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

lohr500

alinwales said:

Just signed up for lifestyle (no additional options set), and immediately have access to mywatts website. I really hope that the visibility of my export MPAN there doesn't affect my SEG with Scottish power!

Looks like a very good tariff, low SC, some hours overnight to charge the battery and do the laundry, and a couple of cheaper hours in the evening to shower! let's hope the transfer goes smoothly!

There have been a few discussions over on the TE Users Group Facebook forum regarding export tariffs.

I haven't been following the detail closely, but as I understand it, the latest TE T&Cs require you to switch your Export tariff when you take up their import tariff.

Apparently once switched you can then opt to move the export away from TE, but concerns have been expressed that this may result in the loss of the lucrative SEG rates. 

Can you see anything in the T&Cs they sent you regarding export tariffs?    

EDIT :

Apologies, I am confusing SEG with FIT export rates. The primary concern arises from those with legacy FIT rates and the fact that they may lose the FIT rate when TE automatically switch the Export MPAN across at the same time as the Import. But I guess it could also impact the rate you have with Scottish Power, if TE switch your export an then you have to then move your export back to SP

bagand96

bob2302 said:

I've just received my first bill and, although it had a graph of the correct  lifestyle tariff at the top, all of the daily graphs show my usage as if I were on E7 with night usage between 0:00 & 7:00. Is everyone seeing this?

First bill for me today too. Like you the graphs on page 3 do seem to suggest economy 7 times. But I think that's just a representation of day/night electricity use (probably a hangover or configuration thing in My Watts?) Page 2 shows atable with the Lifestyle time slots and rates and how many kWh have been billed at each rate. All seems fine on mine. 

bagand96

Received my first bill today having switched mid December. The bill is correct and matches to the penny what Bright shows. 

Low users of electricity with no solar/battery/EV so limited load shifting opportunities. A bit of dishwasher/washing machine overnight is about it.

98 kWh over 44 days at £16.57 (ex-VAT) or £17.40 (inc-VAT).  Average unit rate of 17.76p.

Quite happy with that and with Tomato.

masonic

bagand96 said:

Received my first bill today having switched mid December. The bill is correct and matches to the penny what Bright shows. 

Low users of electricity with no solar/battery/EV so limited load shifting opportunities. A bit of dishwasher/washing machine overnight is about it.

98 kWh over 44 days at £16.57 (ex-VAT) or £17.40 (inc-VAT).  Average unit rate of 17.76p.

Quite happy with that and with Tomato.

Interesting. I'm in a similar situation. Just ran a backtest using consumption from September and December last year and was surprised to find a better saving using the vanilla Lifestyle as compared with pensioner or 9-5 options. I guess the lower peak and daytime off-peak rates swing it. That's before factoring in the lower standing charges and potential for further savings if I can drag myself out of bed at 5:30am instead of 6.

I'm not sure if I'll take the plunge yet, but it is looking tempting.

bagand96

masonic said:

Interesting. I'm in a similar situation. Just ran a backtest using consumption from September and December last year and was surprised to find a better saving using the vanilla Lifestyle as compared with pensioner or 9-5 options. I guess the lower peak and daytime off-peak rates swing it. That's before factoring in the lower standing charges and potential for further savings if I can drag myself out of bed at 5:30am instead of 6.

I'm not sure if I'll take the plunge yet, but it is looking tempting.

I think the Lifestyle names have been tweaked since I joined. I also went with the "vanilla" one, as the default rate was just below the SVR and similar to other fixes. Many took the EV version for an extra hour of the 5p rate overnight, but that pushed the default rate just above SVR. 

Qyburn

It's academic at the moment as I couldn't switch until our meter is fixed. But how do people feel about signing up on false pretences? I'm specifically thinking about solar panels, where if you admit that you have them then all the prices go up.  Aside from ethics and legality, the fact that you have an export MPAN would be a bit of a give away if they are ever minded to check.

They don't go into detail but their terms and conditions have a general clause that might well apply ..

"12.4 We can choose to terminate this Supply Contract if:

...

12.4.7 We discover that You have provided Us with false information."

crumpet_man

First bill just received and looks correct but my only query is on how VAT is displayed/charged.

I'm not sure if it's worth kicking up a fuss about with Tomato but my contract shows the unit prices and standing charge without VAT and the wording in the contract states that "all our prices are shown including VAT."  But, mywatts is showing the cost without VAT.  The breakdown in the monthly bill shows the same cost as on mywatts, but then VAT is added.

Anyone had something similar?  

tlcgrantham

It’s true they are confusing by showing prices without VAT and then adding them after saying “all our prices are shown including VAT”. Some have complained as mentioned earlier in this thread but without success. Is your bill correct apart from that and are you still happy with the what they’ve charged?

crumpet_man

When I first looked at the Tomato website tariffs, the one I choose (5 hours at 5p) had the prices shown with VAT included.  Upon receiving my contract in an email I thought they had probably made a mistake showing the prices without VAT and that I might end up with a bill 5% lower than I had originally expected.

My bill is correct, I am happy with the cost as it is what I was expecting to pay given the original unit prices before I received the contract.  

SJMALBA

To confirm, the prices they quote on their website are correct i.e. they include VAT? It's the contract prices that are shown without VAT?