Which electric energy supplier?

PJD

I am currently with Bulb on their 'vari-fair' tarrif, however there is no economy 7 option, which I would now like (unless I have a 'smart' meter, which I do not want).  I have used the comparison sites and some of the offereings from Symbio and E-On look good, however, when I start to read the reviews about how awful their customer service is, or rather how non-existant it is, - I'm completely put off.
Am I looking in the wrong place, - can anyone recommend a company which offers good value and reasonable customer service?  To be honest, I have been happy with Bulb so far, however I really do need a cheaper tarrif at night now.  Many thanks

egyptiancotton

Have you used just the CEC for a comparison, or have you used other comparison sites like Citizens Advice and Switch With Which? If you haven't done so already, I'd recommend checking whether separate suppliers would be cheaper.

Gerry1

Have a look at the customer service ratings at Citizens Advice.  There are also many supplier reviews on these forums.

I've found most suppliers OK, including Avro, Yorkshire etc but I wouldn't recommend Eco7/Outfox the Market.  Trustpilot is best avoided; many reviews seem obviously fake, and some companies are known to be very active in getting poor reviews taken down.

Consider tariffs with low or zero exit fees if you're nervous.

PJD

Great advice so far - many thanks - I did not even realise that the Citizen Advice provided such reviews.

egyptiancotton

It was actually @Gerry1 that recommended to me to also compare prices using Citizens Advice and Switch With Which, so I'm just passing on the same good advice. As a result of using the other two aforementioned comparison sites, I found tariffs with separate suppliers that weren't available via the CEC, and were cheaper than the cheapest tariffs available via the CEC. 

macman

PJD said:

Great advice so far - many thanks - I did not even realise that the Citizen Advice provided such reviews.

It's not reviews, it's a comp site.
What is your objection to having a smart meter?

Gerry1

lloydyyy said:

I found tariffs with separate suppliers that weren't available via the CEC, and were cheaper than the cheapest tariffs available via the CEC. 

The CEC should only be used as part of a balanced PCW diet ! 

db3745

I was just going to recommend a reliable supplier with good customer service, and competitive prices, but they also handle Economy 7, so maybe you'd be interested in So Energy. I had years of lousy customer service, switch-over issues, billing nightmares, all with the biggies - British Gas, Eon, EDF etc etc till in 2016 I switched to So Energy. I have a 2 rate meter, which they'll let me use with 2 rates or, as I prefer a single rate. I've happily renewed each December - they have one fixed rate at any time, which I sign up to for 12 months. They might have multiple tariff changes through the year, so it depends when your renewal date comes as to which you are offered. Mine this time is an almost 10% increase from a year ago, which is forcing me to look around. The new rates are almost identical to what  Bulb are quoting me today. Electric is about 1% higher with So, Gas identical rate with 1.5p higher standing charge. It's been so relaxing just reading the meters once a month, doing everything online - and with banking and investing I still like a bit of paperwork, but energy? Since the paperwork stopped so have my billing issues. Back to my decision; Nothing will drag me back to the big inefficient companies, even if they can save me £100+ allegedly. I looked at Igloo with its good reputation, but their rate is variable, and has seasonal payments, so doesn't pay to switch in December. I'm assuming that So are taking the forecasted likely cost increases in Spring/Summer into account in their current fixed rate, though I know I'm really looking for reasons not to switch!

db3745

As Octopus are rated pretty much best in most polls I just got a quote for 12 months fixed rate based on my actual usage over the last year. They obviously accommodate Economy 7, but as I don't use it as such I asked for a standard rate quote. The dual fuel rates were identical to So Energy for Gas at 2.73p per Kwh and virtually the same for Electric at 16.02p and 15.99p. Savings on standing charges would make Octopus £22 cheaper per year. I'm thinking on that basis perhaps my 2021 quote from So isn't too bad, and I'll probably renew. Hope this helps you in your search.

PJD

macman said:

PJD said:

Great advice so far - many thanks - I did not even realise that the Citizen Advice provided such reviews.

It's not reviews, it's a comp site.
What is your objection to having a smart meter?

Friends and family who have had them and had no end of problems with billing since.  I'm content with submitting meter readings

macman

But you can still do that with a smart meter...