British Gas variable standard actually cheapest right now??! Am I going mad?

Imladris

Hi,
We switched provider for dual fuel 18mths ago, with a MSE special to duh duh dah! "British Gas". I was very surprised but it was genuinely cheaper, but now I'm looking for a new provider. Using my actual use, and the MSE energy club, it's obvious prices have gone up massively. We've been paying and average of £109 per month for both over the last 18mths (we just checked in premptively for final bill and we are bang on target, so first time ever with last few providers we've not owed more at the end) and the "best" providers are going to work out at £138/£140 (ie. Octopus, Pure planet, Bristol energy). We have of course slipped onto the BG standard variable plan, and so I did the same sums on that and bizarely it's less than a £ a month more than what we were paying. (I've repeated the sums myself in a spreadsheet and come up with the same figures so it IS correct).
I'm wondering about just staying on this plan, and seeing if any better capped 18/24mth plans come up before the October cap hike. I still find it bizarre that this is British gas, but I know it won't last. But it seems daft to switch to a £30 more a month (on average over time) plan now if we could save money until September and get a similar £138/£140 average then instead, and make the 18/24mths last from the price increases?
But can anyone remember how close to the October increases the "better" deals all disappear? Have many of you been caught out that way? Keep thinking I must have missed something, to be considering to strategically stay on a standard variable a bit longer?!
Thanks all.

Gerry1

Have you compared using annual costs (not DD amounts) based on annual kWh usage derived from actual meter readings?

Have you compared separate suppliers as well as dual fuel?

Have you compared using Citizens Advice and 'Which? Switch?'?

QrizB

Imladris said:

We have of course slipped onto the BG standard variable plan, and so I did the same sums on that and bizarely it's less than a £ a month more than what we were paying.

Thaat might be true for you, but in my area there are at least 17 different dual-fuel tariffs that would save me more than £100/yr when compared to BG's standard variable. The best one, PFP's "Green Variable s2 Paperless" would save me £258/yr!

Are you sure you're doing a whole-market comparison with eg. CAB's tool?

Imladris

Gerry1 said:

Have you compared using annual costs (not DD amounts) based on annual kWh usage derived from actual meter readings?

Have you compared separate suppliers as well as dual fuel?

Have you compared using Citizens Advice and 'Which? Switch?'?

Yes to actual annual costs, I've used the actual kwh usage for each over the last 12 of the 18mths contract, and calculated the bill for that proportion. The £109 a month is what the average would have been over that 12mths, but it obviously was higher or lower each month according to season. I used my record of monthly meter readings, not BG's which still managed to use a couple of estimates though it worked out correct.

Ah, good point about separate suppliers, we appear to have lower than average gas and higher than average electric so may save more by finding better individual deals.

I checked Compare the market and the MSE energy club, which came up with 2 plans the same. It doesn't help that MSE is comparing me to the variable tariff and not the exclusive plan I was actually on which only just finished.

I will go try those other two sites as well. Thankyou for your speedy reply, though I was dragged off for kids bedtime in the middle of answering!

Imladris

QrizB said:

Imladris said:

We have of course slipped onto the BG standard variable plan, and so I did the same sums on that and bizarely it's less than a £ a month more than what we were paying.

Thaat might be true for you, but in my area there are at least 17 different dual-fuel tariffs that would save me more than £100/yr when compared to BG's standard variable. The best one, PFP's "Green Variable s2 Paperless" would save me £258/yr!

Are you sure you're doing a whole-market comparison with eg. CAB's tool?

How odd there aren't so many options here, I will double check my sums, you are the second one to suggest CAB's - thankyou for the link and speedy reply. I got stuck in kids bedtime after starting to answer.