten , never again. steer clear of switching sites. 

gillywilly_2

Smodlet said:

Why on earth does anyone need some bunch of randoms to switch their energy (or any other) provider for them when it takes about 30 seconds to do it yourself on here/any other comparison site and you actually get to choose who you are switching to?

Numerous reasons why: eg intellectual ability, mental health, impaired executive dysfunction...
I have ADHD, a common symptom of which is difficulty in money management: ADHDers are notorious for racking up significant debt, and it's not all to do with impulsivity.  The usual cause is our crap executive functioning - which controls planning, organisation, working memory, time management, prioritisation, impulse control, decision making, procrastination (to mention just a few functions).  When these become significant weaknesses, trying to manage money is a nightmare.  

You suggest switching provider can take as little as '30 seconds' (though I'm guessing you say that tongue in cheek).  For me, it can take literally days.  I cannot hold the information in my head, so I start writing it down.  Then I can't process the information, so I draw up a table.  When that becomes unwieldy, I create a spreadsheet - then try to colour code because I'm still trying to process too much stuff to be able to make a decent comparison.  And then?  I've probably dropped some of my scribblings on the floor - or lost them altogether.  That's if I haven't already spilt coffee over the the lot of them.  (Oh yes, clumsiness is another characteristic of ADHD, and of dyspraxia, autism and other neurodivergent conditions.)

By now I am highly stressed, triggering my anxiety (and depression, if I've had to give up for the day; anxiety and depression are common bedfellows of ADHD, btw).  If I take time out from trying to work out which provider to switch to, chances are I'll struggle to find my original computations (we lose things all the time; and that def includes on PCs).

What if I've got as far as deciding on who I want to switch to?  I then find the relevant utility is asking for information that I cannot fathom out where to find.  Or they give you links to where you can find things - but they're broken.  MPAN numbers?  Nope, not on my bill (despite what they suggest).  And not on the link they've given me to find it.  

Okay, so I finally manage to switch.  Then what?  How will I remember to check that the cashback that has been promised has been paid - or even how much I was promised?  I'll then get a bill from the old supplier and a new one to pay up front for the new one - and chances are I won't have enough money in my account to pay both (this is why I'm trying to switch, and manage my money better, !!!!!!).  Today I have spent (wasted?) most of the morning trying to sign up to 'Look After My Bills' in an attempt to do this.  I am exhausted and feel crap about myself.  And now I find you guys on here don't even recommend using them.

Sorry for this rant, but please be a bit more aware: just because switching is easy for you it doesn't mean switching is easy for everyone.

JJ_Egan

I agree with the above .Outside of mental health a large number just do not get meter readings direct debits comparisons etc .

But then again neither do i trust the likes of look after my bills to do the job properly .

Gerry1

You'll pay more with Look After My Bills, ditto if you don't pay by DD.

Just tell us your annual consumption (in kWh from actual meter readings, not estimates) plus the first part of your postcode or the name of your region and forumites will no doubt be happy to make some recommendations.

Forget cashback, if they're cheap it's unlikely to be offered.

Talldave

I totally understand where @gillywilly_2 is coming from, it's not always easy, although once you know and document your MPANs and MPRNs it can be less stressful.  Ironically, with services like Look After My Bills the stress can be even higher if it goes wrong, because they don't know anything is wrong; you do, but are unable to fix it because they are meant to be doing it!!

Imagine a world with really smart smart meters where you could switch supplier by "pairing" like you do with Wifi and Bluetooth devices.  You call your preferred supplier, they say "press button A" on your meter to switch, you press the button, they detect the pairing request and away you go - immediately switched with the right meter using the right meter reading.  The number of posts on this forum would halve!!!!