NPOWER with a 17% hike in prices - Here we go

billsavings

magyar wrote: »

At which point, you could switch back, of course.

Yes indeed. Or even fix your price for a while if it benefits you,until the dust has settled.

I fortunately switched to this deal a couple of months http://www.southern-electric.co.uk/ForYourHome/EnergyProducts/PriceFix.aspx through http://www.moneysupermarket.com/utilities/cheaper-gas-electricity.aspx to get the £30 cashback.

jamesd

magyar, yes the energy companies will need non-nuclear renewables but that still won't make them a large enough proportion of the European power mix to have a big effect on gas prices in any sort of near time horizon.

magyar

jamesd wrote: »

magyar, yes the energy companies will need non-nuclear renewables but that still won't make them a large enough proportion of the European power mix to have a big effect on gas prices in any sort of near time horizon.

Agree with you there. In fact, we're pretty much paying now for renewables, but as I say this is just offsetting cost we will have to pay in the future.

briskly_2

powerRIP wrote: »

Ha! Me too! I switched as soon as I got my 1st annual discount, after they introduced their devious "weighted seasonal gas units" scam, without warning customers like me that it would cost me a lot more.

Never benefited from the price cuts but it's funny how the rises do take affect :rolleyes:

They have gone from one end of the scale to the other in little more than 12 months!

Can you please explain how the "weighted seasonal gas units" scam works - I think I'm being clobbered by this too as I'm a low user.

Also - has anyone else spotted how these 17% increases also apply to the rimary unit rate - which is larger than the secondary rate to account for the old "standing charge". There is no need for this element to increase any more than the rate of inflation - if we still had the standing charge these companies wouldn't be able to get away with this extra rip-off.

jasper27

Help!!
I was 'collared' by NPower a couple of months ago when I was in the supermarket, and was stressed out..

Anyway, it seems I've signed up for 'npower juice' I have just had a letter to say they will start supplying my electricity on 08/01/08.

At the moment I'm on prepayment meters with British Gas for both fuels, I know this is costing me alot, but at least I know how much I am paying, with this new contract I feel I will be getting a bill every 6 months ?!?! in which case I know I will get in difficulties as I scrimp and save each month as it is.

Is it too late to cancel ?!?! Or will I be better off with them?

I seem to remember asking the npower woman if I would still be able to use the meters for now, i thought she said yes, but I'm not sure or maybe I agreed to have a fixed monthly payment?! I really can't remember, I feel I was approached at a very vulnerable time, and now I'm sick with worry.

I have my daughter and her new baby living with me..so need to keep the heating on contstant, and Im working 2 jobs to try n clear my debts, any more would kill me.

I guess the obvious thing is to ring npower, but I know they will just talk me into this contract, and I'm rubbish at putting my side across.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Karen

magyar

Karen,

Firstly, don't worry. If you're on pre-payment meters you're almost certainly paying more than you need to, so if you're switching to credit billing then you're going to be better off in that respect.

If you think you DIDN'T mean to sign up, then tell npower straight away. They have procedures for dealing with 'unscrupulous sales agents'. At the very least ask for some compensation (usually about £20) even if you can't stop the switch. I doubt you'll be able to stop a switch which occurs in a few days' time.

If by any chance you CAN stop the switch, then I would. Then I would wait a few weeks until all the power companies have made their price increases. Then follow Martin's advice on this page
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity
and you should be able to get £15-30 for switching to the cheapest supplier.

If you cannot stop the switch, or you wanted to switch: The best deal for you to be on is probably monthly direct debit. You will pay npower a fixed sum each month and your bills will come out of this (NB - this doesn't 'pay for your energy'; it's more like having money in the bank).

I would ring npower and ask what they've set up. Your best deal is to be on monthly direct debit for both gas and electricity.

Then, wait until all the companies have made their price increases, and you can switch again - this time via Moneysupermarket or whatever.

magyar

As as aside, Karen, you say:

I have my daughter and her new baby living with me..so need to keep the heating on constant

The advice for babies is to keep the house between 16-20degrees. In practice this means you're very unlikely to need the heating on at night.

viv0147

I just switched to e.on/powergen via energyhelpline with an estimated savings of £126 for my gas and electric with a price freeze until 2009 I am still in the 7 day cooling off period should I go ahead ?

magyar

viv0147 wrote: »

I just switched to e.on/powergen via energyhelpline with an estimated savings of £126 for my gas and electric with a price freeze until 2009 I am still in the 7 day cooling off period should I go ahead ?

The 'estimated savings' malarkey is a little meaningless, but if you've got a fixed until 2009 deal I'd be happy with it right now. If E.ON were the cheapest when you searched, then you're probably best sticking with this for now.

Are you tied in for any period?

jasper27

magyar wrote: »

As as aside, Karen, you say:



The advice for babies is to keep the house between 16-20degrees. In practice this means you're very unlikely to need the heating on at night.

Magyar,

Thanks very much for that advice, I shall ring npower and ask them exactly what I will be getting, if I can't cancel, then at least I know I will be able to in the near future, I thought I was in for a 12mnth contract?! I will double check with them.

With regards the room temp for babies, we have tried turning the heating off at night, but daughter/grandaughter's bedroom has 2 outside walls and is very cold at night, I think my roof is leaking as the walls were damp the other morning,,, but thats another concern.

Thanks again

Karen