Until last year I'd been with Eon for years but finally changed to Co-operative energy saving around £370 a year.
The fixed deal is now coming to an end and they want to switch me on to another fixed deal which is around £280 dearer than my present one.
I find their online account clunky and difficult to manage as well.
I've looked around the comparison sites and can get it a lot cheaper but I'm wary of some of the smaller firms.
Has anyone any tips of who to avoid?
Ovo is looking cheaper (not cheapest) but has good customer service reviews.
Pat
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All companies are good until it goes wrong.
So of course pay attention to how often stuff goes wrong, but if a company is good at fixing stuff, then consider them also.
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Been with SO energy on a 12mth fix called SO Gopher which actually ends today.
Did a comparison using the CA tool energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk/ . Only one company came up with a better deal than SO's replacement called Koala but MArtin Lewis's email a few days earlier had cautioned about their complaint handling. Stuck in this occasion and I've just sent them my meter readings for Koala.
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I ended up with IRESA when my fixed term came to an end last Sept. The gas and electricity seems to work OK but they have no responded to a "ticket" I opened within days of transferring.
I'm not bothered by that, it was only a question about the newly installed BG smart meters anyway and I know the answer.
All the companies load one or another part of the cost, so on some the daily charge was high, on others the electricity was much higher (in relation to my previous supplier). I ideally wanted one where the leccy cost was at the lower end cos I now charge the car on it.
I don't plan on staying with them after this 1 year fixed term unless they still happen to fit my requirements.
Martin said they were too new or small or something so he had no rating for them.
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I've been with ovo about 3 years and they are good, their website is easy to use. We had a bit of a faff with the meter readings and getting a smart meter installed. But they were quite helpful in sorting things out, unlike BG.
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Thanks Sooty, I think it will end up with OVO but I was sure someone on here was with them and just wanted to check there had been no problems.
Good news that they do smart meters too.
I would love one as I heat the greenhouse with electricity and we have 4 water pumps and 2 UV filters running in the pond, so I would love to know exactly what they cost to run.
Pat
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If you want to know the costs for just one or two appliances, Pat, you can buy smartplugs for a few quid. I have a couple, and you can use an app to see the electricity used, by date.
Ok, the fiddle is you have to do a one off setup, you need to have wifi to set them up, and as I say, use the app to see the data.
But on the plus side not only do you not have to fanny about getting your meter changed to a smart one, you can move them about as required. As they also have timers on them (and the ability to be driven by Alexa, in my case) you could just have your heaters come on for set periods. If you have or want the kit, you could make them come on at set temperatures and report back how long they were on for, that kind of thing.
After Mrs C and I had an Encounter about wires everywhere in the living room the other day, I put the light and the electric fire on these plugs, and hid all the wires and stuff away behind things. They are now pretty inaccessible, but we can now just ask Alexa to turn on the light or whatever. Say "goodnight" and it all gets turned off in one go.
The ones I bought cost about £13 each.
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Thanks Crankcase, but I struggle with Apps!
My smartphone is used for phone calls and the occasional Facebook update and I do use WhatsApp because I can talk to it and don't have to text. It also doesn't have a swear filter and lets me say that word beginning with B and ending in s:)
I struggle to take meter readings, the gas meter is buried in the front garden and the electricity meter is in a small dark cupboard which means getting down on my knees with a torch....fine if you can get back up again:)
The greenhouse heater is plugged in to a adaptor thingy which I set the temperature on so as soon as it gets below 38F degrees it comes on and my plants flourish!
It's also my haven of peace in the winter to go and have a sit in there and plan a few hanging baskets for spring.
The pond is our indulgence and I suspect we really don't want to know what it costs to run, but the sound of the waterfalls through the open bedroom window last night when I couldn't sleep at all well, ( the weather isn't at all kind for Arthritis at the moment) were well worth the cost.
Pat
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There's a waterfall app, Pat, that...oh, wait.
:)
Sounds like a smart meter is the way to go for you then.
Mrs C spends all her waking hours in the greenhouse (in summer) too. Maybe I should take the hint.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Tue 9 Jan 18 at 16:34
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Yes pat, that was the main reason I've got a smart it cuts down on faff on having to provide meter readings. Both of mine are outside, never my favourite job now I don't have to bother with it again.
There's a gadget that came with it, it'll tell you loads about your usage, it's been in the cupboard a year now. One day I'll get round to switching it on.
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Been with OVO for five years. Very good clear website and billing. Don't know about customer service as never had call to ring them. You now get 5% on any credit balance which, since I maintain a reasonable credit balance I like. Just signed up for another two year deal.
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Thanks CG, can you up your direct debit during the winter if you want to without them telling you to?
I used to do that with Eon and it worked well but Co-op won't let me alter it at all and I know they have it set too low at the moment.
Crankcase...don't take the hint. This is the way it works.
The greenhouse is mine. The garage is Ian's. The shed is shared space which we can both enter without permission! I have to be invited into the garage and Ian has to be invited into the greenhouse:)
Pat
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Yes you can, you do it online. They suggest an amount but you don't have to use that amount. it's a nice clear easy to use website.
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Thanks CG, can you up your direct debit during the winter if you want to without them telling you to?
Yes - easily done on line
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That's brilliant! OVO it is then. I miss that ability to up the monthly payment if it's reallyt cold and we need the heat.
Even if you supply the Co-op with a meter reading they will only alter your payment at the end of the quarter.
Pat
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>>The greenhouse is mine. The garage is Ian's. The shed is shared space which we can both enter without permission! I have to be invited into the garage and Ian has to be invited into the greenhouse:)
OOOOH! What do you keep in them?
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"I struggle to take meter readings, the gas meter is buried in the front garden and the electricity meter is in a small dark cupboard which means getting down on my knees with a torch.."
Might cause a few problems with smart meter installation. The gas meter needs to "talk' to the electricity meter. Radio wave dont trave too well underground.
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Yes, I suspect you are right CG.
Eon said that people with outside gas meters would be the last to be supplied with a smart meter.
It is buried about 2' down in a flower bed in the front garden with a wooden lid on top so you can see the problem getting a reading from it.
Pat
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Pat, I’ve been with OVO for a number of years, never had a problem, submit my readings each month via their easy to use website. If I’m away I think they estimate the reading....think I get 3% credit interest on my balance, which is normally a few hundred £.
I referred my Mum via their website, not a broker, and we both got a £50 voucher. Better than a punch in the throat. They may still be doing such referrals....they keep asking if I want a smart meter fitting but for some peculiar and inexplicable Luddite reason I don’t.
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Another vote for OVO then!
Thanks LL
Pat
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I check every year. I seem to settle for yearly fixed dual fuel deals. I am a member of MSE energy club so get emails when they reckon you can get a cheaper deal. These do come when you are still in contract, so they are often not applicable.
I'm currently with NPower, who were the cheapest when my old deal was in its last 49 days, so I could leave without penalty.
The switch was painless and their website is good. You can make extra payments at any time, if you want to.
I made it plain I did not want a smart meter and so far they have not bugged me about that.
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I have my tin foil hat on when thinking about smart meters.
It seems to me that it opens the door to variable rate charging at differing times of day and for us, as retired folk in all, or most of the time, we use a lot of daytime energy.
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>> variable rate charging at differing
>> times of day and for us, as retired folk in all, or most of the
>> time, we use a lot of daytime energy.
>>
How variable is it? Is it a fixed rate at specific times, or does it vary according to the actual real-time demand?
Supposing you look at your smartmeter and see that electricity is cheap at this moment, so you turn your washing machine on. Is that then a fixed price for the cycle? Supposing a factory starts work 10 minutes later, suddenly pushing up demand, will the price jump?
Can you preset a price - eg "turn on my washing machine if the price drops to x " ?
Can you ask it to check for the cheapest supplier before you decide to switch on an appliance?
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>>I'm currently with nPower..."
So am I and have been for several years. It allows you to switch tariffs if you can get a better deal and my current dual tariff doesn't run out until the end of March, 2021. I can change again if I wish or leave.
At first I use to have to pay quite a high cost per month by Direct Debit even though I sent regular monthly meter readings.
Eventually I rang up and after chatting to a very friendly call centre lady, she advised me to send in the meter readings a couple of days before the DD was due, rather than about a fortnight before.
She explained that that meant my monthly payment was always based on an estimated total fuel use. When I did as she suggested, the monthly payment came down quite sharply.
Even so, the estimates were a little too high it seemed and I've had the cost of the DD occasionally reduced. This month it's been reduced by £11 to £83 a month and I've been given a rebate of £120 - seems my annual dual fuel consumption has now decreased by around 43 per cent.
Yet, to the best of my knowledge, I've not change fuel consumption all that much. But I'm not complaining...:-) I've also found that billing and payments records have always been spot on.
I was with E-On's Warm Heat scheme for some years, but the monthly cost kept rising annually. Research revealed that nPower offered the best bet, so I switched. I pay about £30 a month less now than I did with E-On some years ago - seems the company doesn't like the Warm Heat promotion!!
nPower's tariff offers can be found on its website and are well worth a look.
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Our fixed deal with Sainsburys ran out in October - the renewal cost was plain silly so I hunted around on Uswitch. Several of the well known names were slightly cheaper but there wasn't much in it. I've always worried about the quality of service with the lesser known brands so previously kept well clear.
Last October though, I took the plunge with Bulb Energy and so far so good - easy website, easy to update meter readings and so on. It's a variable rate which is very good for me at present but there is always the risk of the cost going up. There is no fixed period or tie in, so the only downside will be more hassle changing suppliers later if needed.
PS I got £30 cash back with Quidco via Uswitch.
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With Co-op Energy I have to submit a meter reading exactly 91 days from my last bill otherwise they estimate it and that is a pain.
The date for that is Sunday 21st January so I'll wait and see what the bill is so I can then work out my current years usage accurately before making a final decision but I really would be happier with a more user friendly online system.
My fixed deal runs out in February so thankfully I can afford to wait until then.
I use Quidco and notice that OVO don't have any offers on there but MSE say they have a £25 cash back deal.
Pat
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My OVO contract expires early Feb, so I've just rejoined today with them on a 2 year fix price contract.
They want £44 month as opposed to the £36 I was paying, but I now get 5% interest on my credit balance so not really bothered, and I can reduce if I want online.
If you have any local friends and they refer you via the OVO website then both parties get a £50 Amazon or M&S voucher I believe.
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Do they have to be local LL?
I'm sure you could be my friend!
Pat
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If LL doesn't want to am happy to be your friend - well sort of ;-0
You just need the friend's name which can email to you
current offer is £50 Amazon Argos or M and S gift card.
You need to sign up by 14th January
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I would love to have done that CG but I won't be signing up until after I have submitted the end of quarter reading on21st January and made sure I am in credit first or at least paid what is owed....it makes the transition a lot easier.
However, I'm sure they'll have another offer on so if you want to look out for it and let me know I'd be happy to do that.
I will grit my teeth and happily state you are my friend:)
Pat
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The OVO offer is ongoing I believe but reduces to its normal £25.
Will send you my name later. You just need to enter it when signing up I think. Feel free to use if you wish.
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Got your email CG and thanks very much.
I will let you know as soon as I've signed up so you can follow it up with them too if need be.
Pat
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>>
>> PS I got £30 cash back with Quidco via Uswitch.
>>
That reminded me that I switched via Top Cashback and had a £70 cashback, which I received via BACS on November 30th. after making the switch in July.
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That reminded me that I switched via Top Cashback and had a £70 cashback, which
>> I received via BACS on November 30th. after making the switch in July.
>>
Are topcashback any good now? I used to use them until a couple of years ago, then they seemed to drop off in terms of deals and money. By the end there seemed to be nothing that I'd buy on an offer and those that were had very small sums of money that either took ages to come through, needed loads of chasing up or both.
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I've recently switched from Co Op Energy to Bulb Energy. Apart from being cheaper & giving me £100 credit for joining they don't have exit penalties.So far so good,but if i don't like them i can jump ship at any time.
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Looked at switching just last week. Nobody from the major names was significantly cheaper for my postcode (tenner here, fifteen there, over a year). Not risking a switch going wrong for that, plus to get that I'd have to pay them money each month. No thanks, prefer to pay what I actually owe by DD every three months, thank you.
Bulb were about £35 quid cheaper, but in the small print they said their prices are going up in March, so again, I didn't feel it was worth it.
So I've stuck with EDF at 19p a day standing charge and 15p a unit.
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>> at 19p a day standing charge and 15p a unit.
So 1 unit costs you 34p per day!
We are on Ebico-zero, no-tie ins, no exit fees, no standing charge but pay 16.60p per unit by DD on receipt of bill (3 months)
They are also offering two other deals that look promising (Ebico-Prime fixed 12 and Ebico-prime fixed 18)
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>>We are on Ebico-zero,
So are we now, having switched from British Gas. The last straw for us was when BG removed the dual-fuel discount. Ebico zero is ideal for us as we are low energy users.
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Dual Fuel Deals - No FM2R
