Have any of you changed your gas and electricity supplier and if so have you had any problems? I've just looked at the u-switch website and I could be saving £180 a year. Its just that when my kids were at uni they had all sorts of problems with their suppliers and one of them had to wait about 12 months for a bill. I was just looking to fix the price with my supplier but I'm not sure what to do now.

Hi
I have only changed once when i bought my current house ( 2 1/2yrs ago). I had to have the exsisting supplier to start with, i put in a transfer straight away as i didnt want them, but it took a month for them to transfer me. Didnt have any problems, totally painless and hassle free.
I only have electric, no gas mains near me. so maybe that makes it easier i dont know.
I wont be swapping anytime soon, as nobody out there can seem to supply me any cheaper no matter how many price hikes there are.

I was offered price fixing but you have to pay for that service and for me I dont think it would save anything unless there are going to be seriously significant price rises between now and when it runs out.

I'm just in the process of changing now, from British Gas to Powergen. 
British Gas wanted to offer me a 4% reduction and fixed price on the 14% increase that they had just put on, AND charge me for the priviledge.  They were also going to charge a penalty if you decide to change within the fixed price term.  I decided that they were extracting the urine!;) 
Powergen admin have been very efficient so far but early days yet.  British Gas are spending a fortune, with literature and phone calls, desperately trying to get me to stay.  I even had a man on the phone trying to bully me to stay.  It would have intimidated an old person!  I don't think that I'm the only one moving.

Val
I would report BG to energy watch. They are not allowed to hassle you if you choose to change company.

Thanks.  I didn't know that.  Will do. 

I changed from scottish gas to powergen a while ago. The online billing with powergen is useless and the service not nearly as good. I liked the scottish gas website. According to uswitch I would be saving around £180 a year by switching. I can't work out why I spent £65 a month on gas and elec with sg and now my monthly dd with powergen is £88 though!

I'm all electric and I changed from Scottish Power to NPower - I believe they do gas as well and you get a discount if you take both.  You also get a discount for paying by direct debit.  I'm not sure I'm really saving that much as I pay a fixed amount every month but the very best thing is that if you need to talk to NPower about anything you can phone them and a real person answers the phone straight away and actually helps.  That's worth it :)

CG

We've just changed FROM BG, apparently ALL gas prices are going down from 2006, if you sign up for the price freeze with BG then you are stuck with it at the higher prices until 2010, if you want to opt out you have to pay £45 each both gas and electricity!

We've changed to NPower too, they give you a £50 cheque at the end of each 12 months as a reward for being a customer, plus their prices are cheaper!

£50 cheque :o
is that for everyone. as i have been with them for the past 2 1/2 years since just after i moved into this house and i have never got a cheque from them :(
Lea :)

I think this is to new customers only

hi ange,

i work for npower, so i know of the problems that can happen. If you do one thing when you decide to change, make sure you keep hold of the reading you give your new supplier. I changed a few years ago (before i started at npower), and we had a nightmare. Don't be surprised if the exchange of readings between suppliers goes on for weeks...months.....

to be honest though, most changeover's go really smoothly.

nicola

lea-if you're still waiting, i can have a look for you if you fancy!

I think mine just comes as a discount on the electric by the looks of the site, but I have never seen it shown on any bills.
Will have a look at all my bills and get back to you :)
Lea :)

Panic over, it is on my electric bill in July :D :D :D :D :D
thanks
Lea :)

Hi Nicola
Thanks for your reply I was wondering if N power,is a british company now.

npower's owned by RWE which are german company.

I've just applied to transfer from Powergen to NPower - apparently this will save me almost £200 per year.
Just hope the changeover isn't too traumatic :)

Be very careful my friends most of the fixed offers are CON TRICKS trust me.

Let me explain companies like PowerGen and NPower don't repeat DO NOT offer fixed rates for so many yrs hence, what happens is that they employ AGENTS to try to get you to sign up. Yes they appear to have the proper credentials etc with the power company headed paper, but I cannot stress enough that all they are after is to get you to sign up for a fixed rate for a certain length of time for other reasons, ie gas -telephone changeovers etc
They then get commission one everyone who signs on the dotted line.

How do I know? because I got conned by exactly this trick. I have a business address and have a home on the same site and domestic electric supply which the power company know about. Your name is then supposedly forewarded to the power company who should give a discount, BUT THEY DON'T.

You then start getting pestered by the agent company to purchase other products or supplies and once these agents have your name and address they don't let go. I actually lodged a formal complaint with the power company I am with, and it wasn't until court action for hassessment was mentioned that they sat up any took notice,after so many calls to the power company I lost count ,and denying they had agents, then admitted it, but denied that the agent who pestered me was actually acting for them. Yes he had the Power Company headed forms.

BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING CONTACT THE POWER COMPANY AND FIND OUT IF THE PERSON MAKING A PHONE CALL FOR A VISIT ACTUALLY WORKS FOR THE POWER COMPANY.   "THEY DON'T" THEY ARE INDEPENDENT AGENTS CLAIMING TO BE THE POWER COMPANY.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Bazza

Presumably this isn't the case if you apply on-line, voluntarily ?