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susan m
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DORSET UK
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14-01-2020, 06:18 PM
1

Advice re switching energy supplier

I'm stressing about this , I know I'm probably being silly but I've not done it before

I'm with sse and been with them years . I went on uswitch and put in my yearly gas and electric Kw usage which I got from sse email informing me I was coming to the end of 1 yr contract and Eon energy comes up telling me I can save £176 a year with them if I do it online

I dont have a smart meter as I've avoided one I only have the old fashioned electric and gas meters when house was built 40 yrs ago .

Will this be an issue if I switch online I dont have an option to tell them about the old meters I have .
Would you recommend I do this switch ?

I am so hesitant because I'm scared of getting it wrong

Help please
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Jazzi
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Lowestoft
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14-01-2020, 07:37 PM
2

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

Switching has proved very troublesome for me, if you've followed my comments on Chit Chat. When I moved into this rental 3 months ago the letting agency told me they would prefer me to switch to their preferred provider, SSE. It took a few weeks to discover it was currently Spark Energy. Only now, this week, have they finally sorted it out between them, to pass over provision to SSE, with the gas from 31st December, and the electric from 13th January.

I spent weeks phoning each provider, with readings, with one or the other saying Spark were blocking the switch (it didn't help that previous tenants left unpaid bills), and that the date had been moved. I got so fed up I almost stopped phoning and was going to say 'right, sort it out between you, once and for all!'

Now, the house I want to buy is going ahead after months of delay (and me threatening to walk away from the purchase) and asking for a small reduction and I will get the damp works done. I have no idea who his providers are, am afraid to ask, and wonder if I will bother switching! All I am hoping for is a meter on the water supply, as this rental doesn't have one and therefore bills for water and sewerage are nearly THREE times what I was paying for the London flat.

So if you have no outstanding charges on your bills (I'm sure you wouldn't), your switch might be easy. All I can say is...mine was a flipping nightmare.

Good luck, with whatever you decide.
scot37
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Aberdeenshire
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14-01-2020, 07:41 PM
3

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

Originally Posted by susan m ->
I'm stressing about this , I know I'm probably being silly but I've not done it before

I'm with sse and been with them years . I went on uswitch and put in my yearly gas and electric Kw usage which I got from sse email informing me I was coming to the end of 1 yr contract and Eon energy comes up telling me I can save £176 a year with them if I do it online

I dont have a smart meter as I've avoided one I only have the old fashioned electric and gas meters when house was built 40 yrs ago .

Will this be an issue if I switch online I dont have an option to tell them about the old meters I have .
Would you recommend I do this switch ?

I am so hesitant because I'm scared of getting it wrong

Help please
I have been with SSE for many years for both gas and electric and quite happy them. I pay a flat rate monthly DD and have just received a £59 rebate on my gas bill.

They have reduced my monthly gas payment from £22 to £18 starting from February 1st.
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susan m
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14-01-2020, 07:46 PM
4

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

Ahh Jazzi what a nightmare for you . It makes it all so complicated doesn't it . Thankyou for your reply

Scot . I spoke with sse and the lady was so helpful in explaining about switching and she did say to me that there are other cheaper suppliers available . It's the money saving that's appealing to me £176 a year is a lot isn't it
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Baz46
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14-01-2020, 08:00 PM
5

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

I changed supplier of electricity more by accident than anything else. My old supplier EDF gave me very good service until one day my contract was up for changing but they wouldn't allow me to change to another plan over the telephone, instead they would only do that one online and recommended going online and using one of the comparison sites. I did exactly that, then found other suppliers cheaper so had a contract with one of those at £5 a month less than the proposed EDF plan which was cheaper than the one I had just finished with them. The new two-year contract is with OVO Energy, their online system is very efficient, the changeover was easy enough too. I just send a reading every month and have now been with them for over a year without problems.

As far as I am aware nobody can be forced to agree to have a Smart meter. If it's as part of the contract then there are other suppliers who do not insist on that, see article below from This Is Money:

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...-revealed.html

More information giving your rights can be found on this link too:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/h...de-your-rights
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14-01-2020, 08:22 PM
6

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

I've switched a few times and never had a break in supply or any other major problem - nowadays the process is almost seamless

However, it's worth reading the articles that Baz has linked above before making a final choice. Last year I was with Flow Energy, wow I'm with Octopus Energy and both work on customer meter readings submitted (in seconds) on the internet.

Which? magazine's top 10 suppliers for 2019 are:

1 Octopus Energy
2 Robin Hood Energy
= So Energy
4 Ebico
= Tonik Energy
6 Ovo Energy
7 Utility Warehouse
8 Bristol Energy
= Bulb Energy
= Ecotricity



https://octopus.energy/

Scroll down to see details .....
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JBR
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14-01-2020, 09:37 PM
7

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

Originally Posted by susan m ->
I'm stressing about this , I know I'm probably being silly but I've not done it before

I'm with sse and been with them years . I went on uswitch and put in my yearly gas and electric Kw usage which I got from sse email informing me I was coming to the end of 1 yr contract and Eon energy comes up telling me I can save £176 a year with them if I do it online

I dont have a smart meter as I've avoided one I only have the old fashioned electric and gas meters when house was built 40 yrs ago .

Will this be an issue if I switch online I dont have an option to tell them about the old meters I have .
Would you recommend I do this switch ?

I am so hesitant because I'm scared of getting it wrong

Help please
I suggest you try this site:
https://clubs.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub

I've been with them for years and it's free to join.

Supply your existing details and any other information requested and they'll give you a list of competitive energy suppliers and compare their prices. Easy.

They also inform you which of these suppliers demand you have a smart meter (personally, I avoid all of them).

Also, switching to one of some of those offered gives you a one-off payment via the Cheap Energy Club.

Finally, they keep you informed when any alternative companies can offer you a more competitive deal and help you switch if you want to.
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15-01-2020, 07:31 PM
8

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

Susan, Two years ago, l had the same dilemma. The thought of changing filled me with dread but l couldn’t carry on paying Scottish Power their high prices.
I pleaded with them to price match the other companies and they wouldn’t budge. Loyalty of good customers was not on their agenda.

I went on the various sites who would recommend the best deal for you. I found them so complicated. Yes they quoted, how much l would save but when l looked into it, the prices per unit were more expensive than what l was currently paying.

In the end after much delving, l joined Avro. They aren’t one of the big names, their website doesn’t look very professional and when l am in credit, l can’t adjust my monthly payments, like l could with Scottish Power.
The transition was dealt with by the two companies, so that bit was easy.
A smart meter has never been mentioned... Thank Goodness!
Having changed once and now know what to look out for, l wouldn’t be so scared about doing it again
susan m's Avatar
susan m
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DORSET UK
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16-01-2020, 12:17 AM
9

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

Hi again you lovely helpful bunch . I've gone and done it . After trying again and again and re reading the ins and outs and getting to the final button I pressed it .......... so I am now changing to EON which came out best . I should make a saving of £176 this year in gas and electric according to my khw usage . It's for 12 months. I asked sse to price match but they did say there are cheaper companies out there . Hopefully I dont have any probs and sse will pay me any credit into my bank account . I must say I did find it frightening because I'm scared of being ripped off . Gone are the days when we stayed with the same company because they are not loyal to us

Thankyou all very much once again
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16-01-2020, 12:28 AM
10

Re: Advice re switching energy supplier

Originally Posted by susan m ->
Hi again you lovely helpful bunch . I've gone and done it . After trying again and again and re reading the ins and outs and getting to the final button I pressed it .......... so I am now changing to EON which came out best . I should make a saving of £176 this year in gas and electric according to my khw usage . It's for 12 months. I asked sse to price match but they did say there are cheaper companies out there . Hopefully I dont have any probs and sse will pay me any credit into my bank account . I must say I did find it frightening because I'm scared of being ripped off . Gone are the days when we stayed with the same company because they are not loyal to us

Thankyou all very much once again


Well done, Susan.

I completely understood your reluctance, because I'm the same.
You have done much better than I dare.
 
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