Is changing energy providers on Cheap Energy Club easy?

dllive

Hi all,
Ive been with Igloo for years. I signed up to MSE's Cheap Energy Club last year and theyve sent me an email saying I could save £189 per year if I go with Green!
Is changing energy providers hassle-free? Igloo dont charge an exit fee or anything. Are Green a good company? They have a rating of 4.2.
Whats the process? Do I tell Green I want to use them and then they carry the migration out?
Im slightly reticent about changing providers as its obviously essential my electricity doesnt get turned off or anything like that.
Thanks

JJ_Egan

Yes its easy , no break in service just billing changes .

Savings dont forget that is an estimate as is Direct Debit   total cost is down to what you actually use .

Comparison sites have to base savings on standard prices .

Out of contract with Igloo  then just sign up with new provider   meter readings to both are critical .

But this is Oil and LPG board .

dllive

JJ_Egan said:

But this is Oil and LPG board .

Sorry! Perhaps one of the admins can move this to the correct forum?

Gerry1

Never use any auto switching service, always do it yourself.

Start comparing using Citizens Advice and 'Which? Switch?'.

Check whether separate suppliers are cheaper than dual fuel.

Ignore all projections and savings claims, just compare annual costs derived from annual meter readings (actual, not estimated).

Remember that £DDs are just contributions to a kitty that may or may not prove to be sufficient to pay the bills.

Always send monthly meter readings and keep independent copies of bills.

dllive

Im only on electric here. (air source heat pump)
I take weekly meter readings and know my monthly kwh usage. In the past 12 months Ive used 5,947kwh. So on that point Im pretty good.
Is it just kwh unit price and daily standing charge I need to factor for? I suppose theres the exit fee (which Green charges but Igloo doesnt).
Im just reading the Green reviews on https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/green.energy . Makes for interesting reading. It doesnt turn me off using them though I dont think.

Gerry1

dllive said:

Is it just kwh unit price and daily standing charge I need to factor for?

It's the total annual cost for your usage, but this is determined by those parameters.

dllive said:

I suppose there's the exit fee (which Green charges but Igloo doesn't).

Also consider the choice between fixed and variable tariffs (consult your crystal ball) and the customer service ratings (see Citizens Advice and the relevant threads on the MSE Energy forum).  But nothing is guaranteed: companies can go bust, Ofgem is useless, big and small companies can be equally hopeless, it's all a bit pot luck.  But if you never switch you can be sure that you're spending far, far too much.  Loyalty seldom pays.

dllive said:

I'm just reading the Green reviews on https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/green.energy.

I never bother with Trustpilot, so many reviews are obviously fake, planted by the organisation in question or by a competitor.  Reviews on the MSE Energy forum are more credible, especially from long established posters with a good record.

dllive

Thanks @Gerry1
If Green did go bust, what would happen? Would my power suddenly turn off, or is it practice for a bigger company to instantly take over so theres no interruption of service? 

Gerry1

Your supplies will always stay live.  Ofgem would appoint a Supplier of Last Resort who would take over.  You won't lose any credit balace, but if you read the threads about Tonik and Yorkshire Energy (SoLR for both is Scottish Power) you'll see that it can be a bit of a bumpy ride.

It's happened to me twice (GB Energy and Robin Hood Energy went bust) but neither was a problem.  But it can be a good idea not to let a large credit balance to build up.

Remember that when you switch some suppliers take the first DD almost immediately and it can take eight weeks to get the refund from your old supplier, so don't run your bank account on a knife edge.

Go on, jump in, the water's lovely !

dllive

Excellent - thankyou! I cant believe Ive erred for so many years!

Gerry1

Don't forget to come back and let us know how you got on.  It's disappointing how many posters don't bother, which means that forumites never find out whether their advice was useful.

dllive

Yes, I will do @Gerry1 . (especially if its a bad experience!  )