Changing supplier

pochase

So EDF did already an direct debit review and increased your direct debit from £65 to the 165£ (or £185 as per your first post?). I assume that happened in March when you got your bill.

I don't think that the fixed tariff will benefit you, as @QrizB wrote it is over 20% more for both fuels and you seem to be a low user. Without the exit fees it might be different.

We really need some additional information here as there are a few points that don't make sense.

You are saying you were £540 in credit at the last bill, but you only paid 12 times £65 plus the WHD of £133, a total of £933. That would mean you only used less than £400 in total in energy for the last year. So your new DD is more than 4 times your old energy cost, not even considering the existing credit or the £200 loan/not loan in October. That does not make any sense, that is far beyond the increase even coming from a fixed tariff.

Do you submit regular meter readings? Was the last bill based on meter readings or on estimates?

To have an E7 tariff when you have gas does not make sense, in most cases it will be cheaper to go onto a single tariff if you don't use electricity for heating.

Please give us the energy use in KWh for gas, day and night for the last 12 months, or alternatively meter readings today and a year ago. If you don't have that do a meter reading today and give us the last meter reading you submitted to EDF and the date you did.

QrizB

Cheryl79 said:

Ok, so I was paying £65 a month and it went up to £165 because of the rises, not because of using too much. And my March bill says I’m £540 in credit but this includes the warmer Home discount of £133.33

I currently pay 16.14p day rate and 9.29p night rate electric and 2.455p gas.

I think that’s everything.

Thanks again for the info.

Is there a good reason for you being on Economy 7 (E7) for electricity but also having gas? Do you have gas central heating, that heats your house and water, or do you have storage heaters? Are there any other high-usage electrical appliances that run at night?

If you have gas central heating and no unusual electrical demands, you would be probably be better off with single-rate electricity rather than E7.

Cheryl79

Sorry @pochase. I was rushing to school this morning. 

March 2021 I was estimated use if £1080 over the year for g&e which was £90 per month 
March 2022 I’ve been estimated at £1980  Which is £165 a month. But now I’m at the end of my fixed term they’re suggesting it will be £2589 on a fixed or £2111 on a variable rate. 

I have a smart meter that sends readings every half hour, according to the info on my bill. 

Last years meter readings for September to March (that was my last bill)

Hopefully I’ve added photos of my tariff details.             

Cheryl79

Oh and I’m presuming I’m on e7 because when I moved in to the property it had no heating, just electric wall heaters and electric oven. 

pochase

Yes, you are on a E7, and you should switch back to single rate.

With the new SVT you will be overpaying by £82 if you stay on E7. I have calculated that by doubling the units on above bill and using the E7 and the singe tariffs. On E7 you would pay 1106.49 for day rate and £127.42 night rate, a total of £1233.92. On a single rate tariff you would only pay £1151.86.

For gas I have based my calculation on using the units on the bill for winter and 20% of this for the 6 summer months.

Doing that I am getting to an estimate of £2096.24, which is almost the same to the £2111 they are using for the calculation of your direct debit. It is still a bit high as both calculations don't take into account that the first 2 months will be still on the old fixed rates, so you should still build up additional credit from the lower rates and the existing credit.

Nobody does know what the October increase brings, so nobody here can really advise you if you should go onto the fix or not. I personally have done so also for a 2 year fix with EDF, but I just like the security to know what I will be paying, while the current forecast seems to be another increase in October, in April no change and thereafter the prices coming down.

Cheryl79

Thank you so much. 

So Im ok staying with edf. I’m just not sure on going fixed rate or standard. I know it’s all in the air but I really need to know the max I will be paying which is why I’ve always gone fixed rate previously 

[Deleted User]

Cheryl79 said:

Thank you so much. 

So Im ok staying with edf. I’m just not sure on going fixed rate or standard. I know it’s all in the air but I really need to know the max I will be paying which is why I’ve always gone fixed rate previously 

Sadly, ‘max’ is a meaningless term when it comes to energy contracts. Yes, if you elect for a fixed tariff then the standing charge; unit price and contract term are fixed but NOT the DD monthly payment. If you use more energy than was assumed in your quote, then your monthly DD payment will increase.

Bizarrely, fixed contracts are now more expensive than a standard variable contract. I doubt that this will change until energy prices stabilise.

victor2

EDF only provide statements and review your direct debit once every six months, during which time your usage could dictate a change in amount.
You could ask them if you can change your E7 tariff to their single rate standard variable tariff when your current tariff ends. They should be able to do so without changing your meter. Don't let them talk you into a fixed tariff though. It is very unlikely to save you any money.

Cheryl79

Thank you everyone. I really do appreciate all your help!
I’ll contact them Monday and see if they’ll take the e7 off and I’ll go with the standard rate. 

Gerry1

Cheryl79 said:

I’ll contact them Monday and see if they’ll take the e7 off and I’ll go with the standard rate. 

@Cheryl79

You need to ask for single rate, not standard rate.  It doesn't need a meter change.