Quizzes & Puzzles10 mins ago
British Gas - should I switch?
Ok, what's the deal with British Gas then? Obviously they are putting their prices up (I am with them for gas and electric) so should I switch? Or is it true that all other companies will have to put their prices up as well so is it worth it? Also, does anyone think this freeze prices deal from 1st March is worthwhile and is it available to existing customers?
Thanks
Answers
No best answer has yet been selected by 1977Nicky. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.He says if you have never changed from British Gas - do so, and you should save a lot of money.
Otherwise wait a month or two until the market has settled down. Have a look at his site - you will find comparison sites there to show how much you will save by switching.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/index.phtml
Two months ago, we switched to PowerGen, got a good deal, capped for six months. However, if you've seen the news, theirs is going to be almost on par with BG, so after the six months, we are expecting a big increase.
But the main selling point for us, is that we have a handicapped daughter, and in the event of a power cut, they'll bring a generator round, so she is not inconvenienced, if you know anyone who might suffer in a powercut, then that alone is worth looking at.
Agree with the earlier comments about Martin Lewis and his excellent website.
There is a subtle difference about the way the electricity supply industry works and the telecomms and car insurance services which makes the comparison less relevant. About 10 years ago, the Government separated the electricity (and gas) SUPPLY companies from the DISTRIBUTION companies. The distribution company runs the wires and pipes to your home, the supply companies stuff the energy into the front-end of the wire or pipe. Crude analogy, I know, but bear with me. If the wires fail, it is the job of your local electricity company to sort it - so SSE, the old Southern Electricity in S England, irrespective of who your supplier is. So the only thing to get right from the customer services angle with the supplier is the billing. And since we all have a meter just outside the front door, it isn't beyond the wit of most men (or women) to keep track of what going on there and decline to pay if it gets messed up until it is sorted. Yes - I know there are occasional horror stories on this front over billing.
Regarding the switching over of supplier, it really is that easy. Your meter has a unique code associated with it called an MPAN. The MPAN gets registered with one supplier only. When you switch over, you move the MPAN registration.
One last word of advice. If you are going to switch, either do it now, or hold back for two months. This current fuss about prices will encourage many more people to switch over and the sustem that manages the switchover process will, in my humble opinion, get overloaded. A bit like anything else where the demand suddenly peaks, and the companies will not be able to cope. More stories will then appear in the press about the pathetic response by electricity supply companies.