22-07-2021, 08:34 AM
2
Re: Energy Switching
Originally Posted by Lindyloo
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Has anyone got experience of using Energy Switching companies? I've just had an email from Look After My Bills suggesting I switch - 2 months before my end date - to another supplier which will be £3.69 PER YEAR cheaper!!! Fixed for one year!
I set a reminder on my phone and each month, submit a reading online, no problem. Also if I do pay over and above on each monthly payment they pay between 3% and 5% interest on this. For the second time now I've signed up for a fixed for a two-year deal which suits me. Be aware of Exit Fees though, should you decide to change to another supplier, before contract end date.
22-07-2021, 08:43 AM
3
Re: Energy Switching
Originally Posted by Baz46
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Some while back now, using USwitch, I swapped to OVO Energy as the total annual cost was around £100 a year than I was paying. They are an all online company and I find this works very well. There are the usual 'pressures' to have a 'Smart' meter, that goes nowhere with me and after 'advising' them of this I have few attempts by them now.I set a reminder on my phone and each month, submit a reading online, no problem. Also if I do pay over and above on each monthly payment they pay between 3% and 5% interest on this. For the second time now I've signed up for a fixed for a two-year deal which suits me. Be aware of Exit Fees though, should you decide to change to another supplier, before contract end date.
I used to use OVO and thought they were great. I didn't realise they were still paying interest though. BUT their standing charges are .06p and .03p on Gas & Electric respectively per day.
22-07-2021, 08:53 AM
4
Re: Energy Switching
I would only use an independent price comparison website like WHICH, most others work on commission and that feeds in somewhere .I think the whole switching thing is a bit of a con and requires a lot of work for very little. Lower tariffs are often offered to 'new customers' in the form of a percentage reduction not applicable after the first contracted period ends.
Some newer cheaper companies quickly go out of business and customers find themselves transferred to another company.
Cheaper is not always better when it means customer service is poor.
I was with Ovo a number of years and they were great, then they took over a large number of customers from a failed company and the customer service deteriorated eg they started sending estimated bills even though I had sent in my own readings on time each month as usual and they kept raising my monthly payments in anticipation that I might fall behind and go into arrears though I never had in all the years I was with them. There were strange goings on when I left, the final bill was estimated and my reading ignored and the estimated bill greatly inflated
Ovo also lost their high rating with WHICH and were find for overcharging customers.
I am with Octopus now, highly rated by WHICH no exit fees https://octopus.energy/?gclid=CjwKCA...hoCCpAQAvD_BwE
ok so far after a year but the price of my new contract has risen but I think energy prices have risen overall excepting new customer discounts.
ANYONE SWITCHING SUPPLIERS
When you submit your final reading take a photograph of the meter with a piece of paper stating the time and date.
I didn't do that and this 'loyal customer' had all kinds of problems one being my final meter reading was not excepted.
22-07-2021, 09:02 AM
5
Re: Energy Switching
...a quick word about smart meters, just heard on the radio when gas switches to hydrogen to comply with climate change regulations they won't work
. They may all have to be scrapped. I have said all along they are a con nothing to do with 'saving customers money' but a convenience for suppliers.
22-07-2021, 09:07 AM
7
Re: Energy Switching
Originally Posted by Lindyloo
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I'm getting so confused with this! It seems the switching comparison doesn't compare with your current tariff - it uses the tariff to which you will switched if you continue with that company!! 
22-07-2021, 09:32 AM
8
Re: Energy Switching
Originally Posted by Lindyloo
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Thanks BazI used to use OVO and thought they were great. I didn't realise they were still paying interest though. BUT their standing charges are .06p and .03p on Gas & Electric respectively per day.
You are welcome. I only have electricity through OVO and am a very low user, the standing charges I have not taken too much notice of, it's more the overall cost I concentrate on. As companies all have standing charges though, I will now check this out, thanks for the info.
Originally Posted by Meg
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I would only use an independent price comparison website like WHICH, most others work on commission and that feeds in somewhere .I think the whole switching thing is a bit of a con and requires a lot of work for very little. Lower tariffs are often offered to 'new customers' in the form of a percentage reduction not applicable after the first contracted period ends.
Some newer cheaper companies quickly go out of business and customers find themselves transferred to another company.
Cheaper is not always better when it means customer service is poor.
I was with Ovo a number of years and they were great, then they took over a large number of customers from a failed company and the customer service deteriorated eg they started sending estimated bills even though I had sent in my own readings on time each month as usual and they kept raising my monthly payments in anticipation that I might fall behind and go into arrears though I never had in all the years I was with them. There were strange goings on when I left, the final bill was estimated and my reading ignored and the estimated bill greatly inflated
Ovo also lost their high rating with WHICH and were find for overcharging customers.
I am with Octopus now, highly rated by WHICH no exit fees https://octopus.energy/?gclid=CjwKCA...hoCCpAQAvD_BwE
ok so far after a year but the price of my new contract has risen but I think energy prices have risen overall excepting new customer discounts.
ANYONE SWITCHING SUPPLIERS
When you submit your final reading take a photograph of the meter with a piece of paper stating the time and date.
I didn't do that and this 'loyal customer' had all kinds of problems one being my final meter reading was not excepted.
Problems with estimated bills were experienced once or twice but soon remedied, they said this was "due to a changeover between their older software and newly-developed software".
The system, whatever it is, that controls 'debit' and 'credit' amounts and advising increasing the monthly payment I do experience. This month for instance, only yesterday, I was £23+ in credit, a meter reading was submitted and then I was £2.13 in debit, that meant my payment 'needs to increase by £5 a month or I will be £57 in debit by the end of the contract". Two day's later though I know the account will be in credit as a payment will have been made! None of these figures add up to me, I believe all this relies very much on the date of meter reading and the date of Direct Debit payment. I did query this once and had it explained to me how this works but basically the advice from OVO was to ignore any increase required.
Good advice about photographing the meter (an even better way of proving the date is with a dated newspaper).
Originally Posted by Meg
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...a quick word about smart meters, just heard on the radio when gas switches to hydrogen to comply with climate change regulations they won't work . They may all have to be scrapped. I have said all along they are a con nothing to do with 'saving customers money' but a convenience for suppliers.
A family member is with Octopus and finds them very good, perhaps I might give them a try next time round.
22-07-2021, 10:12 AM
10
Re: Energy Switching
Originally Posted by Dextrous63
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A smart meter means that companies don't have to pay people to make home visits to take an actual reading to check that submitted reading are honest.
The cost of checking meters is, I am guessing, way less than the cost of installing a 'smart' meter in every home.
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