Energy costs.

[harry]

Came across this:-

Supposedly automatically changes your energy supplier to the cheapest one every time there is/are a price changes in the market.

Any thoughts?

[cl]

Yes, life's too short! I bet it doesn't automatically change as there are all sorts of things that (hopefully) a third party can't change for you.

The problem with all these (mostly government) people who bemoan the fact that we don't change energy supplier (or bank, or whatever) to get the best deal is the hassle involved. It's partly inertia I agree but the thought of changing energy supplier every year or so fills me with dread. I *have* changed supplier a couple of times over the past ten years or so but I don't want to repeat the experience if I can avoid it.

[Andy Cap]

I signed up with Midcounties Coop energy in March 2015 and just recently they've emailed me a better deal (£10 mth) up until March 2017. Unlike most companies and services, they genuinely seem to want to put the customer first instead of requiring you to grovel.

Andy C

[Broadback]

I have changed my n=bank several times in the last year or so. By is it a hassle, it takes ages for it to complete, meanwhile your account is in limbo. The transfer of SO etc. is efficient, but getting the new bank to operated smoothly is a different matter.

[Tim Lamb]

I am being hassled by SSE to allow them to fit a smart meter under the guise of *we need to change your meter anyway* scam.

Reading the small print they admit that a new supplier may not be able to offer the same service and benefits and that you should check before switching.

[Brian Gaff]

Sounds too good to be true and most might prefer to actually know ho they are going to pay. Brian

[Andy Cap]

I should add that their website is primitive but it works !

[Dave Liquorice]

I expect they'll only be offering you a cheaper tariff from them not the cheapest you could get.

What useful "service and benefits" do *you* get from a smart meter? A smart meter will still act as a "dumb meter" that can be read and the numbers fed to the supplier.

As for switching, I was surprised by the figures bandied about by the media recently about how few have switched. Are the great unwashed so "challenged" that they are incapeable of understanding an electricty bill? It's not difficult FFS, once you have found the 2 x 3" area on the four sides of A4 that actually contains the useful information (meter readings and rates).

[Andy Cap]

I know you're right but it's pretty competitive and if it saves me pissing about every 12 months, No other service company has ever voluntarily offered to cut my costs as far as I recall.

[Dave Liquorice]

cheapest

Easy to work around by you authorising the 3rd party to act on your behalf.

But if it does what is quoted the chances are it's going to cost you a fortune in early exit charges.

At most half an hour to visit a couple of comparison sites just to see what is out there isn't too hard surely? I check each time a tarrif ends but the last couple have only resulted in a switch to a different tariff with the same supllier.

It's better than it was but still takes too long. As you have switched you're probably not going to make the hundreds of pounds/year saving that the ads would have you believe but might save something.

[F]

Read the smaller print and you should find that if they *need* to change your meter then they will install a dumb meter if you request it.

First Utility tried the same trick with me. I got a cheaper deal, without the hassle, elsewhere.

[alan_m]

Its only going to save you hundreds if you have never bothered coming off the 'standard' tariff in the first place.

It's much like adverts for car insurance that claim hundreds in savings

- if this was true the insurance companies would be paying me for insuring a car!

[F]

Not even that.

Sign up to Martin Lewis's Cheap Energy Club

and get automated notifications when something cheaper comes available.

[Tim Lamb]

That is what I told them to do. This is their third attempt on the smart meter including the *it will be mandatory* line.

[bert]

In article , Dave Liquorice writes

Most of the claims of savings are based on a comparison with the variable rate charged by your current supplier and not the tariff that you are currently on thus producing an exaggerated figure Exit charges which you may incur are not taken into account. It is not always easy to find whether the quoted tariffs include VAT. The tariffs on your bill do not.

[bert]

In article , Brian Gaff writes

Like NPower for example.

[PeterC]

Advantage of that club is it's easy. I checked through the tariffs (low useage, so fixed elements important), got a quotation, filled in the details and the DDs were simply swung across to the new supplier.

Nottingham Council has Robin Hood Eneregy - it might be better than Robbing Bastards Energy.

[Dave Liquorice]

Several of the power companies do it now during contract and I think they all *have* to give details of their standard and their cheapest for you tariffs when your contract ends.

[Dave Liquorice]

They are for the generic media ads but on the comparison sites they base it against your current tariff (or at least the one you tell them you are on) and the consumption that you tell them.

This is true and a bit daft as they know your tariff and thus any exit charges.

Quoted domestic energy prices are "retail" thus VAT inclusive, again I think the companies have been told fairly recently (year or so) to quote VAT inclusive. The rates on the bill have to be VAT exclusive due to the way VAT works. ie you work out the cost of everything and come to a total then add the VAT to that.

[Dave Liquorice]

Generally speaking true but one of our accounts is on nPower Standard Variable DD and is the cheapest by 2 or 3 quid a month. Unit cost is high, 16.08 + VAT, but no standing charge and when you only use 3 units/day any standing charge is significant.