[AlanHo]

This is aimed mainly at UK members - but it may also apply in other Countries.

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.

[eye30]

I did this exercise last month for elecy.

I get or ask for the daily service cost and unit rate.

I then, based in my last 12 months use, i'm aware consumption can go up or down but you need a base figure to compare them all, calculate the cost for each supplier.

This is important if the daily cost is not the same. 
If it is then only the unit cost is needed to be compared.

This is in my view the only way to compare the different tarrifs.

Whilst doing research i had the tarrif details of a supplier and had worked out a figure.

I rang them to get some further info as not clear on site.
They calculated i would save more than i had calculated.
when i questioned the figure, guess what, they had used a random consumption figure even tho' i had give my figure.

I think they used mine, realised the saving did not look to good so pluck a figure to make the £££££ look good.

[AlanHo]

They sussed your gullibility quite quickly.............

[Dazzler]

At the moment I don't believe we have a choice of supplier in Tassie.

At the end of the year the honeymoon period on our F.I.T. ((feed in tariff) for excess solar power fed into the grid, will drop from 1:1 (28c per KWH) to under 6c I think!

Hopefully by then we will have a choice or I can source some storage batteries at a realistic price..