Look after my bills - energy switching!
Discussion
Hope I am in the right forum - if not would the mods please move me? Spurred on by BG price hike and MSE offering comparison energy prices, I watched last night's episode of Dragons Den and saw two entrepreneurs looking for funds for an energy switching business called Lookaftermybills.com. Looks like they do all the work for you and switch automatically to the cheapest supplier {with some caveats). As someone who looks at comparison sites, sees cheaper options but then does nothing about it I suspect I am their target market. Anybody any experience of these switching companies?
Beggarall said:
As someone who looks at comparison sites, sees cheaper options but then does nothing about it ….
I'm like that and so was happy to use https://www.energyhelpline.com for a few years - don't know how I found them initially but looking back it looks like there was a cashback deal the first time I used them.They call as each contract is coming to end and find you a new deal.
I realised last year that they weren't offering all tariffs - some providers, even the big name ones, have tariffs they don't offer through comparison sites. I could have had a tariff from the same provider that was a fair bit cheaper. So I found my own deal this year. Five mins later I stumbled across the same tariff on MSE, but with a cash-back.
I do wonder if comparison sites cash-back are more about getting you on the hook than anything else.I really dont understand this business, all the energy tariffs are public on so many websites - the energy sites, the comparison sites, even in written form if you dont have the internet. If someone cant be arsed to look, then its their fault! How are the energy companies supposed to be responsible? Only the same as a mortgage company switching you to a standard variable rate once the fixed product is over.
Condi said:
I really dont understand this business, all the energy tariffs are public on so many websites - the energy sites, the comparison sites, even in written form if you dont have the internet. If someone cant be arsed to look, then its their fault! How are the energy companies supposed to be responsible? Only the same as a mortgage company switching you to a standard variable rate once the fixed product is over.
Some people still believe loyalty will be rewarded.Some don't realise that deals are only locked for usually 12 months.
It's a pain that you have to do the leg work on so much VfM these days even if you're a loyal customer, but that's why they prey on the 'lazy'.
Evanivitch said:
Some people still believe loyalty will be rewarded.
Some don't realise that deals are only locked for usually 12 months.
It's a pain that you have to do the leg work on so much VfM these days even if you're a loyal customer, but that's why they prey on the 'lazy'.
Depends how you see it I guess. Some don't realise that deals are only locked for usually 12 months.
It's a pain that you have to do the leg work on so much VfM these days even if you're a loyal customer, but that's why they prey on the 'lazy'.
If the supply stopped after 12 months when the deal ran out people would complain more....
Dromedary66 said:
OK so who is the best value energy company people are using at the moment.
Yearly consumption:
Gas: 16700 kWh
Electricity: 5100 kWh
Currently with First utility iSave Fixed September 2018 v6
Don't want a smart meter.
Put it in a damn comparison site.Yearly consumption:
Gas: 16700 kWh
Electricity: 5100 kWh
Currently with First utility iSave Fixed September 2018 v6
Don't want a smart meter.
Edited by Dromedary66 on Tuesday 21st August 23:23
I don't get this at all. It takes 15 minutes at most to find a new energy deal and switch.
Find a bill. Tap numbers into your comparison site of choice. Select the provider you like the look of based on cost and customer service ratings and whatever else. Click switch. Done. They do all the legwork behind the scenes and you might have a month with a slightly higher bill if you're in debit with your previous supplier.
I know there are people, clearly, who don't do this and are intimidated by it... but I just don't understand why, especially when some of them are apparently perfectly able to use the internet and post here.
Find a bill. Tap numbers into your comparison site of choice. Select the provider you like the look of based on cost and customer service ratings and whatever else. Click switch. Done. They do all the legwork behind the scenes and you might have a month with a slightly higher bill if you're in debit with your previous supplier.
I know there are people, clearly, who don't do this and are intimidated by it... but I just don't understand why, especially when some of them are apparently perfectly able to use the internet and post here.
Evanivitch said:
Put it in a damn comparison site.
Worthless post, obviously I have done that. People have said that some companies don't put their very best deals on comparison sites so I was interested if there was something else.Otherwise Bulb is looking like the one to beat at the moment.
Dromedary66 said:
Evanivitch said:
Put it in a damn comparison site.
Worthless post, obviously I have done that. People have said that some companies don't put their very best deals on comparison sites so I was interested if there was something else.Otherwise Bulb is looking like the one to beat at the moment.
Dromedary66 said:
OK so who is the best value energy company people are using at the moment.
Yearly consumption:
Gas: 16700 kWh
Electricity: 5100 kWh
Currently with First utility iSave Fixed September 2018 v6
Don't want a smart meter.
There is no 'best' as everyones consumption is different. Put the figures in a comparison website to find out what your 'best' is.Yearly consumption:
Gas: 16700 kWh
Electricity: 5100 kWh
Currently with First utility iSave Fixed September 2018 v6
Don't want a smart meter.
Edited by Dromedary66 on Tuesday 21st August 23:23
Oakey said:
These companies could make it far easier if they showed the standing charge and price per kw/h in big f
king letters on their pages instead of hiding it somewhere under 'tariff details' that's a single line link in tiny 5pt font at the bottom of a page.
It's done deliberately to make things complicated to understand and therefore make it more difficult to swap companies.king letters on their pages instead of hiding it somewhere under 'tariff details' that's a single line link in tiny 5pt font at the bottom of a page. We've swapped a couple of times and I can't actually remember the name of the company we're with now (not big 6). Fixed until 2021.
romeogolf said:
I don't get this at all. It takes 15 minutes at most to find a new energy deal and switch.
Find a bill. Tap numbers into your comparison site of choice. Select the provider you like the look of based on cost and customer service ratings and whatever else. Click switch. Done. They do all the legwork behind the scenes and you might have a month with a slightly higher bill if you're in debit with your previous supplier.
I know there are people, clearly, who don't do this and are intimidated by it... but I just don't understand why, especially when some of them are apparently perfectly able to use the internet and post here.
Some people are concerned about it going wrong, and it has done twice for me. Once was a right pain to sort out and I for the grand sum of £50 compensation. My current supplier is showing day and night rate readings the wrong way around on the web portal, but does seem to be calculating the bills correctly.Find a bill. Tap numbers into your comparison site of choice. Select the provider you like the look of based on cost and customer service ratings and whatever else. Click switch. Done. They do all the legwork behind the scenes and you might have a month with a slightly higher bill if you're in debit with your previous supplier.
I know there are people, clearly, who don't do this and are intimidated by it... but I just don't understand why, especially when some of them are apparently perfectly able to use the internet and post here.
Jimboka said:
Cheap isn’t always best. I changed to Together Energy a while back. No app. Website designed by a 12 year old. Randomly say putting up my DD when i’m in credit.
But cheap. I will gladly pay more for a professional outfit when my fixed term ends.
Do research (wish I did!)
Money saving expert website usually gives a good customer feedback rating on their comparison tool.But cheap. I will gladly pay more for a professional outfit when my fixed term ends.
Do research (wish I did!)
I use price comparison websites, but then I already know from my annual statement:
Electricity kwh per annum
Gas kwh per annum
Daily standing charge
If you don't have an annual statement, simply extrapolate from a couple of bills. Basic arithmetic and 30 minutes of time once a year.
People get hung up on the daily standing charge, and should focus on overall cost - but especially pay attention to their annual usage.
I have previously stated that I went with Octopus back in Dec 2016 because I wanted near enough 100% renewable. Octopus are not the absolute cheapest but are competitive. I pay c£78 p/m direct debit for a 4 bedroom house with 3 occupants for both electricity and gas. In fact, last year Octopus agreed to a monthly reduction and a couple of months payment holiday because I had built up £200+ surplus (was paying £92 p/m - hence the surplus).
I never go for absolute cheapest and swerve those companies w/ crap customer service because I do not want the hassle of sorting out f'ups. I have previously spent hours, if not longer, dealing with f'ups on behalf of my partner when we were first dating (before we lived with one another) w/ British Gas and Scottish Power. The British Gas issue in reconciling a payment took 5 months and almost daily emails and phone calls.
Electricity kwh per annum
Gas kwh per annum
Daily standing charge
If you don't have an annual statement, simply extrapolate from a couple of bills. Basic arithmetic and 30 minutes of time once a year.
People get hung up on the daily standing charge, and should focus on overall cost - but especially pay attention to their annual usage.
I have previously stated that I went with Octopus back in Dec 2016 because I wanted near enough 100% renewable. Octopus are not the absolute cheapest but are competitive. I pay c£78 p/m direct debit for a 4 bedroom house with 3 occupants for both electricity and gas. In fact, last year Octopus agreed to a monthly reduction and a couple of months payment holiday because I had built up £200+ surplus (was paying £92 p/m - hence the surplus).
I never go for absolute cheapest and swerve those companies w/ crap customer service because I do not want the hassle of sorting out f'ups. I have previously spent hours, if not longer, dealing with f'ups on behalf of my partner when we were first dating (before we lived with one another) w/ British Gas and Scottish Power. The British Gas issue in reconciling a payment took 5 months and almost daily emails and phone calls.
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