Energy Switching - ever thought of getting a pet!!

Legacy_user · 11 March 2018 at 7:35PM

A device that plugs into a home broadband router and automatically switches supplier when cheaper deals become available is set to revolutionise the home energy market.

The launch of Labrador comes as more and more people are changing their energy companies.

The company!!!8217;s free service is primarily targeted at the growing number of households which have smart meters, which automate readings. More than 8m have been installed in the UK so far, and energy suppliers have to offer one to every home in the UK by the end of 2020.

Unlike conventional price comparison sites, which require people to actively search for a better deal and input their details and energy use, Labrador will automatically switch people!!!8217;s accounts when it finds a cheaper tariff.

Jane Lucy, founder and CEO of Labrador, said: !!!8220;We!!!8217;re not about behaviour change: we assume consumer lethargy will remain.!!!8221;

Flipper was a similar service that launched last year, relying on accessing a customer!!!8217;s energy bills, which might be estimated. Labrador believes it will be more accurate, as it use a device that plugs into a customer!!!8217;s broadband router and talks wirelessly to their smart meters, taking readings direct from them.

While Flipper charges an annual £25 fee, Labrador makes its money like a switching site, by being paid an acquisition fee by suppliers.

Lucy said she expected customers would be switched 1-3 times a year and save on average £300 a year. They are given the choice to tailor their preferences, for example, to just green energy tariffs.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/11/labrador-switch-energy-suppliers

https://www.thelabrador.co.uk/?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=lad-t18-a3-c49&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItP_y-fTk2QIVBBUYCh0WRgzCEAAYASAAEgKB-vD_BwE

newatc · 11 March 2018 at 9:35PM

Given the "expertise" of energy company's customer services, changing 1-3 times per year sounds like like a recipe for nightmares.

Norman_Castle · 12 March 2018 at 8:29AM

Energy companies should employ Labradors for customer services. I expect they'd do a better job.

lstar337 · 12 March 2018 at 11:20AM

What about switching penalties?

ASavvyBuyer · 12 March 2018 at 11:35AM

lstar337 wrote: »

What about switching penalties?

And do the use the "ofgem" method to calculate inflated savings.

Also, they get the commission for switching you. Better to do it yourself for suppliers that have referral schemes, like Octopus, as then you get the "commission".

[Deleted User] · 12 March 2018 at 11:42AM

I like the idea, but......

*Smart meters turn dumb as soon as you switch.
*It'll make keeping track of your DDs even more of a PITA than it already is.
*I'm not keen on my bank details being passed from company to company without any input from me.
*How long will it take for the companies to devise a means of thwarting it?

Smodlet · 12 March 2018 at 1:42PM

And, as soon as you change supplier via your (almost certainly SMETS 1) smart meter, it will become dumb so I think this Labrador woman's plan has a basic flaw. Maybe she's a dumb b!tc#.

poppellerant · 12 March 2018 at 3:09PM

Smodlet wrote: »

And, as soon as you change supplier via your (almost certainly SMETS 1) smart meter, it will become dumb so I think this Labrador woman's plan has a basic flaw. Maybe she's a dumb b!tc#.

Labrador believes it will be more accurate, as it use a device that plugs into a customer’s broadband router and talks wirelessly to their smart meters, taking readings direct from them.

So it's works the same way as the display supplied with your smart meter. These displays can continue to display information from your smart meter and I suspect this Labrador will get it's data in a similar way.

Smodlet · 12 March 2018 at 3:16PM

Don't understand your post, popellerent; a smart meter is smart only until it becomes dumb, which switching supplier almost invariably results in... Really couldn't give a toss, tbh, as you could not pay me to have a "smart" meter anyway.

[Deleted User] · 12 March 2018 at 3:32PM

Smodlet wrote: »

Don't understand your post, popellerent; a smart meter is smart only until it becomes dumb, which switching supplier almost invariably results in... Really couldn't give a toss, tbh, as you could not pay me to have a "smart" meter anyway.

Presumably the IHD still works even when the meter reverts to dumb.

poppellerant · 12 March 2018 at 3:38PM

jack_pott wrote: »

Presumably the IHD still works even when the meter reverts to dumb.

Exactly. My smart is "dumb", but my IHD still shows data from the smart meter.

When you say a smart is dumb, to me it means it can no longer send data to your energy provider. But it can still talk to your IHD - or at least in my case.

Energy Switching - ever thought of getting a pet!!

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