Electricity Suppliers - advice?

[scousespark]

We looked at the smalller companies and settled on Bulb. Service has been good and no better/worse than we had before from the big 6. Renewable credentials also appealed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

you don't loose any credit you have built up.

How does that work?

 

[JohnW2]

We looked at the smalller companies and settled on Bulb. Service has been good and no better/worse than we had before from the big 6. Renewable credentials also appealed.

Many thanks.

Bulb is easily the cheapest on all the comparison sites I've looked at. However, they seem to offer few, if any, fixed rate deals, which is why I am being drawn to the Together Energy one, which (unusually) is offering a 3-year fixed price at a very reasonable figure. It's reassuring to hear that your experiences are fairly positive.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have therefore, for the first time in my life, been moved to look at 'comparison websites'.

I've been looking on Shouty Man's site - the problem with comparison sites, AIUI, is that they only show companies they get kickbacks from.

 

[JohnW2]

It was from the npower site so no. If you were with npower. Yes.

Ah, sorry, I think I misunderstood you.....

.... when you wrote "all the companies tariffs for the UK", I thought that you meant "the tariffs of all companies in the UK", not "all of the company's tariffs in the UK".

One little apostrophe can make quite a difference

Kind Regards, John

 

[AndyPRK]

On uSwitch there is a box to select to prevent that.

Or use cheap energy club which is better.

 

[JohnW2]

If you don’t accept a smart meter their small print says they have the right to move you to the standard tariff after x days.

Fair enough. However, at the start, they are presumably free to say that they will only offer you a particular contract (with a particular tariff) if you agree to accept a smart meter (or any other conditions/requirements they may wish to specify)?

They would quite happily fit a smart meter regardless whether it works as it would help make the quota. Pain for you to read it though.

I don't know, but I would have doubted that 'quotas' would be of much relevance/importance to tiny suppliers, would they?

In any event, as I understand it, the government's targets and quotas relate to offers of smart meters (e.g. everyone to be offered a smart meter by the end of 2020), not to how many people accept those offers - isn't that the case?

Kind Regards, John

 

[reds42]

How does that work?

I believe the funds to cover peoples credit in the event a supplier goes bust comes from some kind of levy that is paid by all energy suppliers. Ofgem 'saftey net'.

 

[JohnW2]

I've been looking on Shouty Man's site - the problem with comparison sites, AIUI, is that they only show companies they get kickbacks from.

On most of the sites, there is an option to over-ride that, and show all the deals that exist - even those not available through the site. It's not just a matter of which companies - in some cases there are some tariffs which are, and some which are not, available through the site - as I've said, with most sites there is a box one can tick to show all of them.

 

[JohnW2]

I believe the funds to cover peoples credit in the event a supplier goes bust comes from some kind of levy that is paid by all energy suppliers. Ofgem 'saftey net'.

Yes, that is also my understanding.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

That happened to me. I was with Iresa and was swapped (had no choice) to Octopus. Have had no problems apart from they recently said they wanted to up the DD. I declined.

I had been with Iresa for a few years and they could see all my useage over that time. Nothing has changed (in fact if anything, we are using less as we are not using the electric shower at the moment).

Octopus are Which?-recommended.

 

[JohnW2]

That happened to me. I was with Iresa and was swapped (had no choice) to Octopus. Have had no problems apart from they recently said they wanted to up the DD. I declined. .... I had been with Iresa for a few years and they could see all my useage over that time. Nothing has changed (in fact if anything, we are using less as we are not using the electric shower at the moment).

That sounds similar to my postilion. As I said, my usage has been stable/decreasing for a long time, so I would certainly resist any attempt to increase the DD - unless, of course, it were due to a price increase (but that can't happen during an X-year fixed-price deal).

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

The regulator Of??? limits suppliers to a small number of current tariffs, I imagine trying to prevent people being on expensive legacy tariffs at extortionate prices. Well that is the idea

Not really the reason. The reason is that companies were (deliberately) creating massive lists of different tariffs that made shopping around more or less impossible due to the sheer number of options. So a while ago they were instructed to cut the number of offerings down so that the average man in the street stands some chance of understanding the options available.

That happened to me. I was with Iresa and was swapped (had no choice) to Octopus.

My mum is with them - same thing about getting switched to Octopus when Iresa went under. I was with GB Energy Supply, they went under and were taken over by Co-op Energy - so slightly different to transferring customers to a different supplier on their "last resort" tariff.
On the occasions I've needed to contact them (GB Energy), I've had no problems.

 

[reds42]

From past experience when your supplier decides to up the direct debit even though your usage hasn't gone up and your on a fixed tariff its a sign they are having cash flow problems... and are probably on the verge of going bust.

Its what happened with two of my suppliers just before they went to the wall.

 

[JohnW2]

Not really the reason. The reason is that companies were (deliberately) creating massive lists of different tariffs that made shopping around more or less impossible due to the sheer number of options. So a while ago they were instructed to cut the number of offerings down so that the average man in the street stands some chance of understanding the options available.

I'm not sure how successful that has been. As I wrote earlier, E.ON are currently reporting 339 'active tariffs' in my area (although only half a dozen are available to, and only 3 relevant to, me). Whilst I presume that the remaining 330+ are ones which people in my area 'currently have', they must have all been offered within the last couple of years or so. Since I wrote earlier, the number has fallen from 339 to 338 (and the total of 365 presumably implies that 27 are 'not current'), but ......

Kind Regards, John