Mumsnet users discuss their energy supplier

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We’re very aware that energy bills are not the most exciting topic to discuss and that sorting them can be a pain, but they are a fact of life and we’d like to find out how you get on with your energy suppliers. The government has recently passed through some new legislation which will cap the total amount a supplier can charge, but do you think it will make a difference? Some of us are super organised and expert at searching for the best deals and negotiating costs each year whereas others me included overestimate our capacity to be organised enough to sort our energy bill in the least painful way.

We’re really interested in finding out how you get on with your current energy supplier and what you like and dislike about them? Is there something they particularly do that makes your life much easier? Or something you wish they’d start doing? Or even something that frustrates you about them?

Whatever your thoughts are on what makes a good energy supplier and creates a good or bad energy tariff, please share them below for your chance to be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Hated old supplier (sse) but was too lazy to change. Cobalt straw cane when they sent me a letter saying they were putting my tariff up and they “estimated” I’d be paying an extra £280 a year!

Immediately did a price comparison and changed to a new supplier. They’re effiecnet, I’ve been kept up to date with any changes and the handover was completely drama free

I’m with OVO.
They charge triple anyone else.
Their estimated readings are £100s more than the actual readings.
They won’t let me switch suppliers and after I paid £200 to clear my ‘debt’ they took two lots of £200!
They promised I would have it back but I’m still waiting...
Oh and do I want to set up a direct debit to cover my energy costs during the week it takes to switch. Customer service is shocking, prices are ridiculous and they’ve left me and my disabled child £200 short without even an apology.

I am with EDF, they hugely underestimated the monthly cost of our gas and electricity so that when they I gave them a recent meter reading it turned out I owe in excess of £1300!! Was a bit of a shock as I’ve always been owed money with previous suppliers. They also took a while to adjust the direct debit accordingly when I suggested they raise the monthly amount.

My dual fuel bill is now the price of a small mortgage.

Our provider drives us mad. They request a meter reading, we send it, two days later they come out and get one after we have sent it.

The following week they are out again to read it, and then again we get a request to send a reading? This happens a lot.

That coupled with an over the top increase in payments, when we challenged it because we thought it was too much they said no and wouldn't look at it so we had to scrape together for the payments, then to get to summer and then realise we were right and drop it right back down, but still higher than before with hundreds of pounds in reserve ready for winter.. we know that you need to make sure you stay in credit etc and have enough to cover over winter but there really is and it's never been as silly as this.

We can't wait to leave!

We’ve just moved to Bulb. They are a green energy company (electric is from 100% renewable sources, has a minimum of 10% renewable/green sources) and gave us the best deal financially. So far they’ve been great and the call centre actually answers the phones promptly then deals with your request/question/whatever.

Like others I found Bulb very good.
I would like to add I think there should be some kind of discount scheme such as watersure for those who can’t afford high gas and electric prices. Especially for vulnerable people.
We just moved from a house that was neglected by the landlord and that had been empty for a long time previously to us living there (old windows, no insulation etc).
We could just about afford to pay the high bills (one of the reasons we moved was because it was was it a struggle to pay).
If another family move in there or to a similar house they might not be able to pay and would be living in a cold and damp house or cut back on other essentials to pay the costs

I’m with Bulb and think they’re fantastic.

I’m not impressed with my energy supplier. Tried to switch to a better rate, took 2 months and then they said I couldn’t switch. But I could have another different tariff. Just charge a fair and clear amount in the first place!

it is already illegal to rent out properties with EPC rating below E. That's for new tenancies - existing tenancies will become illegal in April 2020 on these places.

not brilliant but it is a start.

I am intrigued how Bulb provide 100% renewable electricity. Presumably they limit the customers they take on until they have invested in more supply?

it is already illegal to rent out properties with EPC rating below E. That's for new tenancies - existing tenancies will become illegal in April 2020 on these places

You are right thats a start
Thanks for the info @specialsubject I didn’t know that

I change providers pretty regularly to try and get the best deal. Universal smart meters would be a game changer - I feel like I'm forever having reminders to read the meter. I'm always a bit paranoid that my bills are wrong so I check, but it feels like they have made them deliberately complicated! Likewise when I move provider I am never convinced the final bill is correct...

Switched to mine a year ago and no problems. They paid the switch cost and have provided me with cheaper energy for gas and electric. Green too.

We moved to bulb about six months ago and I'm really happy with them. So easy to add meter readings and they seem much better than our previous supplier at actually telling us what we're using. My bill is about £100 a month cheaper too. We were with NPower for years before and I had no end of issues with them. So pleased to have switched

The thought of ever having to make contact with utility companies makes me feel like living off grid on an island. Soul destroying and miserable. Our prices are as low as they can be but they always seem to be in a muddle about something and god forbid there should ever be a real problem to sort out. Like insurance and other necessary providers they seem like there is so much waste within their organisation, i.e. too many offices so no one knows anything, high turnovers of staff so again no one knows anything, poor communication in general and a blasé arrogance that they're needed and we can all suck it up.

Bills go up every year, all energy companies are the same. Profit over customers.

Paid British gas by DD expecting this to be approx correct amount based on previous years usage but have had a huge £1200 unexpected bill on top as not set DD at right amount . Paid up and changed provider from Brit Gas to N power. It's not so much the amount but th e whole point of paying by DD is to avoid this sort of large unexpected bill FFS!! So far new provider pretty spot on.

I regularly check my consumption and see if I’m getting a good deal. The cap is a good idea but you still need to check urself to see you don’t pay too much to one provider.

They try to make the tariffs as difficult to compare as possible because they're essentially selling the same thing. My provider was the cheapest I could find at the time, but they're all much of a muchness, as long as you avoid the silly deals.

Used to be with Scot Pow. They were atrocious/terrible/brainless and when we changed to another supplier they wouldn't make up the final bill. Wouldn't refund us the £100+ we were in credit. Had to take them to the ombudsman. Finally resolved over 4 months later. Even during the ombudsman process they would call us and try and offer us a 'deal' to go back to them. What a cheek! If they hadn't increased the prices so much we wouldn't have been leaving them. We tried to get a better deal by phoning them and they didn't want to know as that point. I would never ever go back to them. They are the worst company we have ever been with. They aren't penalised enough to ensure that they give good customer service in the first place.

I have no idea who our energy supplier is, hubby has taken on the job of taking care of this, he changes company every time the deal runs out and goes to the cheapest he can find and does the meter readings. They have all been much of a muchness really.

I am with one of the big 4 so I think they are much of a muchness. However I was very surprised how difficult it was in trying to retrieve my £800 credit back off my supplier once. So that did taint my view on them.
The money was going to be used to pay for our garden shed, and it took about four attempts to try and get it back. It did not arrive in time for the shed, and we had to use our savings to pay for it!.
Having said that,I do like the fixed term deals they have, so i know what kind of bills to expect, and don't panic when I hear on the news that prices are rising!

Not a fan. They're really inflexible and our tariff has gone up a ridiculous amount since we moved in, and the bills aren't easy to understand! We rent our accommodation, though, and it's in our contract that we can't change supplier!

Can’t complain about outfox the market. They’re cheap and switching was easy

I think they all over charge making life a unnecessary struggle .

my husband deals with this side of things and looks on comparison sites for the best deals around...we are very happy with the company and the deal we are on