Tomato Energy (Electric Only Supplier) - Too Good To Be True ?

GingerTim

wrf12345 said:

as I keep saying, the whole system is replete with electronic gremlins and not working properly for a minority of customers, probably going to need a third generation of smart meters that take payment directly and then can get rid of retail energy companies in favour of buying directly from National Grid, with circa forty percent saving on costs (and getting rid of s/c's will help simplify charging).

Rather, we would be paying a much higher standing charge to fund the rollout of 3rd generation smart meters.

MeteredOut

debitcardmayhem said:

wrf12345 said:

as I keep saying, the whole system is replete with electronic gremlins and not working properly for a minority of customers, probably going to need a third generation of smart meters that take payment directly and then can get rid of retail energy companies in favour of buying directly from National Grid, with circa forty percent saving on costs (and getting rid of s/c's will help simplify charging).

Don’t you know any other tunes than SC

I asked ChatGPT to write some lyrics for that tune

🎵 "Charged for Nothing" 🎵
(UK Pop Anthem Style)

[Verse 1]
Woke up, didn’t turn the light on,
Still got a bill I can’t rely on.
Didn’t cook, didn’t stream, didn’t plug in,
But they take my cash with a cheeky grin.

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, I’m paying for the pipes and wires,
While I’m wrapped up in jumpers by the fire.
No usage, but I still get stung—
Feels like a tax on everyone.

[Chorus]
Why am I charged for nothing, babe?
No spark, no flame, no power play.
I’m just here tryna save and scrape,
But every day they take their take.
Standing charge, you're out of line,
I pay your fee and get no shine.
Oh-oh, it’s tough, it’s rough—
Charged for nothing, enough’s enough.

[Verse 2]
They say it's just a daily fee,
To "keep things running"—don't lie to me.
‘Cause I know what this really means:
Big bills in cost-of-living dreams.

[Pre-Chorus]
Yeah, I’m scrolling through my app again,
Watching numbers climb in the pouring rain.
Didn’t boil, didn’t wash, didn’t dry—
Still I’m broke, and I don’t know why.

[Chorus]
Why am I charged for nothing, babe?
No spark, no flame, no power play.
I’m just here tryna save and scrape,
But every day they take their take.
Standing charge, you're out of line,
I pay your fee and get no shine.
Oh-oh, it’s tough, it’s rough—
Charged for nothing, enough’s enough.

[Bridge]
Hey energy kings in your glass towers,
You ever tried cold showers?
You ever lived on beans and toast,
While your name's in the Sunday post?

[Breakdown – half-time beat]
Oh-oh-oh… why’s it feel like a crime?
To be poor and still pay all the time?
Oh-oh-oh… I’ve had enough,
This ain't right, and we’re calling your bluff.

[Final Chorus]
Why am I charged for nothing, babe?
No spark, no flame, no power play.
I’m just here tryna save and scrape,
But every day they take their take.
Standing charge, you're out of line,
I pay your fee and get no shine.
Oh-oh, it’s tough, it’s rough—
Charged for nothing, enough’s enough.

debitcardmayhem

MeteredOut said:

debitcardmayhem said:

wrf12345 said:

as I keep saying, the whole system is replete with electronic gremlins and not working properly for a minority of customers, probably going to need a third generation of smart meters that take payment directly and then can get rid of retail energy companies in favour of buying directly from National Grid, with circa forty percent saving on costs (and getting rid of s/c's will help simplify charging).

Don’t you know any other tunes than SC

I asked ChatGPT to write some lyrics for that tune

🎵 "Charged for Nothing" 🎵
(UK Pop Anthem Style)

[Verse 1]
Woke up, didn’t turn the light on,
Still got a bill I can’t rely on.
Didn’t cook, didn’t stream, didn’t plug in,
But they take my cash with a cheeky grin.

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, I’m paying for the pipes and wires,
While I’m wrapped up in jumpers by the fire.
No usage, but I still get stung—
Feels like a tax on everyone.

[Chorus]
Why am I charged for nothing, babe?
No spark, no flame, no power play.
I’m just here tryna save and scrape,
But every day they take their take.
Standing charge, you're out of line,
I pay your fee and get no shine.
Oh-oh, it’s tough, it’s rough—
Charged for nothing, enough’s enough.

[Verse 2]
They say it's just a daily fee,
To "keep things running"—don't lie to me.
‘Cause I know what this really means:
Big bills in cost-of-living dreams.

[Pre-Chorus]
Yeah, I’m scrolling through my app again,
Watching numbers climb in the pouring rain.
Didn’t boil, didn’t wash, didn’t dry—
Still I’m broke, and I don’t know why.

[Chorus]
Why am I charged for nothing, babe?
No spark, no flame, no power play.
I’m just here tryna save and scrape,
But every day they take their take.
Standing charge, you're out of line,
I pay your fee and get no shine.
Oh-oh, it’s tough, it’s rough—
Charged for nothing, enough’s enough.

[Bridge]
Hey energy kings in your glass towers,
You ever tried cold showers?
You ever lived on beans and toast,
While your name's in the Sunday post?

[Breakdown – half-time beat]
Oh-oh-oh… why’s it feel like a crime?
To be poor and still pay all the time?
Oh-oh-oh… I’ve had enough,
This ain't right, and we’re calling your bluff.

[Final Chorus]
Why am I charged for nothing, babe?
No spark, no flame, no power play.
I’m just here tryna save and scrape,
But every day they take their take.
Standing charge, you're out of line,
I pay your fee and get no shine.
Oh-oh, it’s tough, it’s rough—
Charged for nothing, enough’s enough.

It won’t catch on, unless it was played by ELO , oh and the verse that includes nuking 3 coffees and an energy bar making session was missing. Also perhaps a verse which includes Trump Tariffs , they change on a whim

Telegraph_Sam

I follow the Tracker, Agile and Fixed forum threads fairly religiously, as well as Tomato rather less religiously, as I try to decide if the 14-M Loyalty Fix still gives me the best overall value from what's on offer. [Low consumption, little load shifiing, north east panels but no EV].  From a detached, possibly superficial level, I am steered away from Tomato by the sheer volume of correspondence mostly of a technical acounting nature in this thread, implying that Tomato users have vastly more to write in about compared with the sister threads. That the price for enjoying super low prices is the hassle involved in getting the sums to add up.
No such thing as a free lunch?

bagand96

Telegraph_Sam said:

No such thing as a free lunch?

Joined in November. No EV, no solar, no batteries. Low user. 

MyWatts started working a few days after switch. Billing has been fine every month and they've taken the correct corresponding DD every month

Averaging 17-18p per kWh with a pretty good standing charge. Are the savings huge? Nope. Low user with no tech. Are there savings though? Absolutely , and as long as Tomato keep going why wouldn't I? 

masonic

Telegraph_Sam said:

I follow the Tracker, Agile and Fixed forum threads fairly religiously, as well as Tomato rather less religiously, as I try to decide if the 14-M Loyalty Fix still gives me the best overall value from what's on offer. [Low consumption, little load shifiing, north east panels but no EV].  From a detached, possibly superficial level, I am steered away from Tomato by the sheer volume of correspondence mostly of a technical acounting nature in this thread, implying that Tomato users have vastly more to write in about compared with the sister threads. That the price for enjoying super low prices is the hassle involved in getting the sums to add up.
No such thing as a free lunch?

Most of the discussion has been speculation about disciplinary action by Ofgem and Elexon, and their company finances.

Noting also that the Octopus threads were generating a similar volume of posts when Agile and Tracker were much cheaper than SVT. The Agile thread still has its moments.

Largs

Hello.  I became due £40 on Monday just gone for no final bill within 6 weeks of leaving. Will see how it pans out with them.

Qyburn

wrf12345 said:

as I keep saying, the whole system is replete with electronic gremlins and not working properly for a minority of customers, probably going to need a third generation of smart meters that take payment directly and then can get rid of retail energy companies in favour of buying directly from National Grid, with circa forty percent saving on costs (and getting rid of s/c's will help simplify charging).

Your assuming that end users buying wholesale will mean transmission,  distribution, billing and admin costs all disappear. That's pure fantasy. Here's a nice easy read outlining the role suppliers have in the privatised industry ...

https://archy.deberker.com/what-do-energy-suppliers-actually-do-and-why-do-they-go-bust/

Qyburn

wrf12345 said:

"Are you alleging that their accounts are falsified, sort of Enron in reverse? " Not Tomato, they are not yet a big company but it is standard operating practice for large UK companies, especially energy where profit is restricted to 2 percent, and not falsified just clever accounting and off-shoring costs such as call-centres, etc. What you see is not what is actually going down.

You're also alleging a cartel. Otherwise if the suppliers were really sitting on 40  or 50% net margins the door would be wide open for any one of the big companies to drop prices massively.

Newbie_John

bagand96 said:

Telegraph_Sam said:

No such thing as a free lunch?

Joined in November. No EV, no solar, no batteries. Low user. 

MyWatts started working a few days after switch. Billing has been fine every month and they've taken the correct corresponding DD every month

Averaging 17-18p per kWh with a pretty good standing charge. Are the savings huge? Nope. Low user with no tech. Are there savings though? Absolutely , and as long as Tomato keep going why wouldn't I? 

Same here, no gas either and that makes huge difference in average price / kWh in winter -> close to 10p and overall about £120 saved each month Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.

When they open again, you have SMET2 which worked fine with other providers then you should 90% be fine - most issues come from SMET1 and recent switches when they were banned half way through.

But fixed deal with static prices really keeps "happy customers" away from forum, unlike Agile - bad prices are coming, every one complains, negative prices are coming everyone gets excited.. ☺️