Octopus - to switch or stick?

HillStreetBlues

THAAWT said:

Thank you, 

Our usage is approx
4000 kwh gas per year
6500 kwh electric per year

I calculate Octopus is £40.13 cheaper for electric & BG £4.43 cheaper for gas.
So if you are going to fix stick with Octopus.

Stubod

wakeupalarm said:

Stubod said:

..we are with Octopuss, and our 12 month fixed rate ends in October. Just done a "U switch" comparison and they are offering a night time rate of 5p compared with 13p we are currently paying(?!)...and the day rate is a couple of pence cheaper...so may be time to switch??

"they"? Who is offering those rates 

..oops, forgot to say....Utility Warehouse

wrf12345

New BG customers will not have the option of variable direct debit and BG are notorious for trying to push the cost of the fixed DD up every few months regardless of usage or if you are in continuously in credit, so at best a constant hassle, even if it does not cost you any extra net money.

THAAWT

Gerry1 said:

THAAWT said:

HillStreetBlues said:

Rates
E  BG 24.956p v 24.27p O
G BG 6.102p v 5.65p O
SC
E BG 41.399p v 55.79p O
G BG 23.174p v 29.34p O

It will come down to how much you use, the lower the use the more if favours BG as usage increase there will be a tipping point that then favours Octopus.
The tipping point should be adjusted to account for the £100 it would cost to move both fuels from BG.
EDIT Another factor is BG only covers a year, the Octopus fix encompasses two autumn periods 

Our usage is approx
4000 kwh gas per year
6500 kwh electric per year

Sounds like you're doing something seriously wrong: less than half the average gas usage, but more than twice the electricity.

Any you using any electric heaters or electric showers?  They're both big No-Nos because each electricity kWh costs about four times as much as gas.

Oh really   we don't have electric heaters or showers.  but i do have 3 freezers and 2 fridges (i like to stock up when things are on offer).  I'm cooking more in air fryer now and rarely have gas oven on?  and i have a couple of gaming teens.  Does that all add up?

THAAWT

Stubod said:

..we are with Octopuss, and our 12 month fixed rate ends in October. Just done a "U switch" comparison and Utility Warehouse, are offering a night time rate of 5p compared with 13p we are currently paying(?!)...and the day rate is a couple of pence cheaper...so may be time to switch??

The thing that put me off with UW was needing a smart meter, we've managed to not have one yet and preferably don't want one

THAAWT

HillStreetBlues said:

THAAWT said:

Thank you, 

Our usage is approx
4000 kwh gas per year
6500 kwh electric per year

I calculate Octopus is £40.13 cheaper for electric & BG £4.43 cheaper for gas.
So if you are going to fix stick with Octopus.

I'm thinking the same, thank you

Alnat1

THAAWT said:

Oh really   we don't have electric heaters or showers.  but i do have 3 freezers and 2 fridges (i like to stock up when things are on offer).  I'm cooking more in air fryer now and rarely have gas oven on?  and i have a couple of gaming teens.  Does that all add up?

One of those fridges/freezers could be using a lot of energy if it is starting to fail. It is probably worth buying a plug in energy monitor (Tapo P110 often recommended on this forum) to test them and see how much electricity is being used. 

While it can save money to buy in bulk/at cheap prices and freeze, it can also cost you more in the long run because you forget to add on the cost of running the freezers. A couple of older, medium sized chest freezers might be costing you £5 a week or more to run, wiping out any savings.

After checking the chillers with the energy monitor, try using it to see how much the computers are burning through. 

THAAWT

Alnat1 said:

THAAWT said:

Oh really   we don't have electric heaters or showers.  but i do have 3 freezers and 2 fridges (i like to stock up when things are on offer).  I'm cooking more in air fryer now and rarely have gas oven on?  and i have a couple of gaming teens.  Does that all add up?

One of those fridges/freezers could be using a lot of energy if it is starting to fail. It is probably worth buying a plug in energy monitor (Tapo P110 often recommended on this forum) to test them and see how much electricity is being used. 

While it can save money to buy in bulk/at cheap prices and freeze, it can also cost you more in the long run because you forget to add on the cost of running the freezers. A couple of older, medium sized chest freezers might be costing you £5 a week or more to run, wiping out any savings.

After checking the chillers with the energy monitor, try using it to see how much the computers are burning through. 

Thanks, really appreciate it, will order one now

HillStreetBlues

Alnat1 said:

One of those fridges/freezers could be using a lot of energy if it is starting to fail. It is probably worth buying a plug in energy monitor (Tapo P110 often recommended on this forum) to test them and see how much electricity is being used. 

While it can save money to buy in bulk/at cheap prices and freeze, it can also cost you more in the long run because you forget to add on the cost of running the freezers. A couple of older, medium sized chest freezers might be costing you £5 a week or more to run, wiping out any savings.

Another thing to factor in is does having those fridges / freezers cut down trips to shops, if so how much saving does that generate. 

Gerry1

THAAWT said:

Gerry1 said:

THAAWT said:

HillStreetBlues said:

Rates
E  BG 24.956p v 24.27p O
G BG 6.102p v 5.65p O
SC
E BG 41.399p v 55.79p O
G BG 23.174p v 29.34p O

It will come down to how much you use, the lower the use the more if favours BG as usage increase there will be a tipping point that then favours Octopus.
The tipping point should be adjusted to account for the £100 it would cost to move both fuels from BG.
EDIT Another factor is BG only covers a year, the Octopus fix encompasses two autumn periods 

Our usage is approx
4000 kwh gas per year
6500 kwh electric per year

Sounds like you're doing something seriously wrong: less than half the average gas usage, but more than twice the electricity.

Any you using any electric heaters or electric showers?  They're both big No-Nos because each electricity kWh costs about four times as much as gas.

Oh really   we don't have electric heaters or showers.  but i do have 3 freezers and 2 fridges (i like to stock up when things are on offer).  I'm cooking more in air fryer now and rarely have gas oven on?  and i have a couple of gaming teens.  Does that all add up?

Agree with Alnat1, the freezers and fridges could well be the biggest culprits.  Older models with poorer insulation will be more wasteful, and dodgy door seals could make them even less efficient.  See what your new Tapo says.  It might shock you, (metaphorically!).

Gaming PCs probably the next culprits if used for very long periods.  Air fryer probably fairly innocent because it's likely to be used only for short periods.  Tapo will confirm.

Make sure you have left the immersion heater(s) switched off.