I will never again pay by fixed monthly direct debit. I had enough hassle and arguments at my former home with the different energy providers over built up credit and the difficulties getting them to give me my own money back when the credit got too large. It was like I was cutting their arms off! and then they’d often take weeks to pay up.
I don’t deny that once my new homeowners tariff comes to an end in June, the energy bills will rocket. The only saving grace is that because the house is a new build, it’s pretty energy efficient. It’s also just survived a 90mph onslaught of horrendous winds for which I am extremely thankful.
To be fair, this is the first time since buying our new home that we’ve done pay as you go variable direct debit. I wasn’t even aware until I was on the phone to BG when we moved in here that they offered a new homebuyers tariff. It just seemed the logical thing to do at the time, fixed tariffs for the first year, just pays as you go on what the smart meters registered. I’m aware that energy companies, especially the small players, offer much cheaper tariffs if you pay by a fixed monthly direct debit, but with the energy crisis the way it is, that has I’m assuming, become totally irrelevant now. I’ll probably just stay with BG come the end of the deal in June and just end up on the standard capped tariff and suck it up.
New customers haven’t been able to sign since the energy price issues began, so even if they still payout, no one you refer will be able to sign up with your referral.
You can still switch and you can still benefit from a referral.
I bought a new home a month or so ago and the previous owner had a contract with EDF. Getting my details onto EDF’s system was a complete disaster (e.g. I couldn’t use my main email address which is [email protected] because their system "wouldn’t accept org.uk as a valid personal address. My meter was described as “complex” so they couldn’t quote me over the phone. Their system said my location was out of range for smart meters - it isn’t. And so on…)
I called Octopus which I used at a previous address, they said I wouldn’t save any money going onto Octopus’s variable tariff and I said I knew that, I was moving for improved customer service and to make use of a referral. After having explained that, they were happy for me to start the transfer to them and the referral has tracked on both my and the referrer’s account. Hasn’t paid out yet but the switch only completes later this week…
I’ve tried a few times to switch over the phone and have been unsuccessful. They don’t want new customers, and will only take you if they can confirm you’ll make a considerable saving, which you won’t if you’re on the price cap.
There’s just a hurdle at every step of the signup up process to deter you, and if you actually go on to call, they just say no.
If your friend has any tips to get them to say yes, I’m all ears.
An ex-colleague has just switched to Octopus from EDF on their variable tariff. They had to do it over the phone but just told them they wanted better customer service and were interested in their EV tariffs for when they switch to one.
It probably depends who you end up talking to when you ring them.
Support on Twitter were very assistive when I wanted to switch to Octopus last year. Phone support were telling me I could only sign up to one fairly lousy tariff, not the variable nor very competitive ‘Helpful Octopus’ tariff that was briefly available.
No problem at all setting up the entire thing via Twitter.
Not sure if anyone has seen this but I’m guessing some will know as it’s been on the cards for a while:
For my own situation, my British Gas new homeowner tariff came to an end at the very end of June. I’m now on the OFGEM capped BG standard variable tariff on smart meters for a full month. My electricity costs have increased by a whole £6 a month and the gas bill has increased by a staggering £2 a month. These aren’t fake or false figures, I’ve seen the bills, we are charged monthly and the meter readings are correct. As it stands, our electricity bill is now £38 a month and our gas bill £15 a month give or take 30 or 40 pence on both. I’m struggling to see how our annual bill will even reach £900 a year, let alone the horrendous £3600 a year that an apparent ‘typical’ household will be paying come next Spring.
I do get a bit frustrated with some of the people I’ve spoken with who out and out claim that their energy bills have ‘tripled’. When I’ve probed deeper, their energy bills haven’t tripled at all, their direct debits have tripled and that isn’t the same thing. I’m puzzled further by why people who are on smart meters are massively overpaying every month? well that’s what some are telling me, including some of my own neighbours who are all on smart meters. So how is it then that British Gas only charge me monthly for the energy I actually use and yet my neighbour around the corner is stumping up £180 a month? Something just doesn’t add up if I’m to believe my neighbours, unless of course they’re hiding a hot tub somewhere in their back garden.
Do Octopus Energy charge monthly on the capped tariff? or do they only offer quarterly/six monthly billing? Basically, if you’re on a smart meter with Octopus, do they bill monthly?
I suppose those folks that don’t have smart meters fitted, unless they are submitting weekly/monthly meter readings, are the ones who are paying ridiculous amounts in monthly direct debits.
I like how the money is only for hedging. This means Octopus can afford to onboard these customers. Have the systems to do it and the efficiency to keep going.
I reckon considering bulb is costing taxpayers 2billion according to the article. One mill is nothing
Difficult to say what’s going on with the information supplied really.
What were your standing charge and unit rates before, and what are they now?
If you’re paying via variable direct debit (ie. Paying full bill amount on demand) then it’s not surprising your gas hasn’t gone up much, it’s July and a nice and warm one at that.
I’m now on the capped OFGEM tariff, paying the same as everyone else. Our monthly bills were never really high in the first place.
The electricity standing charge has gone up considerably, but clearly not enough to cause unecessary worry or hardship and that is what has accounted for the increase. The gas unit rates and standing charges have hardly changed.
Clearly Our heating was turned off in April and hasn’t been on since. It probably won’t go back on until the beginning of November. I think it’s fairly obvious, my Wife and I are not a ‘typical’ household.
We will now always pay ‘On demand’. Over paying massive amounts in the summer to cover winter bills, wouldn’t be in any way useful to us.
Our heating was turned off in April and hasn’t been on since. It probably won’t go back on until the beginning of November. I think it’s fairly obvious, my Wife and I are not a ‘typical’ household.