I've picked up comparable quotes from Eon, EDF, British Gas, Ecotricity online via Uswitch and Octopus via their website. Where there are set tariffs rather than variable ones they are all more expensive than the one I have running till mid May.
Octopus is only quoting anything like their present tariffs to their own customers and stupid rates for others. And you have to go on to their website to get anything.
I think there are two problems; one is that gas is still used to generate a reasonable amount of electricity, oil products are used for running things they use, so the costs to them will increase. The other is that with everything privatised, they only have government restraints which they can negotiate. If it was nationalised, it would be a bit more controllable, but still at the mercy of gas prices.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9693 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 26 6:07 am Post subject:
Renewables are providing an increasing percentage , whether wind, water, solar or green gas. The problem there is that the price is pegged up to the price of gas generation, regardless of the real cost.
It is politics
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9693 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 26 6:08 am Post subject:
Renewables are providing an increasing percentage , whether wind, water, solar or green gas. The problem there is that the price is pegged up to the price of gas generation, regardless of the real cost
After five different direct debit changes since Christmas, I made the decision to change supplier. After over 20 years, it's not the end of the world. Tis is the first outbreak of mad service. But considering that my tariff was till mid May there really was no excuse for the messing around. Luckily I was just in the last 49 days when you can leave without penalty.
The change over has gone rapidly and easily enough since last Thursday. We shall see.
Hope it works out all right Florence. We had an e-mail from our electricity supplier telling us that our bill would be nearly halved. Think they must have been taking far too much for a while, so now we are too far in credit. It will go up again once that has been sorted I expect, but rather nice anyway.
The government has some scheme from April 1st whereby there's a reduction in prices for most people. That will be what you are benefiting from but only for 3 months at a guess. That was what "got up my nose" with my old supplier - the fact that it dropped, dropped and then went up above what I'd been paying for years despite their website saying that there would be deductions for all. The fact that I was in credit didn't seem to matter.
When the dust settles (yes the change seems fine thanks) and the two companies have gone through the standard arbitration to make sure they agree I should be due about £90 back into my bank account from the old supplier. Nice one.
There's just one hitch to the change over of supplier. It takes 6 weeks to go through. And of course my old supplier has not told my bank I've changed supplier. So another direct debit has gone out. Oh well. All the more to come back. And they have problems deciding who is charging for the gas at the moment though I know that the electric is changed. It'll all sort itself out by May 15th I'm told.
I did know that there was a 4-6 week change over but didn't think that the paperwork would be quite so complicated.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 9693 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 26 12:14 pm Post subject:
That seems inordinately long...the past tbree moves we changed to Ecotricity. as soon as we moved, never had to wait that long..
I'm glad we went for a smart meter and variable direct debits so we only ever paid for what we used
I was warned that there was a period when things had to be sorted out between the two firms when I changed. By the new supplier.
It's just that the old supplier has to agree that the meter readings given are correct. Should be done in the background. The taking of the extra direct debit was their error though they don't want to admit it and blamed the bank. Yeah right. Garbage. That's just a symptom of why I moved on.
Still it all adds to what they owe me as I was in credit anyway. It will be a nice little balance when it gets here. Just a symptom of how carefully you have to keep an eye on things.
Funny but it came up yesterday that OVO is likely to be taken over by E.ON. Seems that it is running at a loss. A reasonably big one. And has been for some time.
Such fun may be had getting my rebate. £176. And pennies. I shall give them a ring on Friday if nothing seen. If you hear me loudly stamping politely you will know why.
Last edited by Florence on Tue May 26, 26 7:44 am; edited 1 time in total
Been messed around good and proper. OVO managed to cancel the direct debit before they made the refund into the bank. Then had no details to make said refund. Well they said. And didn't make any effort to issue a cheque. Phoned the help line and that's been sorted. If said cheque ain't here by end of month I might be just a bit irate like.
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