Is u Switch Accurate? 30 May 2008 at 10:52PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Energy 6 replies 584 views

ijhawkins

Hi
I have relied on U-switch for the last few years and monitored my actual KWh usage on both gas and electricity. It always seem to say that my current tariff with E-on is the cheapest.

Yesterday I had to guys knock the door and where from Swalec(dont worry checked id) they said they where the cheapest, usually i say no thanks at the earliest opportunity of door step callers. anyway I sent them away for an hour, so I could check out their claims. I checked on the Swalec Website and the primary unit is 13.5p while i am paying 21.5p per kwh. Gas is just as cheaper too. They had a clipping from the Money Mail about uswitch. The Swalec Guys explained it away as the sponsors of uswitch end up further up the list! how can that be if you compare it to annual usage of KWh????

So why doesn't this come out on the comparison websites? this has thrown me and I'm quite confused

jhp

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

"Comparison services are paid between £30 and £60 per switch from the energy companies; in other words they're referral businesses. In itself this isn't actually a problem, as it doesn't add costs to the consumer, plus consumer group Energywatch has an accreditation system for website, not phone, services, setting minimum standards.

Yet these are commercial beasts, and thus there are differences between them; in functionality; inclusion of niche players and the treatment of ‘initial discounts'; and some concerns that one or two tweak results at the edges for their gain. Yet overall, it's better to use them, than to simply listen to the energy companies when they tout ‘we're cheapest'. "

Try a couple of other comparism sites.:D

IvanOpinion

Much of it is smoke and mirrors, there are ways that data can be presented making one thing look cheaper however some 'costs' are less obvious. A while back one of the utility companies (can't remember which) managed to get its products to fill the entire first page of one of the switching sites. As jhp points out try a few different sites.

Ivan

ijhawkins

I have switched to swalec and give it a go - anything is better than paying 21.5p per Kw to E-on!
I can always switch 28 days later!
Ian

silvercar

Different suppliers have different cut offs between primary and secondary units. I'm just thinking of moving to a BG tariff where the electric cut off is just 125 units a quarter.

Plushchris

The primary rate on some of the cheaper tariffs is quite high but the cut off can be lower (ie. the 125KwH from BG) which means it could work out the same (or similar) to a lower primary rate for a higher cut off.

Also, I think people are too hung up on unit rates, sure E-ons may be 21.5p but there are still the discounts for direct debit/dual fuel/online billing which can add up to around 20% which can effectively be taken off of the unit rates.

scope

I never rely on a website that gets it income from commission/deals with some of the gas companies, but use it as an indication..

Check the cash back websites when switching, e.g. you get £60 if you switch to BG through quidco.