Questions about simply switch and octopus ..

another_casualty

Howdy! 

After being with EDF and their various blue+ tarrifs for many years , I have decided to move to another energy supplier. 

Initially , I was going to go with eon as they gave me a boiler grant due to being on universal credit and partly disabled etc
However, all of their tariffs involve having a smart meter which is something I don't want at this stage .

So, I googled and stumbled upon simply switch . I did what I did with eon when getting a quote , I received an email and thought that was it and I would make my mind up when I feel up,to it . 

However, I received a phone call from a very enthusiadtic customer service adviser who told me to go with octopus.
I have heard of octopus, and most reviews seem favourable . 

My tariff on gas with edf ends on 30/06/2020. My electric tariff has been on the variable rate since last month so basically I'm free to go without penalty I assume .  

I looked at the estimates of my future edf bills : Electric £ 72 Gas £24-27 pm 
octopus : Helpful 24m fixed Feb 2020 v1 : £67.12 pm £805. 45 pa  Saving £154.55 p a 

This sounds ok,but the chap at simply switch was speeding along like a race horse and verging into Peter O'Sullivan excitement 
I asked him to call me on Monday so that I can digest everything . He will be under orders and on his phone at 09.30 am 
The only question I have regarding octopus is how their credit checking works . I have bern on a Dmp from 2012, but paid settlement figure in 2018 or was it 2017 ? I have bern living in my present address ( as homeowner ) from 31/03/2017 and rejoined edf when I kicked in .  I have never been in difficulties with edf 

Is there anything to look out for or be wary about ? 

Thanks 😼

Talldave

What did your comparison results tell you?  Did you set "Plans Simply Switch can easily switch me to right now" to NO?  Did you check Gas & Electric against Gas only and Electricity only added together?

Just because someone called you (why did you enter your phone number??!!!) with the hard sell for Octopus, don't feel obliged to fall for it.

Are you wanting the cheapest?  If so, and Octopus weren't the cheapest then you know what to say to Mr Hard Sell on Monday!

another_casualty

Thanks Talldave 😼
I must admit , I thought ( naively  I guess)  that having dual fuel was always cheaper . 

What I did on the search was click on one of the links . That link was simply switch
I shouldn't have included my phone no 🤦
Having said that , I could always block his no. 

It does seem that if I accept a smart meter my bills would be cheaper . 

I may look for single quotes instead of dual fuel and see where that gets me ..

Gerry1

another_casualty said:

Is there anything to look out for or be wary about ?

YES !  You don't understand how Fixed Direct Debits work, you think in £DD amounts rather than doing the sums with kWh rates and daily standing charges, and you let yourself be bamboozled by salesman or websites that show you only results sponsored by companies that pay commission.  It will all end in tears.

Don't pickup the phone on Monday.  Instead, right now find out your annual consumption in kWh from actual readings (you have been sending them monthly, haven't you?) then do a wider market comparison starting with Citizens Advice and 'Switch with Which?'.  Don't forget to compare separate suppliers as well as dual fuel.

Alternatively, just switch to Gerry1 Energy.  Your Direct Debit will be £5 per month*, no questions asked, just provide your bank details now.

*We'll over-estimate your usage and review your Direct Debit after three months and may increase it dramatically.

Talldave

I just did a check on simply switch and the cheapest option for me is Zog for gas, Symbio for electricity.  Neither of whom witter on about smart meters....yet.

As Gerry1 says, use your actual consumption figures so you can compare prices rather than arbitrary/imaginary direct debit amounts. When you've found what looks to be a good deal, compare the unit rates/standing charge against what you pay now, and do the maths to double check the savings. Ignore savings quoted on comparison sites, they're often "lies" based on you slipping into a coma and spending a large part of a year on your supplier's standard rate. Only look at total costs.

another_casualty

Thanks very much Gerry 1😸
Points taken . I have just been looking at electric only , via confused .com . I will of course do more homework . It's amazing how much I can save just by those quotes alone . 

I will do the other methods as you've mentioned . 

As I say , I can politely decline the simply guy or block his calls. Then again , he'll probably keep pestering me . .

MWT

That isn't even the cheapest Octopus tariff, and certainly not the cheapest you can get elsewhere.

Unless you explicitly need a 24 month fix for some reason, don't talk to that guy again.

another_casualty

I've just joined the mse energy club .Thanks for the link Gerry1.😼
Quite a few I haven't heard of before , but it seems like I'd be on a tariff for probably a year and switch again when prompted . 

One thing that edf have a habit of doing, is altering the direct payments which can easily leave people chasing and a trying to avoid going into th red . 

Gerry1

MWT said:

Unless you explicitly need a 24 moth fix for some reason, don't talk to that guy again.

Make sure those 24 moths don't get in to the wardrobe...

another_casualty

Another good piece of advice 😹😹

another_casualty

Thought it best to give update : 
I had a stange morning so far , with unexpected phone calls . 

Yesterday, while I was on my mobile, that chap from simply switch tried to phone me and never phoned back . 

Leading on from my last paragraph , I received a call asking me how I was . It as from money expert . I initially thought it was the guy from simply switch . Sounded exactly like him . I was a bit defensive , but full of apolggies . Very tired, not feeling too good erc
So, I've agreed to w switch to...ORBIT ENERGY .
In a nutshell I should be saving over £100 a year so it seems sensible to do it . 

I can give usage etc if you require . 

The only thing is, I have a complicated address( flat no and street no ,quite long) 
I sent an email to orbit to let them know my proper address which is 18 doors away from what they were given 🙀. 

Still, it'll be interesting to hear what you think . The tariff is for 12 months , so potentially not the end of the world . Direct debit looks too cheap to be true , so I may overpay if allowed just to avoid any surprises further into the term I'm with them 
wish me luck 😼