Changing energy suppliers

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've not swapped energy suppliers for some time, in part due to there being little point because of the cap, and because my account with BG has been a complete, total mess, ever since I was moved to BG in early 2022. BG recently rang me, twice, trying to persuade me to swap from a variable, to a fix - most recently yesterday. I will not repeat what I had to say to them!

Here is a copy of my account page 19 months on, and I still don't really have a clue whether I owe them, or they owe me (see below)...

Over the 19 months it has been a constant round of bills appearing, then being cancelled, or simply not being ready to view. For every bill which appeared and could be downloaded, there would be two, three, or four which they deleted. How can they operate a company like this?

Enough, is enough - Last night I signed up with Octopus, who suggest they will have me moved to them by this coming Friday. Good riddance BG. Octopus are perhaps 10p per week cheaper than BG, but hopefully life will be much less stressful with them.

 

[Mr Chibs]

I'm with Octopus, have been the last few years. Very good... haven't needed to contact them, you can adjust your own payments etc.
I have no smart meter, so do a reading monthly.

I had been with BG, they were a pain in the posterior!

 

[SirGalahad]

BG and Shell perhaps have been to the same school of managment as the Tories - absolutely shocking suppliers.

You will question your will to live with those two.

Octopus all the way - lets just hope they dont turn into Shell when the greedy financiers want their pound of flesh.

 

[Mottie]

I’m with OVO. Cheap as chips. £127 a month and I’m well in credit. I might ask for a refund…..

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Cheap as chips.

On a variable tariff, they are all pretty much the same. All that varies is the quality of service - BG is appalling.

 

[Odds]

We left BG years ago when i saw the other available options were way better but many people still do business with them...and come to regret it.

British Gas reported profits of £969m after price cap rises allowed it to make more money from household bills. About half of the profit was due to the changes to the price cap made by the energy regulator. Price comparison site Uswitch said the "strong" profits were linked to a "failing price cap", adding that it was stifling competition. Centrica itself reported underlying operating profits of £2.1bn for the first six months of the year, up from £1.3bn a year earlier.

blurb@theBeeB

 

[Mottie]

On a variable tariff, they are all pretty much the same. All that varies is the quality of service - BG is appalling.

I disagree. My lights with OVO have never been brighter and my oven warms up quicker too.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I disagree. My lights with OVO have never been brighter and my oven warms up quicker too.

..and I dare say your washing machine washes whiter, on OVO power

 

[Dork Lard]

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I've recently switched to Octopus too. It's not an option on their website, but if you phone then you can choose to pay a variable amount by direct debit, here's my online account now...



This means I'll be paying every month's bill that month, so they won't be sitting on any of my money. Obviously you will pay much more per month in the winter, probably £100s, but I'd rather earn interest on that money now instead of lending it to them interest-free until then.

There is no difference in charges for this option.

 

[Mottie]

I've recently switched to Octopus too. It's not an option on their website, but if you phone then you can choose to pay a variable amount by direct debit, here's my online account now...

View attachment 309328

This means I'll be paying every month's bill that month, so they won't be sitting on any of my money. Obviously you will pay much more per month in the winter, probably £100s, but I'd rather earn interest on that money now instead of lending it to them interest-free until then.

There is no difference in charges for this option.

OVO don't do this for new customers now but any customers since 2021 get 5%pa interest on account balances in credit. Here’s our bill for June When we were £386 in credit (we pay a fixed price of £127 per month).

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've recently switched to Octopus too. It's not an option on their website, but if you phone then you can choose to pay a variable amount by direct debit, here's my online account now...

I would rather pay a little too much in summer, to level off the winter gas bill, it just makes budgeting easier - which was another problem I had with BG, the direct debit amount seemed to be a figure just plucked out of the air, rather than based on actual usage. Besides, my usual time to change suppliers was around November - which meant I was borrowing from the supplier during the coldest part of the year/ repaying in the summer months.

I have just received another email from BG, trying to entice me onto a Fix. They seem desperate to get customers onto Fixes, this must be the fifth attempt, plus the attempts to push it, every time I open their website.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

OVO don't do this for new customers now but any customers since 2021 get 5%pa interest on account balances in credit. Here’s our bill for June When we were £386 in credit (we pay a fixed price of £127 per month).

Are you on a Fix?

 

[Mottie]

Are you on a Fix?

Yeah. A 2 year one. Only till October though. I think I’ll leave the credit as a war chest - I’m sure I’ll need it then!

 

[Stivino]

I must be doing something right.