Join for free
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Meg's Avatar
Meg
Supervisor
Meg is offline
Worcestershire
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 42,850
Meg is female  Meg has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 10:35 AM
1

Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

Having been with Southern Electricity for a number of years I explored the possibilities of moving to another company with a cheaper tariff .

It was suggested by a number of comparison sites I could save £200 a year by moving to Scottish Power.
The saving never seemed to materialise but I liked having the facility SP offered to enter a meter reading monthly and to be able to see and keep track of how much electricity I was using (I don't have gas) with my online account. I then signed up to a fixed tariff and when it expired checked with other companies with a view to moving again.

A number of independent comparison sites suggested I could save by moving to 'npower'. Before doing so I checked that I could send a monthly meter readings to keep track of my bills and usage and was told yes I could.
..I decided to switch,
..It took from June to September to switch.
..I gave a final meter reading to Scottish Power at the end of July and received a credit refund.
..I entered my first online meter reading with npower in September but was now told that although I could enter the reading I could only access an online bill every 6 months because I had two meters one for economy7. Apparently I may be able to see a monthly bill at some time in the future so they said I should can keep on sending a monthly reading. So this meant I would have to go from July to December without seeing a bill.
..Some weeks letter I recieved a phone call from npower saying I had got the meter readings the wrong way around. I said I had been reading my meter for 30 years and this was not possible but I gave them another reading and a second some hours later. They said that was fine and all was well and my details had been amended.
..Next I sent a meter reading at the beginning of October and received a phone call from npower to say the meter readings were the wrong way around . I explained the events of the previous month and asked why all this was happening . They said Scottish Power must have given them a wrong reading when I switched. I produced my final bill from Scottish Power confirming my meter readings which they would have received too and suggested to them that the fault was theirs and whoever did the original data input of meter reading got things the wrong way around.

Having little confidence in npower I have decided to switch again to a newer small company, 'Ovo Energy' which has received excellent review from Which , won't cost anymore, produces clear online monthly bills and pays interest on accounts in credit. I have signed up a fixed tariff for one year to see how things go.
I will have to pay npower £20 to switch.

I rang npower to check before I switch that they have indeed now got the meter readings the right way around and they indicated this kind of mix up isn't unusuall .
They offerer to send me a provisional bill tomorrow and I asked them to send it by email but it seems that although I have an online account they don't actually have my email address

We are being told by the Government to 'switch' it isn't always easy or straightforward when you do
shaz's Avatar
shaz
Senior Member
shaz is offline
Manchester, lancs
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 712
shaz is female  shaz has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 12:59 PM
2

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

My daughter has switched twice, to end up worse off with the new company. She said it cost her a lot more. She would have been better off staying with her original supplier.
If the tariffs were easier to understand. People would know were they stood with these companies. They like to keep us all in the dark.

Meg's Avatar
Meg
Supervisor
Meg is offline
Worcestershire
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 42,850
Meg is female  Meg has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 01:05 PM
3

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

Originally Posted by shaz ->
My daughter has switched twice, to end up worse off with the new company. She said it cost her a lot more. She would have been better off staying with her original supplier.
If the tariffs were easier to understand. People would know were they stood with these companies. They like to keep us all in the dark.
Doesn't it make you cross Shaz when patronising politicians keep telling us to switch suppliers as if we haven't thought of doing that already and for many each time they switch they pay a penaltly for switching and don't seem to save any money in the long run.

ETA I will return and update this thread to say how I get on with my new supplier. I have read mixed reviews about them but they do come out near the top in the 'Which' consumer satisfaction survey.
http://www.which.co.uk/switch/energy...ergy-suppliers
Wonda's Avatar
Wonda
Senior Member
Wonda is offline
Sussex, England
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 203
Wonda is female  Wonda has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 08:14 PM
4

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

Ive heard many tales of woe with switching energy suppliers and despite being with dual fuel with BG .. Im staying...BG are not the cheapest but its made so difficult to understand what you will get if you do switch, Im feeling its better the devil you know.

The tariffs do need to be simplified no question about it, the energy companies are totally to blame for the multiple tariffs that cause such confusion, that not even their staff offer the most beneficial tariff.
marpaul's Avatar
marpaul
Senior Member
marpaul is offline
North Cumbria
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,975
marpaul is female  marpaul has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 09:23 PM
5

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

I switched about two years ago from Eon to Scottish Power and didn't save anything despite it appearing to be cheaper online. The first thing Scottish Power did was increase my monthly payment by £10 and I contacted them to ask why it has increased when as they were cheaper than Eon it should actually decrease. So we met half way and they increased it by £5 but I was not a happy bunny. Anyhow as it turned out I was always in credit and eventually they sent me a cheque and decreased the monthly payment. But I don't really think its worth changing as like others have said the tariffs are too complicated to understand, why are there so many?? Its so unnecessary, and as for the politicians saying people should change.... say no more!! they just don't have a clue Looking forward to hearing how you get on Meg.
shaz's Avatar
shaz
Senior Member
shaz is offline
Manchester, lancs
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 712
shaz is female  shaz has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 09:49 PM
6

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

Do hope it works out cheaper for you Meg. But I honestly carn't see it. We do live in rip off Britain, and the energy company's are the worst for it. Government have given them a license to print money. It will only change if the government buy the energy company's back. Which will not happen.

I am like you Wonda, dual fuel with BG. Better the devil you know.
merz
Chatterbox
merz is offline
Lancashire, UK
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 6,042
merz is female  merz has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 10:43 PM
7

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

Originally Posted by marpaul ->
I switched about two years ago from Eon to Scottish Power and didn't save anything despite it appearing to be cheaper online. The first thing Scottish Power did was increase my monthly payment by £10 and I contacted them to ask why it has increased when as they were cheaper than Eon it should actually decrease. So we met half way and they increased it by £5 but I was not a happy bunny. Anyhow as it turned out I was always in credit and eventually they sent me a cheque and decreased the monthly payment. But I don't really think its worth changing as like others have said the tariffs are too complicated to understand, why are there so many?? Its so unnecessary, and as for the politicians saying people should change.... say no more!! they just don't have a clue Looking forward to hearing how you get on Meg.
That's exactly what happened to my friend when she switched to Scottish Power-they increased her monthly payment by £10! Had a lot of hassle from them when she switched back to British Gas! I've never switched suppliers-am with BG, because of the hassle other people have gone through.
marpaul's Avatar
marpaul
Senior Member
marpaul is offline
North Cumbria
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,975
marpaul is female  marpaul has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 11:00 PM
8

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

I wonder if its their policy then! I don't blame you for not switching, definitely a lot of hassle.
merz
Chatterbox
merz is offline
Lancashire, UK
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 6,042
merz is female  merz has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 11:27 PM
9

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

Originally Posted by marpaul ->
I wonder if its their policy then! I don't blame you for not switching, definitely a lot of hassle.
Sounds like it could be Marpaul-easy way of making £10!!
marpaul's Avatar
marpaul
Senior Member
marpaul is offline
North Cumbria
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,975
marpaul is female  marpaul has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
19-10-2011, 11:32 PM
10

Re: Energy companies/switching is not always easy.

Yes probably
 
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >

Thread Tools


© Copyright 2009, Over50sForum   Contact Us | Over 50s Forum! | Archive | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Top

Powered by vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.