Changes To StayWarm

marlynda

Thanks for the quick reply Malc. Got the details on Saturday, and have decided to stay with the local company I am with. Their charge is £9.99 a month. and everything is covered, except servicing. Which I already get done free of charge (so far)! As I commented on my last post I did leave Staywarm for a while, but do like the security of knowing can leave my heating on all night if I want. I wouldn't do this but like having the option.! So a satisfied Staywarm customer. :beer:

Mollymop5

Bit of advice please.
Mum has recently moved into a 3 bed cottage.It has night storage heaters.She uses the 2 downstairs plus an open fire to heat the house and it is nice and cosy. She has just got her 1 st bill £175.70 from 27th Sept 2010 to 30th Nov. this works out at £19.52 per week.

We're wondering if she should sign up to stay warm and what the monthly charges are likely to be.She isn't likely to use the other heaters as she likes the open fire and this heats the house sufficiently along with the 2 radiators she has on.

Can anyone advise us on what her monthly charge could be if she was to sign up?

martint123

For a new customer, I think the costs are calculated from teh number of rooms, occupants and area. Phone for a quote and see what they say. It is after the first year that previous consumption gets taken into account.
What is her open fire fuelled with? If it is wood or coal then I suspect she would get a poor deal with Staywarm.

dougz_2

What is likely to happen to customers on this tariff if the government imposes their proposed Warm Home scheme?

From what I read below it seems these "Legacy" tariffs are expected to fade quickly to total extinction in the next few years, replaced by a means tested annual fuel payment of about £100:
http://decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/warm-home-discount/957-ia-warm-home-discount-scheme.pdf

The table 2.3 on page 40 states that the average Staywarm customer saved £395 last year. Many would get zilch under the new scheme, and it would still be a massive hit even if you pass the means test.

Yet worryingly it does not actually suggest how the legacy tariffs will be killed off, which leaves fears of sudden unaffordable price hikes, or refusal to offer renewal. Has Eon suggested what they might do?

djohn2002uk

dougz wrote: »

The table 2.3 on page 40 states that the average Staywarm customer saved £395 last year.

Compared to what?
I suspect the EON standard tariff.
There are and always have been lower prices out there than staywarm, well not quite always because in the early days it was a good system, but that didn't last long.

Doesn't it tell you something when the number of benefiting customers has more than halved from 2008/9 to 2009/10 ?

dougz_2

Well according to page 45 of this Ofgem report

E.ON StayWarm... This tariff is being withdrawn. At their anniversary date, customers are offered the WarmAssist Fixed tariff.

So has this been happening already? Have people started being chucked off at their anniversary, onto WarmAssist Fixed?

WarmAssist Fixed... 12 month subscription product (dual fuel or electricity only) where the annual charge is calculated from the customer‟s previous 12 months consumption.

Which sounds like a dead end, because following the customers next exceptionally cold winter the calculation for the next year will be unrealistically high for a normal winter, probably causing them to leave, and of course never being allowed back.

But it still leaves the question of what will happen to those who doggedly persisted with their new WarmAssist Fixed, once such legacy tariffs are supposed to die off?

Campden

I received the standard renewal: valid from 17 February 2011 and same price as last year.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi dougz

Many thanks for the link to the Ofgem report about energy suppliers' social programmes.

I have gone through the sections relevant to our Staywarm programme and noted some distinct inaccuracies.

In particular, I can confirm that Staywarm is definitely not closed to new customers. Provided customers meet the relevant criteria, we are happy to offer the Staywarm tariff.

Staywarm is open to domestic customers aged 60 or over, who take dual fuel or electricity only and where they or their partner are the account holder.

The property must have no more than 3 bedrooms and a maximum of 4 people must live there.

Only customers who have Unrestricted or Economy 7 electric credit meters and gas credit meters are eligible.

Payment needs to be by Monthly Direct Debit.

Customers with non-domestic appliances like swimming pools or Jacuzzis will be excluded.

Customers who meet these requirements will be offered a 12 month Staywarm contract.

Staywarm allows customers to use as much energy as they like over the period of the agreement for the same monthly amount.

This doesn't mean usage is unimportant, though, as it will form the basis of any renewal offer at the end of the contract.

Where usage is within our threshold guidelines, customers will be offered another 12 month Staywarm contract.

However, customers with high levels of usage will not be offered another Staywarm contract. Instead, they will be offered an alternative product, usually WarmAssist Fixed provided they meet the qualifying criteria.

Again, thank you for highlighting the inaccuracies in the report. I have brought these to the attention of the relevant people at E.ON who will take these up directly with Ofgem.

I hope I have clarified our position in relation to Staywarm dougz. Give me a shout if you need any more details as will be happy to help.

Malc

peegypops

Campden wrote: »

I received the standard renewal: valid from 17 February 2011 and same price as last year.

Hi I just received the Staywarm quote for next year starting 10.3.11
last year the price was £111/month next year it's going to be £133 ....last years usage was gas (CH and stove) 17,843 kWh....electric (oven and fan heater)4,807 kWh so although I use much less gas than average 3 bed house ...it seems my electric usage is close to the limit of the present tariff,and if I go over 4900ish I'll go to being a high user.
So I went to "u switch" (where you get asked what your bill is with staywarm...as opposed to"UK power" where you don't) and it seems I could save over £500 with EDF ,although I'm not sure if they've yet raised their prices......this is about a third off!! and (possibly) a case of wine thanks to MSE!!
Peegypops...ps altho' Campden's bill is the same for next year,mine is considerably more and I've used less electricity???

chriswen

I have had the same problem. I was paying £92 last year with Staywarm, this year it has risen to £123 a month. I have checked other comparison sites and could save about £200 a year, but they cannot seem to tell me if the monthly DD price they quote is guaranteed not to go up for 12 months, so I am confused whether to stay with Staywarm or change. My readings were 24671 Gas & 5114 Elec.