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Comparing the comparison services discussion

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  • shammyjack
    shammyjack Posts: 2,685 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi folks !

    A newbie to the forums but have taken the email for ages and used some recommendations but I think the fuel comparison sites suck .

    Just wasted a full day browsing, searching and checking . All site are up to £100 on the low side when quoting online compared to a telephone quote from suppliers.

    For example,

    http://www.saveonyourbills.co.uk

    Quote British Gas as

    Gas 6000KWh £123.80 per annum
    Electricity 4000KWh £256.25 per annum

    Total = £380.05

    Dual Fuel = £405.42

    Thats £25.37 more for dual fuel than 2 seperate accounts.

    The telephone quote from British Gas with exactly the same usage was £473.52 per annum for dual fuel. Thats nearly £100 more.

    I have made an official complaint to Energywatch about these discrepancies as I think 1000s of people must be sucked in by this scam !

    shammy
  • I too have been using these comparism websites and find they all claim to save me money. However, when I call the company and ask the question "What price do you charge per unit of electricity or gas" I find their unit charges are much more than my existing deal (Scottish Power Capped rate signed up in 2003) and they still insist they are cheaper. So how can they claim they will save you money when the actual fact is they will charge much more.

    This is obviously a marketing plan/scam by the energy providers to confuse the general public :eek: .

    To compare apples with apples you must compare the actual unit rates and the actual standing charge (if any) to get an accurate comparism.
  • Why wouldn't a clear pricing structure of all the companies be available at Ofgas and Ofelec?
  • libra10
    libra10 Posts: 19,563 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Using uswitch nine months ago we switched gas/electricity supply from BG to Powergen Age Concern tariff, as the calculations stated we would save £90 per annum.

    We pay quarterly on receipt of the invoice, and the last three charges from Powergen have resulted in a £60 increase to what we were paying BG, over a similar timescale. I have just sent off a letter to Powergen stating the figures and asking for an explanation.

    I realise that prices have increased and didn't expect to save the full £90, but feel that we have been thoroughly ripped off. It seems we would have been better off with BG as, rather than saving money we have increased our expenditure.

    Has anyone else found that after switching suppliers bills have been higher than promised?
  • AnnieP_3
    AnnieP_3 Posts: 97 Forumite
    Hi there, can anyone tell me if they got their £10 cashback through Energyline for switching? I switched 3 months ago, have received and paid my first bill, which incidently saved me over 20 pounds, emailed twice and heard nothing, no reply at all!
    Not happy,
    AnnieP
  • I've checked my usage on http://www.energyhelpline.org.uk but I'm not sure which companies LLoydsTSB use who I'm currently with. Can anyone help me??
  • SteveR
    SteveR Posts: 19 Forumite
    Hi, I tried EnergyHelpline & UK Power via the links and something did not ring true about the savings so I wrote a spreadsheet so as to compare my actual readings for the last year and all the figures were miles out. Powergen who I am with at the moment was about 16th on their list but when compared with actual figures with the top 5, powergen beat them all. I think the comparison sites leave a great deal to be desired.
    Regards,

    Steve
    If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again.
    It was probably worth it. :grin:
  • MSE_Martin
    MSE_Martin Posts: 8,272 Money Saving Expert
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    This thread is closed as it has been replaced with a new version for the new article
    Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.
    Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
    Don't miss out on urgent MoneySaving, get my weekly e-mail at www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.
    Debt-Free Wannabee Official Nerd Club: (Honorary) Members number 000
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