Help with comparisons against atlantic

booogle

I have atlantic elec & gas and get paper bills (not online). I'm not sure whether this is standard, doorstep or direct when using the compairson engines. Can anybody advise?

Also, my atlantic deal refunds 1 months direct debit every 12 months. Does anyone know if the comparison sites take that into account?

Any help appreciated!

pak2

type in the total amount of kWh that you have used on your last 4 bills (4*3 month bills = 1 year)

That is the only way that any comparison site will give you a true comparision. Then look at what they state is the cheapest amount for that total of kWh.

Pak

booogle

thanks. Does anyone know if the comparison engines take into account that atlantic offer 1 month dd rebate every year?

booogle

I've been investigating this and it's really hard to work out what's for the best. Energy helpline says scottish power is the best for me in terms of £ savings, U switch says Sweb or seaboard, and simply switch says London energy! This is when putting in exactly the same tariff and consumption, payment method details into each comparison engine... Does anyone else have these issues?

Uncle_Cuddles

I am also with Atlantic, have been with them for just over a year and have just got my annual loyalty cheque ;D

I have not had any problems with them, but out of interest and to see if I am getting a good deal I checked out the comparison sights and generally they all came up with the best being London Energy (Online) with a saving of 8%. Unfortunately, I don't know if this is taking into account Atlantics loyalty payment which is 8.5%. Also, when I go to London Energy's website, that tells me that they can't save me anything.

Hmmm...I'm confused?

energyhelpline_company_representative

Hi,

If you get the 8.5% discount you are on the Atlantic Direct tariff.

All the energywatch badged comparison services (inc. ourselves) should include this discount in their calculations whether you enter them as a current supplier or when viewing them as a future supplier on a results table. We do.

If you use a supplier's calculator I would be very careful they will probably calculate a saving based on Atlantic's Standard or Doorstep tariff if they don't give you an option to choose the Direct as your current tariff. What they do with the 8.5% would also not be regulated.

Hope this helps

booogle

I've just contacted Atlantic to double check what tariff I'm on (it doesn't say on the G&E paper bills). Apparently I'm on standard or doorstep which refunds the value of 1 month DD for Gas and Electricity at the end of every year. They said the direct tariff is cheaper but doesn't refund the DD so works out approximately the same.

Still confused whether it's worth switching when 3 different comparison engines come up with 3 different results! Think I'll stay put with Atlantic for the time being.

loon_2

You seem to be falling into a common pitfall... ownership.

Sweb, london, seeboard are all part of EDF, which means that on comparison sites they will have same rates (unless one of these is the local supplier).

The same applies to SSE- scottish hydro, swalec, southern. SSE also own Atlantic, but if you call them, they do not seem aware of the fact. Severn trent also sell gas/elec for atlantic (and therefore SSE) but yet again, they seem unaware of this.

Scottish power own manweb, however, most sites give the spowewr rates, unless you are in manweb area.

Also, there are a lot of companies who are using energywatches name saying that we approve, when infact they have nothing to do with the site.

for a list just log onto http://www.energywatch.org.uk/links/index.asp

MarkyMarkD

Since the SSE takeover, Atlantic have put up all their prices hugely. They are no longer anywhere near best buy.

So we've switched both gas and electricity away from them - one ironically to another SSE company. Their group differential pricing is stupid when you consider what our transfer will have cost them.

loon_2

Which tariff/company have you chosen. From your post i gather you have gone for price, indicating it was probably southern standard tariff. I too have found sse to be quite cheap at the moment, but the have not had a price rise recently as have their competitors. In my experience, the only company who do not increase their prices by the same percentage is powergen. Recently they have introduced capped rates pre-price increase, unlike the other three who have all capped their prices after their increases.

If you check the SSE website, you will notice that the sse share price is fluctuating at the moment. Last week it dropped drastically, but has come up slightly now. Such fluctuations are not too good.

Don't know if it helps... but this is MSE.