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

[BoneWithTheWind]

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.

@TomRipley

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!

There's no such thing as a fixed amount of £££ per month tariff

They are etimating your expected usage and applying their rate per unit

That is the figure you need to be looking at, get the lowest one you can then address your usage any company actively telling you that they guarantee your monthly cost isn't telling you the truth

[quote SusieBob]@Gubanc

"Bulb went bust ages ago."

No they didn't. Why post something which is just completely untrue?[/quote]
Apologies, I was wrong, for some reason I was convinced I read about it somewhere.... Serves us right for leaving them for Pure Planet or whatever who in fact have folded in.

Don't fix with any new supplier. The opportunity for fixing has gone and you'll pay a fortune. If your deal has ended then variable rate is your best option just now. I imagine the variable rates of all companies are much of a muchness anyway.

Everyone's bills will be going up, probably quite substantially. when your fixed terms come to an end or if you've been on the variable rate.

Also to PP, Octopus let you change your DD to whatever you want online, so I'm not sure why you needed to email them to object. You just change it on the website, but if you use more then you'll obviously have to make up the difference at some point. Did they increase your DD because you're on the variable rate and the prices of gas and electricity have gone up massively? That's the only reason ours has gone up.

Thank you all for your input. My main takeaway is that for the first time in years (perhaps ever..?) energy companies aren't desperate for customers anymore... This is really depressing me.

Regarding why I need to be having phone conversations, well, aside from being a bit old-fashioned I guess, we had an issue with reading our smart meter lately and wanted to go through the reading with a human being on the phone, someone who knows what we should be looking at. Which proved borderline impossible to arrange. It just annoys me that you can't simply pick up the phone and talk to someone who is polite and helpful.

Anyway, @SirensofTitan - indeed I haven't got much of a clue, thanks for your advice. My brain reels against educating myself on such boring things but I guess time to be a grown up and get a grip. Similarly, thanks @LittleOwl153 - I don't understand this fully but appreciate the lowdown.

Hope everyone is having a lovely evening xx

@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!

You can amend your payment yourself using the app. I reduced mine a couple of weeks ago

Octopus are still showing the refer a friend code on the website/app; where both people get £50 credit to their account.

We’ve been with EDF on a fixed rate tariff for a few years which we have ported over to our new house. Our new house was supplied by Octopus when we moved in who are charging £72 more per month according to the paperwork they sent us so I’m glad we stuck with EDF. Always had good customer service from them too.

@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!

oh strange...i adjust mine all the time...80 a month in summer to 135 a month for winter....no issues at all with them.

Also found BG awful....my aunt had a new meter and they put wrong digits on reading...took over a year and threats to sue them to sort it out and refund....then they finally did and sent chocs and a hamper....but we did email each day and ring for one year...!!

Best not to switch at the moment. Any fixed priced deals will be higher than the energy cap which can’t be increased until April.

@AnathemaPulsifer

Best not to switch at the moment. Any fixed priced deals will be higher than the energy cap which can’t be increased until April.

Definitely this.

I was also going to suggest Rainbow Energy for when you are ready

@SusieBob

If you want decent customer service definately stay away from Bulb.

I agree. They were great until about 12 months ago. Now they are crap.

I hope not as we're still with Bulb and still getting bills etc from them

That was supposed to be quote PP who said they'd gone bust... Fat fingers today clearly

I work for one of the big 6 energy companies. There's a internal debate about saying to people please don't switch it us. It will cost the earth and frankly we won't be making money we will be operating at a loss for each customer we take on rn and that's a bit mental.

Bulbs gone under and so have the smaller companies.

The market's literally on fire.

Bulb hasn't gone under though.

@dementedpixie it's in talks with ofgem to see who will take over the customer base. That's assigned by ofgem btw the other suppliers don't have a choice. Whoever the supplier is they will have to adear to prices set by bulb for a certain period.

I can assure you it's going to be public knowledge fairly soon. I would know I have been on the calls as we don't want the customers base either it's leaking money.

Crikey, i swapped in the spring and swithered between Bulb and Octopus. So glad ii wet with Octopus (who haven't out up my monthly bill yet, which is sensible as we are in credit).

M&S use Octopus for their gas and electricity. Might be worth seeing if they are taking on new customers?

[quote candlelightsatdawn]@dementedpixie it's in talks with ofgem to see who will take over the customer base. That's assigned by ofgem btw the other suppliers don't have a choice. Whoever the supplier is they will have to adear to prices set by bulb for a certain period.

I can assure you it's going to be public knowledge fairly soon. I would know I have been on the calls as we don't want the customers base either it's leaking money. [/quote]
Is that not confidential information? Should you be sharing it?

@DotBall

Shame, I was just about to recommend Octopus.

Me too!

They're easily the best company I've ever been with. They even answer the phone quickly.

@SirensofTitan it's already in the public domain 🤷🏼‍♀️

Bulb went bust ages ago.

Not that I'm aware of, still a customer of them. Aren't they one of the big 6? Unlikely to go bust in comparison to many.

Never found them to be bad either. They will tell you to raise your amount constantly like others do, but just keep up to date on what you spend and you'll have no issue.

Isn't the current advice to stay with whatever company you are with anyway, as there's no better rates? That could be old news though.

I can't find anything in the news past 19th October about Bulb so no its not common knowledge about what is happening with them.

There were rumours that Octopus would take them over but couldn't find anything to confirm it. Bulb maybe has too many customers for smaller energy companies to take on

www.google.com/amp/s/www.nationalworld.com/lifestyle/money/which-energy-companies-have-gone-bust-firms-collapsed-or-at-risk-amid-2021-gas-price-rise-bulb-goto-3389971%3famp This was the most recent info I could find