Stay with supplier on a variable or move on to something else?

B0bbyEwing

I'm trying to wrap my head around this and it's doing my sanity no favours. It feels like I'm going round & round in circles. If this is more than that but then I don't know what that is or how to work that out. I can tell you what I know & if I need to have more info then you'll have to tell me what it is I need.

Tariff:

I've had a look and they don't offer a fixed rate tariff. I see conflicting views on whether we should all fix in or not.

My electricity use:


My gas use

I don't think the use will matter but I thought I'd post it anyway. It should only be the rate I'm charged that matters. Besides, we've had an abnormal situation for April-July here anyway so usage is up. Normal service should resume soon.

BUFF

You will find very, very few companies will accept switchers atm & those that do are mostly doing so on expensive fixes above even the predicted October SVT..
Every suppliers SVT tariff pretty much is the same so there is no real benefit financially to switching atm.

(Shell?)

B0bbyEwing

BUFF said:

You will find very, very few companies will accept switchers atm & those that do are mostly doing so on expensive fixes above even the predicted October SVT..
Every suppliers SVT tariff pretty much is the same so there is no real benefit financially to switching atm.

(Shell?)

Thank you for the feedback. So it's really a case of tough luck buttercup, the only way we can possibly make a saving now is to use less energy rather than going elsewhere.

And yes.

Alnat1

Yes Bobby, that's how it's going to be from now on.

Alnat1

Your quote has annual usage as 2900kWh electric/12000kWh gas. This is the industry standard "average user" and seems unlikely to be a correct figure based on your actual use.

You show data on your energy use, is this based on actual meter readings (or smart) or is it from estimates? Are Shell using actual readings to bill you as it appears they are using estimates for their quote.

Can you work out what you annual cost will be using the actual readings? It looks like you use a bit more electric and a bit less gas than the "average user" so might not be too different anyway.

ZolaBuddy

I'm still looking out for a fix on my gas, but have resigned myself to the fact its never going to happen anytime soon, and will just have to stick with the SVR.

I've also calculated my estimated gas usage for the coming 12 months based on previous12 months and doubled the current SVR rate in anticipation for the 80% jump in October. That way I can save as much money as I can before the coming storm. SVRs may still be the cheaper option even after October given the sparse availability of comparative fixes

B0bbyEwing

Alnat1 said:

Your quote has annual usage as 2900kWh electric/12000kWh gas. This is the industry standard "average user" and seems unlikely to be a correct figure based on your actual use.

You show data on your energy use, is this based on actual meter readings (or smart) or is it from estimates? Are Shell using actual readings to bill you as it appears they are using estimates for their quote.

Can you work out what you annual cost will be using the actual readings? It looks like you use a bit more electric and a bit less gas than the "average user" so might not be too different anyway.

My quote has "assumed annual usage" of 2900kWh, not annual usage of 2900kWh. I can't really do much about their assumptions.

They assumed I would need to pay whatever it was that they assumed at the time of the hike (that's not me being awkward, that's me not remembering the number they advised me to start paying). If I remember correctly, I changed my direct debit to be a little under what they advised. Maybe £10-£20. 
As it turns out, my usage is even less than that so they were off with their assumptions.

You'll have to explain to me how it matters what I use if you don't mind. Whether I use 2900kWh or 9200kWh, my understanding is that it really doesn't matter as the unit price is the unit price. So sure more money would come out of my pocket on a 9200 use than a 2900 use but the unit price would be the same for 9200 as it was for 2900, and that's what I'm here asking about - whether I can do anything to get a better deal than what I'm currently on, because that side of things I don't know.
What I do know however is setting the thermostat to 20c instead of 21c will save me money. Turning lights off when not needed will save me money, that is straight forward.

But to show I'm not trying to be awkward there or challenge you or anything, to answer your question, my data use is based on actual meter readings. I don't have a smart meter. Around the 23rd/24th each month they ask me for meter readings which I provide. I also provide additional readings on the 1st of every month because while I know every month has a 23rd or a 24th, I just prefer things on the 1st - so provide additional readings on this date

I can go in to my account and pull readings that have been submitted if that's what you mean? As for can I work out the cost from there, I'm not so sure. I've never converted kWh in to £ before.

As for energy use, yeah most things are electric here. Our hob is gas. Not sure how the shower/radiators work. They need electricity surely for the boiler but is there any gas set up in it? Not sure to be perfectly honest. Combi boiler I know that much.

Everything else is electric really. 

Alnat1

What I was really wondering was why your supplier used those "average user" figures when they have your actual ones. Seemed a bit misleading and poor customer service when the correct information was available to them.

Was also just to make sure you were aware (you obviously are) that you could work out your usage as you have the correct figures

pochase

ZolaBuddy said:

I'm still looking out for a fix on my gas, but have resigned myself to the fact its never going to happen anytime soon, and will just have to stick with the SVR.

I've also calculated my estimated gas usage for the coming 12 months based on previous12 months and doubled the current SVR rate in anticipation for the 80% jump in October. That way I can save as much money as I can before the coming storm. SVRs may still be the cheaper option even after October given the sparse availability of comparative fixes

That might not be enough. The increase for gas is higher than for electricity. You will almost hit the 100% already in October.

markin

B0bbyEwing said:

Alnat1 said:

Your quote has annual usage as 2900kWh electric/12000kWh gas. This is the industry standard "average user" and seems unlikely to be a correct figure based on your actual use.

You show data on your energy use, is this based on actual meter readings (or smart) or is it from estimates? Are Shell using actual readings to bill you as it appears they are using estimates for their quote.

Can you work out what you annual cost will be using the actual readings? It looks like you use a bit more electric and a bit less gas than the "average user" so might not be too different anyway.

My quote has "assumed annual usage" of 2900kWh, not annual usage of 2900kWh. I can't really do much about their assumptions.

They assumed I would need to pay whatever it was that they assumed at the time of the hike (that's not me being awkward, that's me not remembering the number they advised me to start paying). If I remember correctly, I changed my direct debit to be a little under what they advised. Maybe £10-£20. 
As it turns out, my usage is even less than that so they were off with their assumptions.

You'll have to explain to me how it matters what I use if you don't mind. Whether I use 2900kWh or 9200kWh, my understanding is that it really doesn't matter as the unit price is the unit price. So sure more money would come out of my pocket on a 9200 use than a 2900 use but the unit price would be the same for 9200 as it was for 2900, and that's what I'm here asking about - whether I can do anything to get a better deal than what I'm currently on, because that side of things I don't know.
What I do know however is setting the thermostat to 20c instead of 21c will save me money. Turning lights off when not needed will save me money, that is straight forward.

But to show I'm not trying to be awkward there or challenge you or anything, to answer your question, my data use is based on actual meter readings. I don't have a smart meter. Around the 23rd/24th each month they ask me for meter readings which I provide. I also provide additional readings on the 1st of every month because while I know every month has a 23rd or a 24th, I just prefer things on the 1st - so provide additional readings on this date

I can go in to my account and pull readings that have been submitted if that's what you mean? As for can I work out the cost from there, I'm not so sure. I've never converted kWh in to £ before.

As for energy use, yeah most things are electric here. Our hob is gas. Not sure how the shower/radiators work. They need electricity surely for the boiler but is there any gas set up in it? Not sure to be perfectly honest. Combi boiler I know that much.

Everything else is electric really. 

Companies will happily use a low estimate to get a low DD, To get a new customer or trick you on to a fix.

B0bbyEwing

markin said:

Companies will happily use a low estimate to get a low DD, To get a new customer or trick you on to a fix.

They used a high estimate with me though.