Ping Dave Liquorice Utility Point

[Jim White]

Ploughing through a shedload of energy posts, I see you were taking a punt on Utility Point.

Any Good? Any gotchas?

Cheers, Jim

[Andy Burns]

I also went with them, no real problems, they did adjust the monthly D/D upwards after only a couple of months, by my reckoning I'd have made it through to now without being in debit (or credit) if they'd left it alone

Their tariffs today are not as cheap as when I switched.

[Jim White]

Thanks Andy. Works out about the same as we're paying BG now, but fixed for 17 months. I think it's worth a shot.

Cheers, Jim

[Dave Liquorice]

We have power, they take the DD's. They did try to increase the DD's but when I pointed out that this would run up a larger credit they reduced them to below what they started at. One only a few pence the other by about a tenner.month.

I might challenge them to correct the national database of MPAN and postal address's.

[Dave Liquorice]

Best deal I could get just now (switch date was yesterday) for E7 was Bulb. That's a variable rate but if they hoik the price I'll shop around again...

If anyone does decide on Bulb sign up via my "refer a friend" link, we both get a £50 credit. B-)

bulb.co.uk/refer/davel2038

(That's an lowercase L, not a 1 or i).

[Jim White]

Rats, just signed up yesterday. Anyhoo, thanks for the feedback. First ever switch, so a bit of a learning curve :-)

Cheers, Jim

[Robin]

use 14 day cooling off period?

[Jim White]

Well the missus reckons it's about £30 cheaper than she's paying now, so we'll run with it. It's her name on the bill :-)

Cheers, Jim

[Dave Liquorice]

link,

That's a shame... I signed up via some one elses "refer a friend" an got an email this morning that my £50 credit had been applied.

It's a lot more streamlined and easier than it was. You'll still get "we're sorry to see you go" communications from your old supplier but I've yet to see one of those with a better offer than anything they already have.

Don't trust the "savings" quoted once you done a switch as they make assumptions about what you'll do, like nothing. Thus get transferred to the suppliers standard variable tarrif when the current one ends. And the TCR 9Tarrif Comparison Rate) is next to useless unless you just happen to use the amount of energy that is assumed in the TCR calculation.

The only real way to find the best deal is to know your consumption and plug the approiate figures into a spreadsheet. If a low user any standing charge can really shove the overall cost up, making what the standing charge is important. Conversly for high users, standing charge is small against the energy making the enrgy cost important.

[Bob Eager]

As it happens, I switched last week, from E.on to So Energy (I had managwed to get a *very* good deal from E.on a year ago, but it runs out soon).

I got the expected 'sorry to see yhou go' email, and then today a guy from E.on phoned up. He said they were disappointed because I was a 'valUed customer'. Asked me why I was leaving, and I said the 41% increase in tariff was a factor, also the compulsory smart meter.

He said I shouldn't worry about the smart meter, as they were all going to be upgraded to the latest software. I said I might consider it then, but a smart meter was of no value to me.

Then he said they could offer me a special tariff, much lower, not available online so I wouldn't know about it. I said that if I was that much of a valued customer, I'd have been offered that already. He gave up.

[Dave Liquorice]

Like wise, at least the small suppliers don't seem to have Smart Meter tarrifs or capabilty at all, presumably it costs to be connected into the cental system...

e.on are the ones I've just dumped in favour of Bulb. Might have had a phone call but if I did it didn't get as far as offering a "better deal". I'd have asked for the figures and plugged 'em into the spreadsheet, whilst on the call, then haggled... B-)

[Andy Burns]

I had good deals out of e.on for years, then apparently their pricing policy changed to gouge existing customers. I went to Scottish Power, then Utility Point.

Scottish Power did make a phone call, pleasant chap, apologetic that he couldn't give me a better deal.

[tony sayer]

In article , Andy Burns scribeth thus

Likewise f*ck e bloody rip off e-on.

And indeed went to Scottish power good deal was had there:)..

[Bob Eager]

I was in the car at the time. The So Energy deal is £63 a month lower than the E.on one was, so I didn't think there was a lot of point.

[Chris J Dixon]

My first switch, in 2007, was to Scottish Power. By keeping an eye on their tariffs, and switching between them (more frequently than I really felt I should have needed to), was on reasonable deals until last year.

I then moved to Tonik, who were very competitive, and have given me no problems, so far.

They also rather considerately pay 3% interest on any positive balance on the account. At that rate one would be tempted to deliberately overpay. ;-)

Chris

[dennis]

If mine were £63 a month lower they would be paying me.

[Bob Eager]

The former E.on charge was £209 a month. The new one was going to be £297.

[Dave Liquorice]

spreadsheet,

Unknown numbers go to voice mail when I'm in a car.

Haven't had that sort of drop since I first switched, it now just limiting the price rise rather than actually saving any money. So Energy E7 in NORWEB's old area is £40 quid/month more than Bulb.

[Dave Liquorice]

Ah so the actual payment has gone up by £25/month to £234.

For me: e.on old - £196/month e.on best new - £239/month e.on default - £253/month So Energy - £248/month Bulb - £209/month (actually 204 with a £50 refer a friend(*))

E7 roughly 11000 night 5000 day.

(*)

(lowercase L)

[Bob Eager]

I wasn't bothered enough to tell him to call back.

Well, this was limiting the price rise.

To clarify... Last year I luckily hit a sweet spot and got a tariff with E.on just before a big price rise. That was £209 a month.

I was expecting a big rise this year, and for a little while E.on offered about £245 a month. I was looking around for something better (and something that didn't insist on a smart meter) and E.on suddenly had a price rise and rocketed to £297.

I looked around again, and on balance of customer service, recommendation etc. it was either So Energy or Bulb. So Energy offered a fixed price contract so I went with them. Minimal exit fee, although Bulb's is zero.