Energy Comparison Web Sites.

It matters little which Energy Comparison site you use, the savings they predict for fixed price tariffs are very misleading.

If you are getting towards the end of your present contract, this is especially true.

What they do is compare the annual cost (or whatever period is offered) of various supplier tariffs with what your present supplier will cost you if you stay with them. They assume that after your present contract expires you will switch to their standard tariff for the remaining period and not any alternative tariffs they can offer.

The only way of getting a true comparison is to do the maths and compare what each supplier will actually cost you for the coming year (or other defined period). This of course requires you to know what your annual consumption of gas and electricity is in Kwh.

We are currently on a tariff which expires at the end of this month and the comparison sites all show that I could save anything from zero up to £231 if I change supplier.

When I work out the total cost of the recommended supplier I find that it is not £231 less - but £18 more - than if I stay with my existing supplier and allow them to switch me to their fixed price tariff.

Before you jump - do the maths - you may avoid being mislead.

Try looking at First Utility Alan, I'm with them

Malcolm

Thanks for the suggestion but it does not work in my case.

I have a spreadsheet on the computer in which I insert the various suppliers tariffs and it calculates the total costs and compares the savings claimed by the comparison sites with actual. I only include the suppliers with a reasonable reputation that look appropriate to my frugal needs.

we use solar panels here - all free!!

You didn't need to rub it in Davo.   :piggy:

AlanHo wrote:

You didn't need to rub it in Davo.   :piggy:

Ah well I'm known around these parts as the milk of human kindness!!

That speaks volumes for Aussies.

malcolm wrote:

Try looking at First Utility Alan, I'm with them

We made that mistake, and had that much bother that I ended up wring to the CEO.  We left them at the first opportunity.  We had left OVO energy to save a few pounds a year but soon regretted it.  We are back with OVO now, and their customer service is second to none.

If OVO are second to those whose customer service is none - that must make them pretty awful.

I am about to sign up with Sainsbury for dual fuel - they are reputed to have excellent customer service and will save me £106 compared with staying with Extra Energy.

OVO would cost me £231 more than Sainsbury - I didn't bother to put them in my comparison chart because of their high cost 

I respectfully suggest you check prices again.