EBICO. Fab

DGJsaver

personally i nearly chose ebico , but i weighed it up for days and ended up going with atlantic as they were the cheapest AND seem to have good CS reputation etc

i reached a sort of middle ground and i get to leave npower YES:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Farway

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

OK, thanks all for your comments.

So it boils down to "ebico's pricing structure benefits low users". And for everyone else, they are poor value.

Whilst it might seem ethical and cuddly to subsidise low users, I'm not sure that I understand why that should be the case. It's those who use lots of fuel - because they have old, inefficient homes, or because they are elderly or housebound and are in the house a lot of the time - who need subsidising, not those who spend next to nothing on fuel.

It's amusing that kittie likes ebico's ethical position, but is actually a "taker" from the pricing structure rather than a "giver".

Strangely, I quite like the ethical position of suppliers who do charge a standing charge (either explicitly or implicitly) and hence don't subsidise those who don't necessarily need it, at the expense of those who probably do.

I think you may have missed the Ebico point, they do not "subsidise" low users, they "subsidise" just the people you point out who use lots of fuel, but for one reason or another cannot have DD, or have to have a pre-payment meter.

Unlike the majority of suppliers who make these people "subsidise" the high users by charging more for pre-payment, or non DD collection

FWIW I am with Ebico, and could save a few quid a year by moving, but I do not as I for one can afford it, I appreciate you may not be able to, for me the Ebico argument is a bit like the free range eggs problem, some can afford it & others have to go on price alone

DGJsaver

This threads getting a bit sanctimonious and petty

MarkyMarkD

Farway wrote: »

I think you may have missed the Ebico point, they do not "subsidise" low users, they "subsidise" just the people you point out who use lots of fuel, but for one reason or another cannot have DD, or have to have a pre-payment meter.

Unlike the majority of suppliers who make these people "subsidise" the high users by charging more for pre-payment, or non DD collection

FWIW I am with Ebico, and could save a few quid a year by moving, but I do not as I for one can afford it, I appreciate you may not be able to, for me the Ebico argument is a bit like the free range eggs problem, some can afford it & others have to go on price alone

If Ebico were just subsidising those who can't (or won't) use DD or who use prepayment meters, they wouldn't need to operate a "no standing charge" model which just penalises higher volume users and subsidises lower volume users.

That's the part of their charging approach which I don't understand.

Other suppliers arguably don't make those who can't (or won't) use DD or who use prepayment meters subsidise those who pay by DD; they simply charge each set of customers the rate they will pay as determined by a competitive market.

The idea that suppliers compete for customer paying by DD and don't care at all about competing for other customers makes no sense, unless the extra amount charged for other payment methods doesn't, in fact, cover the additional costs.

c0113tt3

Im happy with ebico ))

£28 for the quarter on gas, for 986 kwh

£80 for the quarter on electric, for 715 kwh

minus £20 as a good will gesture for switching

= £88 for the quarter on both

MarkyMarkD

You would be happy, collette - you hardly use any fuel at all, so you benefit from ebico's "low user subsidy". Good for you.

Ken68

Ebico DO charge a standing charge, it's in the unit price, part of the costings.
If the other providers stopped giving away part of their profits, Ebico rates would be comparable.

pawpurrs

Been with Ebico for a few years now, just checked and can save £100 a year with BG and £60 quidco for swapping so just done that, thats £160 back to me not to be sniffed at.
This thread gave me the push I needed, a few years ago ebico were cheapest, but typically as soon as I swapped they put their prices up!

zarazara

I'm with Ebico and I think they are fabulous.