Been looking at Energy suppliers as mine (First Utility dual fuel) expires on 31st August. First Utility want me to renew on an 18 month fixed term at £88 per month with some free wine thrown in. Using Martin Lewis' comparison site, I've gone for an EDF 12 months deal costing £75 per month with £30 cashback. I didn't go with Bulb, as they only provide variable deals. Time will tell if it ends well....
My deal ended a couple of days ago with NPower. A quick change over to OVO (never heard of them ) got me £50 cashback and a fixed 2 year deal about £30 per month cheaper than the variable rate NPower have just switched me to.
Its a cut throat business, It used to belong to British Gas and they could charge whatever they wanted, so the goverment stepped in and decided it should be a competitive market, hence why there are so many suppliers out there these days. To add to this the supplier has its own subsidies to pay (its called transportation charges) This is paid to the network owner, all of a sudden you have loads of independant network owners spring up who operate across the country and the way they work it is more beneficial for a housing developer to use an independant transporter to adopt the gas mains for his housing estate because the independant company will actually fund some of the pipe work thats laid, to recover the cost they increase the transportation charge so the suppliers then have to put their prices up and so it goes round and round.
Costs always need paying and companies must make a profit. That's just how it is. Some will take a loss to get your business in the short term, expecting that enough will be retained at a higher rate and/or a bigger player will buy them because they have a volume of customers worth purchasing.
Just switched to EDF via the MSE https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub Simply Fixed Sep18 Gas £0.03165 per kW and electric £0.1412 per kW.... whopping increases on old tariff. ***This never happened.... EDF messed up the rates.***
As is your new avatar Like I said, very happy with bulb. When most were increasing gas costs, they emailed to say that the wholesale cost had actually decreased so they were also decreasing. EDF & EON may as well have worn masks (were with both for years). The only downside is they don't have smart meters yet. I'm paying less (£40 a month less) than I was with E.On and E.On had me slowly running up a debt balance. Now I'm racking up credit
For some reason having an economy 7 meter, but running it as a normal meter (combining the Day/Night readings) is an issue for EDF. I was about to complain until I realised it resulted in a lower overall rate? Fuel: Electricity and Gas Tariff name: Electricity: Simply Fixed Sep18 | Gas: Simply Fixed Sep18 Electric 13.64p/kW and 3.165p per kWh gas, both include VAT at 5%
Well I've binned EDF even before I started.... Call centre is useless and the tariff supplied isn't what was agreed. Now moved to Scottish power on a Fix until January 2020, makes a charitable payment to Cancer research for every month I stay with them. HelpBeatCancer Fix&Save Dec 19 Online £150 per year per fuel. £0.12581 per kW electric and £0.0312 per kW gas. We use 12k Kw electric and 60k kw of gas per year. Price security until 31st December 2019 No exit fees
Just had to make my first ever call to the Bulb helpdesk as my online account wasn’t letting me login. I was immediately through to a London based agent that I could actually understand and my login will be working again shortly
I'm with the co-op, as it came out cheapest on the MSE site when I was looking a couple of years ago. I got a £50 cashback through quidco and co-op also give you a small % back in vouchers too. Not much, I get about £6, but it buys a few beers.
Our fixed price contract with Scottish power is due to end on the 1st January 2020. We used 12,000kW of Electric and 60,000kW of Gas to heat, light and power our home last year (circa 3300 Sq"). Standing charges were £150 per fuel £300 each year. We used £156 gas per month or 5000kW month £1872.00 / 60,000kW per year at £0.0312 per unit. We used £125 electric per month or 1000kW month £1509.72 / 12,000kW per year at £0.12581 per unit. Prices include VAT at 5% It was cheaper to split the contract with two new suppliers. Electricity is with Symbio Energy Limited on Tariff name Symbio Variable X8* (set up directly with Company). Payment method Direct Debit £150 Standard unit rate 11.092 p per kWh £1331.04/pa Standing charge 19.000 p per day £69.35/pa inc 5% VAT No exit fee Variable rate Gas is with So Energy Zebra - Green - Seasonal Payments (set up via Cheap Energy Club) Standing charge 22.050p per day £82.125/pa Unit rate All kWh 2.720p £1632/pa inc 5% VAT Exit fees £5.00 Fixed rate for 12 months We also get a £12.50 cash back in 3 months. Total for 2019 was £3681.72 (down by nearly £1500 from the year before... LED lights and a new boiler system/controls and one side of the house has external insulation ). Estimated new total for 2020 is £3114.52 based on same consumption. Saving £567.21 Hope this helps someone else.
**UPDATE** I didn't know this by Symbio energy check that they are always offering the lowest tariff, EVERY MONTH. Now it's even cheaper Electricity is with Symbio Energy Limited on Tariff name Symbio Variable X9* (set up directly with Company). Payment method Direct Debit £150 per month Standard unit rate 10.090 p per kWh £1210.80/pa Standing charge 21.000 p per day £76.95/pa inc 5% VAT No exit fee It's not all roses.... we have an economy 7 meter, but choose to have one/same (cheap) rate for both day and night. When they automatically scan prices they put me onto a Economy 7 tariff... It's a bug in the system which they are promising to sort. My Neighbour (who I introduced to them) has the same, but they won't accept him until he gets the meter changed... new policy. Warning Many cheap suppliers cannot use smart meters, so if you have a smart meter they won't be able to supply (bill) you. The downside of a smart meter; you don't have access to all the market. You live and learn every day...
