Why is swithing so risky and complicated ?

Neil_Jones

sky_rat said:

This frustrates me so much when it comes to switching and comparison sites, whether its energy or insurance etc.

Its all very well showing a cheaper price, but then you hear horror stories such as energy companies significantly increasing DD payments, incorrect meter readings, difficulty in resolving issues and having to complain to the regulator.  Or for insurance companies they refuse to pay out or have even more exclusions.

Its just not as simple as comparing the price, this is where the saying "you get what you pay for" rings true.

I havent switched energy company for years and was about to switch from Octopus to Outfox the Market.  Just as I was about to do so I read reviews about people being ripped off because Outfox have taken inaccurate meter readings and increased the DD but the consumer struggled to fight it.

Its all very well quoting an initial cheap price, but if the provider is going to unfairly increase prices to make up for the cheap price or insurance companies dont pay out when you try to claim, you can end up worse off

Its all so complicated with so many ifs and buts, you need to read all the small print and T&Cs and reviews but thats a full time jon and tedious.

I was ready to switch to Outfox the Market, but whats the point if they are likely to take incorrect readings, increase my DD and I have the hassle of having to complain to the regulator for months to get it sorted.

Comparison sites are like comparing apples with pears. 

It's not "complicated", it basically boils down to knowing your usage, what you're paying and how you're paying.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if more people know how their phone contract(s) work than their energy contract.  This isn't a comment aimed specifically at yourself I should add.

Complaints about energy providers - this may be true but you need to remember you only hear about the bad points on forums like these.  You rarely hear "provider X is the best thing since sliced bread" stories, only "Provider Y is the worst company I've ever dealt with". Direct debits are not your bill, they've never been your bill (variable direct debit excepted), incorrect meter readings are sometimes self inflicted (as in it hasn't been read for years on end and then people wonder why they've got a bill that looks like it should be for the council).

Te last time I spoke to any energy supplier was long before November 2016 (GB Energy who went out of business and IIRC was moved to the Co-Op because I remember having to speak to them to join a cheaper tariff they'd launched), and I moved provider most recently again in November last year.

t0rt0ise

JKS$( said:

I've just switched from Octopus to Tomato Energy - switch was fine but I'm disputing the final bill from Octopus, which is proving to be far more difficult that I thought.

I have a SMETS2 meter, but as I'm in a flat I rely on maintenance staff to access & read it. I couldn't get an accurate reading until 10 days after the switch. TBH, I assumed my smart meter would have provided accurate reading anyway...

Unfortunately for me, the last occupant of my flat left the immersion heater on 24/7, & Octopus' final bill is an estimate, based on historic meter data. Just not data that reflects my actual usage.

Despite sending photos of my meter with lower reading than their final bill estimate, & despite Octopus agreeing that my usage is much lower - they haven't yet change their final bill.

Take photos of your meters as close to switch day as possible - don't rely on your smart meter, especially if you've moved home recently.

I found the comparison sites helpful for comparing usage.

It's not up to Octopus to decide the final reading. They are waiting for Tomato to give them their opening read and then they will use the same reading to close. Presumably you gave Tomato an opening reading.

sky_rat

I was just signing up and then this appeared...

sky_rat

After several attempts it worked