To switch or not to switch...

Arunmor

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81964636#Comment_81964636

You need to use a spreadsheet and put the actual rates in per KWh and Daily Rate along with your annual usage (monthly figures can also be useful so you know what the real cost of switching is at a certain time of year), to me the numbers you are using are meaningless.

Personally I would be looking for a shorter fix this year in the hope Ed Miliband will be sacked and the war in Iran will end. I'm holding off fixing because my rate is currently 18.62p until 31st August. Whatever I do will result in at least a 23% rise and perhaps a 30% rise in price.

The only mitigating factor is a new replacement GSHP last Autumn is much more efficient and is saving us about 25%-30% in usage weighted to the colder months.

Here is my calculations, the columns with ? are my best guess the others are known.

stuarta99

So at the moment those figures of mine are based on what EDF have given me based on my current annual usage and then I've reused those usages for the Octopus calculator

QrizB

A couple of questions, sorry.

as I have an active dispute open with EDF for my parents (contracts expire at the same time),

How has your parents' complaint prevented you from switching? Or is this thread all about your parents' account and you've been calling it yours for convenience?

... as their gas smart meter hasn't been working for 12 months.

In what way is their gas meter not working? Is it not communicating with EDF but you can still read it manually, or is it completely dead?

However, I'm not sure what would happen if EDF don't fix the gas meter

If the meter can be read, you'll be able to provide a switching reading to your new supplier and EDF will be able to close the gas account. If it can't be read, there will have to be some sort of estimated reading applied if you switch.

If you switch, fixing the meter will become the new supplier's problem.

An alternative option would be to switch electricity only, then switch gas once EDF fix things.

stuarta99

Yeah so my parents gas smart meter is completely dead, no display or communicating. Both accounts are the same start and first finish times as I manage both and therefore if I switch one I'll switch both.

Never had an issue with EDF in the 20 years I've been with them but they have been abysmal in the 6 months I've been trying to sort this and been out of action for 12months

QrizB

Yeah so my parents gas smart meter is completely dead, no display or communicating. Both accounts are the same start and first finish times as I manage both and therefore if I switch one I'll switch both.

As mentioned earlier, you could switch everything except your parent's gas then move that over later?

Never had an issue with EDF in the 20 years I've been with them but they have been abysmal in the 6 months I've been trying to sort this and been out of action for 12months

My experience with EDF's smart meter team a few years ago (2022?) was frustrating. I switched to Octopus with a non-communicating gas meter and Octopus sorted it out within three or four months, if memory serves.

stuarta99

well few weeks on and no further forward. Ombudsman say I'll hear from them on the 10th. Just need to decide what to do with our fix ending on 1/8.

It does appear that the price options have changed to £130 for a 12 month fix and £132 for a 24 month fix. Not sure if these will end though today and what the crystal ball is looking like for the next 12 months