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  1. #1
    @hibs.net private member sleeping giant's Avatar
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    Switching energy companies

    Last year I switched from Scottisg Power to N Power. I have gas and electricity and live in a 3 bed semi.
    I was paying £78 per month and this has just been revised and they now want me to pay £229 per month .
    Scandalous .

    Be careful if you are switching for a cheaper deal.
    It might seem cheap in the first instance but after the first year , up they go.


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  3. #2
    @hibs.net private member speedy_gonzales's Avatar
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    I generally change every year.
    I ignore price comparison sites and just look at the unit cost and the daily standing charge, factor in any bonuses or discounts and calculate what the annual bill will be(I know my annual usage from the last 10 years).
    I can't see your supplier changing your tariff that much so you've either been under quoted initially therefore underpaying since the start, OR, there's a problem with one of your meters?
    My sister had been overcharged for years because the power co had been charging her for a metric meter when she actually had an imperial meter(or vice versa).

  4. #3
    @hibs.net private member Scouse Hibee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sleeping giant View Post
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    Last year I switched from Scottisg Power to N Power. I have gas and electricity and live in a 3 bed semi.
    I was paying £78 per month and this has just been revised and they now want me to pay £229 per month .
    Scandalous .

    Be careful if you are switching for a cheaper deal.
    It might seem cheap in the first instance but after the first year , up they go.

    That's a pretty impossible leap so there must be another issue or a mistake, do you provide your own regular meeting readings and manage your account online? I manage mine online through First Utility, the graphs are great for showing your patterns of usage and should surely help you identify any massive spikes.

  5. #4
    @hibs.net private member sleeping giant's Avatar
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    I'm going to look into it when I get home .

    I provide my own meter readings but don't really check the graphs etc. I expected it to fluctuate a little over a period of time but that is an enormous leap.
    I'm now thinking I may have entered the readings incorrectly.


    Do companies tend to under quote in the beginning to get your business ?
    No Eternal Reward Shall Forgive Us Now For Wasting The Dawn

  6. #5
    @hibs.net private member Speedy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sleeping giant View Post
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    I'm going to look into it when I get home .

    I provide my own meter readings but don't really check the graphs etc. I expected it to fluctuate a little over a period of time but that is an enormous leap.
    I'm now thinking I may have entered the readings incorrectly.


    Do companies tend to under quote in the beginning to get your business ?
    Not that I've noticed but they almost always overestimate how much you should pay when they make a change to your monthly payments. So likelihood is you're now overpaying.

    In any case you should look at the change in unit cost and standung charge, not the change in monthly payment (which is an estimate). And switch again, it's the best way to get a low price.

  7. #6
    @hibs.net private member danhibees1875's Avatar
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    Surely it's only the unit cost that matters? If you pay £5 a month or £500 it shouldn't really matter - you'll just end up with a big bill/due a lot of money once they actually take your readings? (I don't recommend paying too much; NPower took 2 years to refund me when I moved flat after overpayments)

    Or do companies actually do the whole "it's 15p a unit for the first year, raising to 50p afterwards" like banks do with interest on accounts (back when you got interest )

    I've never been in the position where I've switched but I'm moving flats at the end of the month so will keep an eye on this thread!
    Mon the Hibs.

  8. #7
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    Go on MSE energy saving club. Youll get all the info you need there and can do a search for your best deal.
    Your probably now on the standard tariff, nobody should ever go on a standard tariff but when you deal ends companies tend to just change you over.

  9. #8
    Testimonial Due NYHibby's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by danhibees1875 View Post
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    Surely it's only the unit cost that matters? If you pay £5 a month or £500 it shouldn't really matter - you'll just end up with a big bill/due a lot of money once they actually take your readings? (I don't recommend paying too much; NPower took 2 years to refund me when I moved flat after overpayments.
    Yes, you are correct. It's possible unit rates went up, some tariffs are time limited, but they don't change that much. Either the OP's month payments in the past were too low and not covering the cost over the whole year, the OP is dramatically using more energy or a combination of the two.

    When using price comparison website, compare the estimated annual cost to the estimated annual cost on your most recent bill from your current company. Unless you have major cash flow issues, ignore the monthly DD amount when thinking about switching.

  10. #9
    reigning hibs.net poker champion Wembley67's Avatar
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    The energy market is very heavily regulated so underhand tactics of yesteryear are long gone.

    If the increase is correct which appears unlikely the company will probably have done everything by the book.

    Coincidentally I've switched to EON and am paying £70 per month for gas and electricity, I'm in a 4 bed detached. Worth looking at them?

    Companies will contact you when your current deal is expiring, very much like mortgage companies hence the potential increase when your 'initial' deal expires as they rely on people not reading emails and the like so will continue paying silly increases. Always shop around when the deal is expiring or you'll pay well over the odds!!
    "You opened the box....and your soul belongs to me...."

  11. #10
    @hibs.net private member Moulin Yarns's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sleeping giant View Post
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    I'm going to look into it when I get home .

    I provide my own meter readings but don't really check the graphs etc. I expected it to fluctuate a little over a period of time but that is an enormous leap.
    I'm now thinking I may have entered the readings incorrectly.


    Do companies tend to under quote in the beginning to get your business ?
    I had a similar issue with Scottish Power, turned out I had misread the meter. I then changed supplier to N Power and it took 6 months to sort out!! Scottish Power refunded £1300 N Power took about £450 of that once they had agreed the change over readings
    There is no such thing as too much yarn, just not enough time.

  12. #11
    @hibs.net private member sleeping giant's Avatar
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    Well , I'm a knob

    I had incorrectly entered the meter readings.
    Inserted a 3 instead of a 0 at the beginning .

    Bill tumbles from £229 to £100

    Cheers for the help anyway
    No Eternal Reward Shall Forgive Us Now For Wasting The Dawn

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