Add your feedback on energy supplier Powershop

Tafrock · 1 December 2018 at 2:23AM

Today's may future pack a significant improvement over previous months at 14% discount. It's actually higher then may 2018 pack was which was 12.8%. Still a little low for myself to consider purchasing but a big improvement none the less. Also winter warmer returns for 2nd month running at 38%. Disappointed however to see simple saver disappear. I always bought this one as it was 18 or 19 % discount. In its place the lep (little extra pack or as I call it laughable energy price) which has a mere 5.8% discount

fewkeste · 1 December 2018 at 3:53AM

5.4% LEP - come on PS - what were you thinking?

So, how's 14% Future Packs going to help us achieve the 28/29% discount we need to achieve Top Shopper? That's three months on the trot where the Future Packs are not worth having! :mad:

Tafrock · 1 December 2018 at 10:42AM

Simple saver was slow off the blocks. It's there now. I've purchased it but looking at my account I have 37.43 worth (6 packs) of simple saver unused on my account. These are my backstop. When I start using them I know I'm eating into packs with 19.4% discount. If they remain unused for 6 or 7 months I'll just request a refund as I did last year

grumpycrab · 1 December 2018 at 12:05PM

Quick question. What determines the order the power packs are consumed? e.g. I assume specific "monthly" power packs are consumed in preference to "simple savers" (or send me to a post that already explains - couldn't see one when I just had a skim).

Tafrock · 1 December 2018 at 12:08PM

The higher the discount the sooner the pack is consumed. Packs are always used starting with the highest discounted ones you have. So your big winter Warner discounts are used up before paltry discounts like the recently announced little extra pack. This means you end up having lower discounted packs left as credit in your pot.

fewkeste · 1 December 2018 at 3:27PM

Tafrock wrote: »

The higher the discount the sooner the pack is consumed. Packs are always used starting with the highest discounted ones you have. So your big winter Warner discounts are used up before paltry discounts like the recently announced little extra pack. This means you end up having lower discounted packs left as credit in your pot.

... and what Tafrock has quite correctly explained above means that anyone who is worried about not having enough credit to cover a billing period, can purchase less favourably discounted Powerpacks safe in the knowledge that they will only be used if necessary.

After all, it's better to use some poorly discounted Powerpack credit than end up having to buy (or having PS buy on your behalf) undiscounted Baseline Energy if you think you haven't got enough credit to cover your bill.

GBD · 1 December 2018 at 11:25PM

It states in the bottom for this powerpack: "Take the Little Extra pack, it’s not a biggie, but gives you a nice little discount against the small part of your monthly bill that is made up of our standing charge. It all helps!". Hence, it would appear to be solely for reducing the daily standing charge as opposed to the unit power charge per kW.hr. This applies to the new Topshopper rates. In my case, Baseline and Topshopper daily standing charge rates are 18.49p and 17.47p. If they solely apply it to the standing charge, I believe there is no harm in buying it.

Tafrock · 2 December 2018 at 1:07AM

I won't be buying it. Can't see how it can only apply to the standing charge. That's not how powerpacks work

fewkeste · 2 December 2018 at 2:48PM

@GBD - I think the way this pack is described is misleading. I suspect it goes into your credit 'pot' along with all the other Powerpacks you buy.

I suspect the way it has been described is to get you to think that it's about the amount you pay each month for your daily charge (to excuse why it's so small) so the only ring fencing gong on is in your mind. I believe the standing charge element of your bill is paid out of the same pot of discounted credit as your normal consumption.

Otherwise, just think of the IT implications on the billing system they use.

Why not send them a question via the contact us tab and ask if it will actually be ring fenced and offset only against the daily standing charge and report back to us?

I don't think it is - it would be too complicated - it's just a marketing ploy to make you think like that.

It's a bit like when someone sends you a card for your birthday to say they've bought someone a goat or other livestock with a donation that would have otherwise been used as a present for you. The money they donate doesn't actually directly go to buy a goat - it goes into the general coffers of the relevant charity who have an animal purchasing program for those in need.

i.e. there is no direct link between the donation and the purchase of the animal.

So, I don't believe the purchase of this Powerpack will specifically and exclusively be set against your daily charge; it will go into the pot that everything gets paid from.

Tafrock · 2 December 2018 at 4:17PM

Totally agree fewkeste. It's a very misleading description of an appalling powerpack by powershop. I won't be buying it to have it sitting there unused. Even jumbos had bigger discounts and I never used them. This pack basically gives you just enough credit to cover your standing charge. Your still getting an appalling discount. All powerpacks go into your credit pot and are used in order starting with the highest discounts first. They are all used to pay both standing charge and kWh used. So this pack would be the last used before you end up using energy at standard (sorry baseline) rate and I don't believe any powershop user would stay with powershop if they were buying any portion of their energy at the inflated standard (sorry baseline) rate. Its just too expensive

Add your feedback on energy supplier Powershop

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free