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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask what energy company do you recommend in the current climate?

99 replies

BoneWithTheWind · 27/10/2021 13:14

Hi all, hope you're having a good day.

Posting here for traffic as I'm at the end of my tethers. Trying to quickly switch to a new supplier (for both fuels). Been with Ecotricity for years, then had a short spell with Outfox but I'm leaving due to appalling customer service.

Any recommendations please? Easy phone contact is a must, as is decent customer service. Price-wise, I'm not expecting anywhere to be cheap really, just as long as it's within reason. Thanks in advance xx

PS. Just had a chat with Octopus energy and found out they're not taking any new customers at the moment... Offered a waiting list instead. Great.

OP posts:
Gubanc · 27/10/2021 14:42

@SusieBob

If you want decent customer service definately stay away from Bulb.
Bulb went bust ages ago.
Toomanyradishes · 27/10/2021 14:42

Im with ovo, my tarrif is just coming to an end, I usually pay £250 per month, i will end up with a £500 surplus, they are offering me a three year fixed at £380 per month which is horrifically more expensive

(Old big drafty house, all electric heating due to location, and trigeminal neuralgia which is triggered by cold so I have the heating on a lot more than I used to esp with working from home, in case anyone has a heart attack at the high electric bills! Solar panels are very high on my shopping list)

TotallySuper · 27/10/2021 14:43

Why do you need to be on the phone with them a lot and have good customer service etc? You can switch online then have no real need to speak with them after that. I find Uswitch good to do the switch and find someone new. I'd only switch if you're not still fixed in and honestly it's a bad time to switch if you're wanting to then speak to the supplier by phone as I imagine they're all inundated by calls at the moment.

As above Scottish Power are terrible even once you complain,had dealings with them recently (eventually got a £200 credit on my bill due to their mistake but that was because my previous company went bust and Scottish Power messed up the take over)

Good luck but honestly don't expect anything but poor service and long hold times with them all at the moment.

TuftyMarmoset · 27/10/2021 14:53

I’ve been with Good Energy for a few years. I don’t know if they are taking new customers but they have excellent service and actually produce green energy rather than just buying certificates.

NadiaVulvokov · 27/10/2021 15:12

Good Energy

BrightYellowDaffodil · 27/10/2021 15:27

@Creamcrackersandricecakes

Octopus aren't all that - they've just hiked my DD from £105 to £189, despite the fact we are £300 in credit and have a smart meter which shows we never go above £4 a day, (usually £2.80 - £3.50'ish). When I emailed to object I was basically told tough shit. So don't feel like you're missing out!
I’d agree with Octopus not being all that great - I had a problem with my meter and they completely failed to fix it, as in they just forgot to deal with it. When I chased them up and said I was unhappy with the service received/they’d failed to fix the problem etc, they seemed baffled at the concept of a complaint or what they were supposed to do about it. They then tried to rectify a too-high estimated hill by…increasing it Hmm

And that was before the current shitshow, so Christ only knows how bad they are at dealing with complaints now.

On the upside you can put your direct debit back down via the “My Account” bit of the website. I have before given utility companies an option of a lower direct debit and a cancelled one - funnily enough they accept the lower one…

BrightYellowDaffodil · 27/10/2021 15:28

Bill, not hill!

TomRipley · 27/10/2021 15:41

I'm with Ovo and they're good as far as I can see.
I'm so confused with all this and not sure what I should do.
I'm on a variable plan and pay £124 a month for both gas and electric. I'm £389 in credit so I've obviously been over paying for some time. Metered too and not an estimate. Fixed plans they're offering are £160/month for 3 years or £220/month for 2 years!
I looked at my highest bill from last winter and it was January totalling £134.
I know prices are going up but should I stick with the variable and hope the credit with cover and price hikes or fix?
£160 is doable but £220 is just ridiculous!

LittleOwl153 · 27/10/2021 15:53

Any company's standard variable rate is going to be the best on offer until April 2022 at least because of the government price cap. As energy is currently costing them more wholesale than the price cap they are all charging the maximum and any fixed rate deals are significantly higher.

This means anywhere you are able to move to are likely to force you into a fix rate which they can make significantly higher priced than the cap - cheapest are currently around 30% higher. They will be touting these fixes to scare people - quite heavily now - so they can subsidise those who are on the standard variable rate... (who are very likely on a "fixed rate" effectively till April anyway when the price cap reevaluates!)

Unless you are having major traumas with whoever you are currently with OP I'd probably stick with it and wait till Spring at least.

LemonMuffins · 27/10/2021 15:59

I can't recommend anyone but we're with British Gas and have found them nothing short of awful for more reasons than I care to list. Avoid them.

ColinTheKoala · 27/10/2021 15:59

I had no idea Bulb had gone bust!

OP I was listening to a radio ad yesterday and it said don't switch. Which? says don't switch. Martin Lewis says don't switch.

So I'd say that the prevailing advice at the moment is not to switch. Stay put if I were you!

Whitney168 · 27/10/2021 16:05

I had no idea Bulb had gone bust!

They haven't.

Squiblet · 27/10/2021 16:07

Good Energy are 100% renewable for electricity, which is better than all the rest AFAIK. They also have good customer service and have been quite friendly on the phone every time I've called. Their CEO is very eco-conscious and she generally seems like a responsible person.

Plus, when they needed to send an engineer to fit a smart meter, they sent a woman, so extra points for that! (not rational, I know)

TopCatsTopHat · 27/10/2021 16:09

Good Energy have been brilliant for me, including resolving a horrible problem (erroneous transfer not their fault) that only got sorted thanks to their great staff. Don't know what price they can offer you right now but I found them reasonable last time I looked into it (am customer with them now)

TopCatsTopHat · 27/10/2021 16:10

croos post squibblet!

feellikeanalien · 27/10/2021 16:10

@TuftyMarmoset

I’ve been with Good Energy for a few years. I don’t know if they are taking new customers but they have excellent service and actually produce green energy rather than just buying certificates.
Definitely. I've found them reasonably priced with good customer service.
Flev · 27/10/2021 16:12

We're with Scottish Power and have been really happy with them, but due to past horrific experiences wouldn't touch British Gas with a barge pole! Basically it sounds like they're all awful...

AndSoFinally · 27/10/2021 16:15

Bulb haven't gone bust and I've found them to be excellent! I use the MSE swapper and bulb always come out cheapest for us, by quite a long way. I really like their app aswell.

Motnight · 27/10/2021 16:16

Not British Gas. Was kept on hold for 50 minutes to their customer services, who were then absolutely rubbish.

AudTheDeepMinded · 27/10/2021 16:16

Just beware that reviews for UW have been much worse recently, and the broadband is supposed to be very bad (you encouraged to bundle all your bills together for the greatest savings). I would take some time to read reviews, currently only 3.8 out of 5 on Trust Pilot.

SusieBob · 27/10/2021 16:19

@Gubanc

"Bulb went bust ages ago."

No they didn't. Why post something which is just completely untrue?

Echofallen · 27/10/2021 16:22

I'm with Bulb and they've just put my dd up by 60 quid, account was in debit previously though. Never had any issues with them and like to avoid the big companies.

noworklifebalance · 27/10/2021 16:25

@Creamcrackersandricecakes

Octopus aren't all that - they've just hiked my DD from £105 to £189, despite the fact we are £300 in credit and have a smart meter which shows we never go above £4 a day, (usually £2.80 - £3.50'ish). When I emailed to object I was basically told tough shit. So don't feel like you're missing out!
Has she tried logging online and changing it that way?

Bulb (who haven’t gone bust) kept putting up our prices and I eventually logged onto find we were >£1000 in credit so promptly reduced our monthly payments from £300 to £90/month online.
I think all energy companies do this but may be wrong.

SirensofTitan · 27/10/2021 16:26

[quote BoneWithTheWind]**@EatYourVegetables - wow, that sounds very reasonable! I'll have to check them out as well, thank you :-)

@thenightsky - Thanks, yeah I have seen some awful reviews![/quote]
@EatYourVegetables hasnt said what their rate is, howdy you know it's veryreasonable Confused

Would I be right to think you don't really know how energy costs work? The best and really the only sensible thing to do at the moment is to be on the capped standard variable rate

There's is acres of coverage about the current energy situation, start with Money Saving Expert and really learn about it

I agree with @TotallySuper why is being able to ring the supplier a big consideration. I have never had to ring my supplier, what sort of conversations are you having?

Chelyanne · 27/10/2021 16:28

I dealt with loads of them when working for a rental company. British gas had the best customer service imo so we've stuck with them for many years. Unlikely to go bust too.

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