gas and electric bills confusion...doh!
Discussion
Due to the unique way in which I live I don't seem to be fathoming this whole adult thing.
We just moved into a new house which has SSE supplied dual fuel for gas and electric.
I received information about the tarrif.
We are just on a standard SSE tarrif at the moment for both Gas and Electric.
Per Annum
Estimated Electric usage @ 3100kWh
Cost - £535.37
TCR 17.27p
Estimated Gas usage @ 12500kWh
Cost - £635.00
TCR 5.08p
Now the letter from SSE said we are just on a generic default tarrif to get us up and running and to go online to their website.
I have done so which has given me the following:
Prices include VAT at 5% and any applicable discounts
Electricity £411.00
Gas £319.91
WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS TARIFF
Fix your prices for 12 months.
ANNUAL DISCOUNTS:
Your annual estimate includes a £12 paperless billing discount (£6 per fuel) and an £80 Direct Debit discount (£40 per fuel).
I ran through some comparison sites on UK Power and the cheapest (based at the annual consumption estimates taken from our SSE letter) say we can save up to £320 but when I look at the overall cost of the package they seem to be higher - £821 or so.
SSE have offered this for the £730ish per annum
Electric -
UNIT RATE 12.06p per kWh
STANDING CHARGE 23.02p per day
Gas -
UNIT RATE 3.60p per kWh
STANDING CHARGE 23.02p per day
But compared to for example iSupply through ukpower.co.uk
For electric they claim-
Day (guessing that's same as units) rate 11.526p per kWh
Standing charge 16.46p per day
and for Gas
Unit rate 2.795p per kWh
Standing charge 14.91 per day
And yet the comparison site says for my estimated usage that's around £831, which is £100 more than SSE quoted me online.
Am i being dumb or does that not make sense? I would expect the cheaper units (that iSupply can do) to mean it's less per year??
Basically should I switch or stay?
Sorry if wrong section.
We just moved into a new house which has SSE supplied dual fuel for gas and electric.
I received information about the tarrif.
We are just on a standard SSE tarrif at the moment for both Gas and Electric.
Per Annum
Estimated Electric usage @ 3100kWh
Cost - £535.37
TCR 17.27p
Estimated Gas usage @ 12500kWh
Cost - £635.00
TCR 5.08p
Now the letter from SSE said we are just on a generic default tarrif to get us up and running and to go online to their website.
I have done so which has given me the following:
Prices include VAT at 5% and any applicable discounts
Electricity £411.00
Gas £319.91
WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS TARIFF
Fix your prices for 12 months.
ANNUAL DISCOUNTS:
Your annual estimate includes a £12 paperless billing discount (£6 per fuel) and an £80 Direct Debit discount (£40 per fuel).
I ran through some comparison sites on UK Power and the cheapest (based at the annual consumption estimates taken from our SSE letter) say we can save up to £320 but when I look at the overall cost of the package they seem to be higher - £821 or so.
SSE have offered this for the £730ish per annum
Electric -
UNIT RATE 12.06p per kWh
STANDING CHARGE 23.02p per day
Gas -
UNIT RATE 3.60p per kWh
STANDING CHARGE 23.02p per day
But compared to for example iSupply through ukpower.co.uk
For electric they claim-
Day (guessing that's same as units) rate 11.526p per kWh
Standing charge 16.46p per day
and for Gas
Unit rate 2.795p per kWh
Standing charge 14.91 per day
And yet the comparison site says for my estimated usage that's around £831, which is £100 more than SSE quoted me online.
Am i being dumb or does that not make sense? I would expect the cheaper units (that iSupply can do) to mean it's less per year??
Basically should I switch or stay?
Sorry if wrong section.
I'm with M&S Energy who are SSE with a different sticker.
I just spread-sheeted all of the tariffs from both companies, plus British Gas.
SSE/M&S were £50 a year more expensive than BG, on standard tariffs, about the same on fixed price lock-ins. (Prices may be different in your area.)
The difference was slightly more expensive on the fixed price tariffs which lock you in for two years (in my area) with an early exit penalty.
M&S Energy Fixed were £40 a year more expensive than SSE Fixed but gave you a £40 gift voucher (duh) for the two-year lock-in
So I went with the M&S basic tariff and can switch at will.
Tariffs seem to be arranged so that cheaper Kw.hr cost results in a more expensive standing charge, just to confuse customers.
The wise move would not be to sign up for a fix-price lock-in just yet, then get the spreadsheet out. iSupply look cheaper, assuming my Excel is correct.
I just spread-sheeted all of the tariffs from both companies, plus British Gas.
SSE/M&S were £50 a year more expensive than BG, on standard tariffs, about the same on fixed price lock-ins. (Prices may be different in your area.)
The difference was slightly more expensive on the fixed price tariffs which lock you in for two years (in my area) with an early exit penalty.
M&S Energy Fixed were £40 a year more expensive than SSE Fixed but gave you a £40 gift voucher (duh) for the two-year lock-in
So I went with the M&S basic tariff and can switch at will.
Tariffs seem to be arranged so that cheaper Kw.hr cost results in a more expensive standing charge, just to confuse customers.
The wise move would not be to sign up for a fix-price lock-in just yet, then get the spreadsheet out. iSupply look cheaper, assuming my Excel is correct.
Edited by Slushbox on Thursday 3rd November 15:32
They can be sneaky, I am on a fixed tariff with EDF, whenever I login there's a new tariff available claiming to save me a couple of hundred pounds.
When I look at the new tariff breakdown the per kW unit prices gas and electricity are both higher than I am currently spending and the standing charge is the same.
The predicted saving is based on me doing nothing when my tariff expires in 4 months and going onto the more expensive normal rate which is a bit misleading since I have clearly switched between fixed rates for the last few years.
When I look at the new tariff breakdown the per kW unit prices gas and electricity are both higher than I am currently spending and the standing charge is the same.
The predicted saving is based on me doing nothing when my tariff expires in 4 months and going onto the more expensive normal rate which is a bit misleading since I have clearly switched between fixed rates for the last few years.
DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.
Same here. I'm still not 100% sure what British Gas mean when they say in credit and in debit and how being £120 in credit one quarter can equal being £235 in debit the next. Wifey deals with it all except car. I deal with car!
Neither me or my mrs have had to do this before!
i've always rented in houseshares or lodged, aside from my first flat (my mum sorted it all) and my mrs hasn't had to do it afaik either!
I think I made some sense of it, I called up the ukpower people and they were actually quite helpful.
apparently you need to look at the TCR which has all of those details in terms of costs for standing charge and unit charge combined.
The SSE website very sneakily ignores the estimated usage you get on your letter and instead applies an industry standard "small" househouse estimated usage.
Hence why the online billing said £730 instead of the paper copies combined £1200 or so
in both cases for gas and electric iSupply was substantially cheaper (averaging around 33-35 on my fag packet). ukpower handle all of the switchover process which is great so I've done the sums and it's cheaper with iSupply so went with those.
now to sort the council tax and tv license... it's ok sky isn't here for another 4 or 5 days...
i've always rented in houseshares or lodged, aside from my first flat (my mum sorted it all) and my mrs hasn't had to do it afaik either!
I think I made some sense of it, I called up the ukpower people and they were actually quite helpful.
apparently you need to look at the TCR which has all of those details in terms of costs for standing charge and unit charge combined.
The SSE website very sneakily ignores the estimated usage you get on your letter and instead applies an industry standard "small" househouse estimated usage.
Hence why the online billing said £730 instead of the paper copies combined £1200 or so
in both cases for gas and electric iSupply was substantially cheaper (averaging around 33-35 on my fag packet). ukpower handle all of the switchover process which is great so I've done the sums and it's cheaper with iSupply so went with those.
now to sort the council tax and tv license... it's ok sky isn't here for another 4 or 5 days...
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