Changing Power Providers

[granny grump]

Yes I'm getting our affairs in order so thought that I'd look at gas/electricity providers.

We are currently with Npower and have a dual fuel account.

Is it better to have dual fuel or is it cheaper to have the utilities with different suppliers?

I'm on line looking at Go Compare and have had some lower quotes than I am currently playing although some of them say 'New energy supplier' rather than the likes of British Gas. Should that be a worry?

Any advice/tips would be very welcome

[fiction-factory]

Dual fuel is usually cheaper and it's a lot easier to have one supplier (to perate and when switching now and later) so i only ever look for dual fuel.
Careful with comparison sites - they don't just look at your current prices when quoting savings- they assume that when your current deal expires you would more onto the much high variable rate

[fiction-factory]

Some new suppliers have a reasonable reputation. Some are just existing providers operating under another name.

[granny grump]

Thank you fiction-factory

[Jennykenny]

I moved to OVO about a year ago, (recommended by Which), and I am very impressed by the service.

[gingejbee]

...and if you look at this customer satisfaction table from Which? (current), it's the newbies who are better than the established companies....

http://switch.which.co.uk/energy-suppliers/energy-companies-rated.html

[New Judge]

I've change suppliers about seven or eight times. I do a comparison every time my deal runs out and usually manage to get a better deal by switching. Dual fuel with a monthly direct debit is best. The Newbies are OK - they supply the goods just the same as the "Big Six". But beware that the customer service of some is not all it should be. My current provider (Extra Energy) doesn't have the first clue how to calculate monthly payments over a year (I like to keep mine level). They try to increase and decrease my payments far too frequently. But I know how to work out a gas and leccy bill and usually manage to baffle them with the facts. It helps when making a comparison if you know your annual consumption in KwH.

[alavahalf]

Just about to swap supliers myself .. over the weekend I tried 'Moneysavingexpert' and uswitch, both came up with savings of approx. £250. Funnily enough the best price was from Extra Energy who I had never heard or previously. That info has given me food for thought. Was going to ask if anyone has had any experience with them.

[New Judge]

They are perfectly OK - and a good bit cheaper. It's just that their modelling process (used to calculate a customer's likely annual consumption and hence their monthly payments) is not very robust and does not seem to work very well. It's a particular problem if you start your contract about now (i.e. at the start of the winter) because in the next six months your consumption will be high. They tried to recover the outstanding amount by increasing my monthly payments considerably in the Spring. However, I'm now into my second year with them and I've managed to show them the error of their ways.

[SlackAlice]

I'm similar to New Judge's experience with Extra Energy, but I've moved on a bit further with them. Extra Energy employs a bunch of super morons working out there bills and statements and vastly over estimates how much you should pay. I dumped them almost 2yrs ago and switched to another supplier. Even with the assistance of Ofgen I have only just received a resolution and finally got my credit back. It was so bad that I actually received six Final Bills in 2 months.

Even a letter sent "Signed for" to their registered Office was returned unknown!!!!

I have now switched to a "new" supplier called GB Energy and have been with them for almost 2 yrs and have just renewed my contract. The difference between the two companies is amazing from possibly one of the worst to one of the best.

Dual Fuel deals generally look better/cheaper and obviously dealing with only one company makes sense. At the moment "Smart Meters" are all the rage but I'm not convinced yet.

[andypipwilly]

Look at Martin Lewis Money. Sound tips.