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Switching - which of these companies would you choose?

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nadsat
nadsat Posts: 117 Forumite
Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
I like Octopus but it's time to leave them as comparisons are bringing up £450+ yearly savings. Which of these would you choose? Claimed savings are from £445 to £478. 

Green Network Energy
AVRO
ESB Energy
Shell Energy


«13456

Comments

  • MWT
    MWT Posts: 10,221 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Do check the maths on those savings...
    The way they calculate them does not always use the best tariff you could be on with your current provider.
    Which Octopus tariff are you currently on?
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,777 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 15 May 2020 at 7:15AM
    As MWT says do your own sums - your "savings" are suggesting a very high consumption - have you put the figures into the comparison site correctly.  Give us your consumption and the rates quoted please.


    PS I'm just going from Octopus to GNE
    Never pay on an estimated bill. Always read and understand your bill
  • nadsat
    nadsat Posts: 117 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 16 May 2020 at 3:20PM
    Robin9 said:
    As MWT says do your own sums - your "savings" are suggesting a very high consumption - have you put the figures into the comparison site correctly.  Give us your consumption and the rates quoted please.


    PS I'm just going from Octopus to GNE
    Annual usage is gas 30,000 kWh, electricity 8000 kWh. I've just got a latest bill from Octopus (we are on its Flexible tariff)  and now see that they are offering a £187 saving on gas by switching to 12M Fixed or a small £27 saving on electricity by switching to Super Green Octopus.  So the gas saving may be worth looking at but I'm disappointed not to have  been advised by Octopus directly on this. 

    The electricity rate is the downside of Octopus and we spend more on electricity than gas presently (£1300 vs £1100 despite running gas central heating and water). The Flexible unit rate is 14.19p/kWh. The unit rate on Green Network Energy is 12.831p/kWh. The Green Network Energy gas rate is 2.415p/kWh vs current Octopus Flexible rate of 3.3p/kWh, or 2.42p/kWh if we switch to the Fixed tariff, but this has a higher electricity tariff of 14.44p/kWh. 

    So seems to me that it's sensible to go for a company with a lower electricity rate and an equivalent gas rate. 

    Am I missing anything? 
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You don't have to have both  fuels from one supplier .
    I have Zog for Gas and Green for Electric.
    Though i save nothing like your figures .
    My usage is way way below yours as well  Electric 1800  , Gas 14000.
  • MWT
    MWT Posts: 10,221 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    nadsat said:
    So seems to me that it's sensible to go for a company with a lower electricity rate and an equivalent gas rate. 
    Am I missing anything? 
    The best deals are likely to be found by splitting up and not trying to keep both gas and electric with the same provider.
    Did you use this link to check the available tariffs?
    Don't hit the 'Get a quote' button, just enter your postcode further down the page and look through the tariffs...
    Right now for me, in the Eastern Region, this is the best tariff I was looking for a standard fixed deal:
    Your prices will be different, especially if you are in one of the cheaper regions compared to mine.
    Personally I use this tariff for my gas and the Agile tariff for electricity as I average under 9p/kWh on that one.



  • MWT
    MWT Posts: 10,221 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Also worth considering the Tracker Tariff...

  • nadsat
    nadsat Posts: 117 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    MWT said:
    Also worth considering the Tracker Tariff...

    This tracker is obviously a fantastic deal but you can't switch to it - you can only go on a waiting list. I wonder if they'll put us on it if we threaten to leave. I doubt it. 
  • MWT
    MWT Posts: 10,221 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    nadsat said:
    This tracker is obviously a fantastic deal but you can't switch to it - you can only go on a waiting list. I wonder if they'll put us on it if we threaten to leave. I doubt it. 
    I would talk to them, or at least email, I'm not seeing people reporting long delays in switching to the Tracker and as it doesn't require a smart meter there is no complication there either.
  • Hasbeen
    Hasbeen Posts: 4,404 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    MWT said:
    Also worth considering the Tracker Tariff...

    That's a really good rate!
    I am with Symbio  Rate: 11.181  Standing charge: 17.619 and thought that was good. 

    Approx: 10500 kWh per year. Electric.

     Runs out in September. So will have to choose which company will go bust next!
    The world is not ruined by the wickedness of the wicked, but by the weakness of the good. Napoleon
  • MWT
    MWT Posts: 10,221 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Keep in mind it is a 'Tracker' so that rate changes on a daily basis.
    It should always outperform a variable tariff and will tend to outperform fixed tariffs as well since they price the uncertainty into their rate.
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