Electricity only - Monthly DD vs Prepayment

Gerry1

JohnBravo said:

I have done some comparison of Direct Debit and I can definitely save on standing charge but per kWh is pretty much the same around 16p per unit unless I do something wrong.

I don't consider there to be any benefit in having a smart meter, quite the reverse, but it's personal preference.  Some big suppliers are arm twisting by insisting on smart meters to get their cheapest tariffs, but they're usually not the cheapest in the whole market.

But do stop comparing Direct Debits, standing charges and kWh rates, that's not the way to do it.  Start comparing credit tariffs with Citizens Advice and 'Which? Switch', entering your annual kWh usage derived from actual meter readings a year apart.  Just compare annual costs, always ignore all projections and savings claims.  Also have a look at the customer service ratings on Citizens Advice and the 'Add your feedback on energy supplier xxxx...' threads here on the forum.

If you drill down on the Citizens Advice site you'll see the tariff info and you can do the sums to check the annual cost.

In my area Neon Reef are offering 14.055p per kWh plus 13.28p per day, so you may well be doing something wrong.

macman

If you switch from a PPM to a credit meter then it'll be a smart meter anyway.

JohnBravo

macman said:

If you switch from a PPM to a credit meter then it'll be a smart meter anyway.

So apart from saving on a daily standing charge by about 44% I don't see much savings in units of kWh.

Switching to credit meter would allow me to save a fixed amount each month/year but not much if I increase energy consumption e.g. by introducing air conditioning.

You said that these days changing a meter would most likely result in a smart meter that is just unnecessary complication for me.

Smart meter makes sense in a big house or a big apartment to spot some devices draining power unnecessarily but does not make sense in a small flat.