Who Is The Best Dual Fuel Supplier?

[Jackrae]

You need to be very careful with comparison sites.
I am currently with BG for both fuels and know exactly what I consume and the tariff rate pay
I compared my rates with Sainsbury Energy and established that I could save £100 per year before paying a penalty of £60 for early exist, so a net saving of £40/year.
The comparison site used my exact same tariff and consumption figures and established that the very same Sainsbury site on the very same tariff that I identified would net me a saving of £360/year. Clearly a con to get me to change so's they could collect the transfer fee.

 

[securespark]

Funny you should mention that. I looked at Sainsbury's Energy (using BG) and it reckoned I would pay nearly £500 less per annum with them, not including exit fees.

 

[empip]

You really need good data or at least a good idea of your kWh usage.
I use ukpower.co.uk/ , I like their front sheet which shows latest tariffs. They clearly state which tariffs are available via the web site. I clipped the
view below somewhat so missed the statement.

I keyed in my average usage in kWh see ExtraEnergy at £0 saving - thus correctly calculating cost using my stated tariff.

Top of the page shown they say, about your (my tariff shown) current tariff :-

If one 'Clicks here', then a box opens which shows a little more of how they calculated the cost.

Another 'Click here' within that new box reveals the tariff details.Which in my case are precisely correct.

Maybe having found a possible supplier using the above I could try another web site 'money saving expert' etc to see if they have an offer ie cash back or some such goody by applying via their web site. In all truth at £84 per month it is hardly worth the effort.

When happy about the tariff choice, with no goodies on offer I contact the supplier directly - Has worked so far.

Beware of 'Typical Usage' This may not be typical of your own usage, but maybe the average in your area or overall across the country. Going to be some difference between a home generally occupied all day and a home being unoccupied most of the daylight hours from the Southern coast to the cold north...
-0-

 

[AndyPRK]

Yes you do need to be careful with the "savings figure".

They are however very useful to give you recommendations for cheap suppliers that you haven't considered and saves you going to many websites.
But do your own calculations afterwards.

It is much better than fred saying I find xxx supplier good, who happens to live in a different sized house and in a different region.

If your tariff is ending they default to assuming you will then go onto a standard tariff for 11months and therefore calculate a saving based on the fact of you doing nothing! Highly unlikely as you are on such a site but ofgen make the rules!

They are excellent at emailing you when better deals come along.

This is a more honest site:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub

but their alert system isn't as good.

Another common factor in the saving figure being incorrect is selecting the wrong current tariff name.

 

[securespark]

Andy, use uswitch at the moment.

Pip, thanks for all that info.
I have entered my stuff and it comes back with the best deal being the same as the one uswitch suggested, although their estimate of what I pay every months was a little out at £191.

 

[JohnD]

I use the sites, but ignore any with a poor customer service rating, then I note down the Daily Standing Charge and the price per kWh and calculate the cost according to my own records of annual usage. I hear from a pensioner friend that the smaller companies are not obliged to offer some of the benefit or rebate schemes, or solar and insulation subsidies, that the Big Six do. I got my CWI off BG, and various companies used to send out free energy-saving lamps and other gadgets as part of their obligation. I had a disabled relative who was on a "priority user" scheme and I believe the company would have lent her a generator to operate the equipment if there had been a long outage.

The trick where the sites "assume" that you will be going onto the high priced Standard tariff makes their comparisons look better.

I have been on EDF fixed schemes for a few years, they have no penalty for termination, and I have switched to new offers when they were better (when the oil price crumbled). I use a lot more gas kWh than I do electricity. I keep an eye on Martin's page, but the tariff I am now on is cheaper than they offer, so I will stay on it until it expires or I see a better one.

 

[securespark]

Cheers, JD.

 

[empip]

Andy, use uswitch at the moment.

Pip, thanks for all that info.
I have entered my stuff and it comes back with the best deal being the same as the one uswitch suggested, although their estimate of what I pay every months was a little out at £191.

But there may be a difference between the D/D payments based upon historical records and your suppliers shorter term calculation.
I noted my historical average usage tends to a lower figure than I actually pay, just a few quid -
But, as can be seen in the screen clip at my historic average their calcs' were bang on.
I doubt many of the web sites are cheating just the words they use can confuse.

-0-

 

[securespark]

Agreed.

 

[Adam_151]

I'm going round in circles with GB energy at the moment.

I was on a day/night rate with Eon, previously to that I was on a flat rate with Eon. I planned to move across to a flat rate on GB energy because I'd put the rates and my consumption into excel and as I only use 20-25% of my energy at night (that's with making an effort to do so), its not worth having day/night rate.

1) Tried to sign up on the website, it came up with an error and said to phone them.
2) Phoned them and gave them the details and was signed up or so I thought
3) Phoned them because I'd received nothing after a few weeks, they had no record of me signing up, sign up again
4) Get welcome letter, it says I'm on a day/night tarriff. Phone up and he makes a note to move me over
5) Signed up. Website doesn't indicate which tarriff I am on, so I phone them to check its now right. Am on the day/night rate. He tells me that its because I have a two rate meter, seems confused when I point out that its a simple case of summing the usage on the two registers and that EON managed it without difficultly. I pointed out that I signed up for a flat rate and if they are unable to so it then they should just cancel it all and put me back on EON

 

[securespark]

What a palaver...They are obviously !