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

coupleuk

colin79666 said:

So far so good with Fuse. No issues connecting to the meter and they even have updated the IHD, something Tomato could never do. 

tlcgrantham said:

@colin Hope it works out well for you Fuse do have good rates. 

We moved to Fuse for 2 electric meters around 8 weeks ago now - the App (or website) is great and bills (more like statements) are on time on the 3rd or 4th of next month and DD on around the 7th

They also do Gas now so we moved our duel fuel home meters to them - due to go live on 22nd.

There was an issue in that you had to use your phone number to login.

I had a very prompt Live Chat with them and they have now added the option of email login too.

For me, that virtually instant Live Chat experience and their ability to listen is a huge benefit over any utility supplier Ive ever had before.

APP OR WEBSITE SCREEN

ppc1

coupleuk said:

colin79666 said:

So far so good with Fuse. No issues connecting to the meter and they even have updated the IHD, something Tomato could never do. 

tlcgrantham said:

@colin Hope it works out well for you Fuse do have good rates. 

We moved to Fuse for 2 electric meters around 8 weeks ago now - the App (or website) is great and bills (more like statements) are on time on the 3rd or 4th of next month and DD on around the 7th

They also do Gas now so we moved our duel fuel home meters to them - due to go live on 22nd.

There was an issue in that you had to use your phone number to login.

I had a very prompt Live Chat with them and they have now added the option of email login too.

For me, that virtually instant Live Chat experience and their ability to listen is a huge benefit over any utility supplier Ive ever had before.

APP OR WEBSITE SCREEN

We switched from Tomato to Fuse Energy  last week.  We use gas as well as electric and the gas kwh rates are better than any supplier I have seen recently,  and the 15p standing charge for gas was a big plus because we are low users of gas as well as electricity. 

The Fuse app is brilliant and the Realtime pricing displayed on the app is so much better than Octopus.  I think Fuse is going to be a lot less stressful than Tomato.  I do hope they survive the winter but time will tell!

Newbie_John

How much per kWh with Fuse?

tlcgrantham

Newbie_John said:

How much per kWh with Fuse?

For East Midlands Electricity SC 42.13p & 2153pkwh Gas SC 14.76p & 5.35pkwh. 

Doc_N

Taking a look at that now - thanks. The only thing tying me to Octopus now is the export rate of 15p, and Fuse doesn’t seem (yet) to offer an export rate. It seems to be on the way.

Newbie_John

tlcgrantham said:

Newbie_John said:

How much per kWh with Fuse?

For East Midlands Electricity SC 42.13p & 2153pkwh Gas SC 14.76p & 5.35pkwh. 

Ah ok I've seen that, just really surprised anyone would take 21p rate after being on 5p rate.. 

masonic

I'm not really seeing the attraction either, as it's not hard to get an average rate below 21p. They do some E7 tariffs, but the off peak rate doesn't go below 17.5p/kWh. I'm averaging 16p on Agile Octopus since leaving TE. Standing charges haven't bitten me as much as I thought they would, as multiple heatwaves have pushed up my consumption, so I'm breaking even.

colin79666

masonic said:

I'm not really seeing the attraction either, as it's not hard to get an average rate below 21p. They do some E7 tariffs, but the off peak rate doesn't go below 17.5p/kWh. I'm averaging 16p on Agile Octopus since leaving TE. Standing charges haven't bitten me as much as I thought they would, as multiple heatwaves have pushed up my consumption, so I'm breaking even.

Yes Aglile may be cheaper on average price per kWh but for my kind of consumption it is much more expensive. I’ve got electric heating and no battery storage. I can’t go a week in the middle of winter with no heating just because the wind isn’t blowing and therefore Agile prices are high. E7 are also no good because the cheap rate is overnight, not when I need heating on. Prior to Tomato I had a good year on Octopus tracker but they tweaked the formula again this year and it was no longer worth it. Tomato pensioner was ideal and saved me a lot but it is increasing risky staying with them in the hope they make it through into winter. At least with 21p per kWh that I’ve got with Fuse I have some certainty. The best tariff depends on individual circumstances. 

QrizB

colin79666 said:

I’ve got electric heating and no battery storage. I can’t go a week in the middle of winter with no heating just because the wind isn’t blowing and therefore Agile prices are high. E7 are also no good because the cheap rate is overnight, not when I need heating on.

How about Cosy Octopus?

https://octopus.energy/smart/cosy-octopus/

masonic

colin79666 said:

masonic said:

I'm not really seeing the attraction either, as it's not hard to get an average rate below 21p. They do some E7 tariffs, but the off peak rate doesn't go below 17.5p/kWh. I'm averaging 16p on Agile Octopus since leaving TE. Standing charges haven't bitten me as much as I thought they would, as multiple heatwaves have pushed up my consumption, so I'm breaking even.

Yes Aglile may be cheaper on average price per kWh but for my kind of consumption it is much more expensive. I’ve got electric heating and no battery storage. I can’t go a week in the middle of winter with no heating just because the wind isn’t blowing and therefore Agile prices are high. E7 are also no good because the cheap rate is overnight, not when I need heating on. Prior to Tomato I had a good year on Octopus tracker but they tweaked the formula again this year and it was no longer worth it. Tomato pensioner was ideal and saved me a lot but it is increasing risky staying with them in the hope they make it through into winter. At least with 21p per kWh that I’ve got with Fuse I have some certainty. The best tariff depends on individual circumstances. 

Likewise I've got electric heating and no battery storage. I recognise that my usage is radically different at different times of the year and that the same tariff is rarely the best option all year round. I have no intention of staying on Agile throughout the coldest months (although I'll hold out until pricing drives me elsewhere). Historically, Agile price spikes have lasted 3-4 days, and last year there were only three significant ones. One of the main benefits of Agile is you get two cheap periods, one overnight and a second in the afternoon before 4pm.

Homes have a lot of thermal mass and as long as you have reasonable insulation they will hold a good overnight charge. I've found I can make it through from 6am to about 2-3pm, except on the very coldest days. Heating to about 25C in the early hours of the morning was how I was able to make substantial savings on TE Lifestyle vs Tracker at that time. I just needed a couple of small top-ups to see me through the day. 

When it comes to the winter months, during extreme periods E7 would give me an average below 21p. The best variable option has a 25/13p split, which would suit for the brief period I would need it. Perhaps costs will be marginally higher when we get there, but I'm not giving up savings of about £10/month over 9+ months of the year to lock into something that will be suited to a short period of time, albeit a time where my usage is double. Who knows, maybe TE will be given a clean bill of health and I'll be able to return.