Switching electric/gas providers (see first post for links)

Mervyn Skidmore

I'm with Bord Gais for both gas and electricity. Just checked on bonkers and it's telling me it would end up costing me money if I were to change? Is that possible? I thought bord gais are now the most expensive?

eeepaulo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119006961#Comment_119006961

the new customer offers are not the most competitive at the moment, so if you are out of contract i think you have the figures wrong (but maybe not)

Donnie2020

So eeepaulo...............then those figures I'm seeing on bonkers are good to go

And that any increases are based on inflation/general price increase like anything else???

Bascially if all things remain the same the prices I agree to now are the prices I pay through the contract????

I have no problem with price increase per se, I understand that, but I do if they are just increasing the prices to make up for the deal given at the start

eeepaulo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119006998#Comment_119006998

I have no clue when they will rise the price, neither does anyone else, but i feel confident they will, i dont think we have seen the end of the rises yet, its not going to be inflation, we've had a year and a half of multiple 10-20% rises.

I'll tell you what im sure of, if you dont sign up for a discounted contract you will be paying hundreds more euro than you have to, plus when they rise the price, you'll be paying more again.

Donnie2020

So what you are saying is go for the cheapest deal available now and worst that can happen is that i will be back to what i was paying at the height of my contract which is basically right now

eeepaulo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119007061#Comment_119007061

but at the point you are back to paying what you were paying at the height of your contract (can you have a height of your contract) you would be paying far more at the new height of your contract

Donnie2020

yeah

So any increases on the new contract would be far easier to deal with than an increase on the existing contract would be.

New contract starting off from a lower base and all that.

Like I said price increase are part and parcel of everything, just once the increases aren't based on these guys chasing their tails because of the cheaper deal

Donnie2020

If them prices are anything to go on, it will take a few price increases before i get back to what im currently paying and by then it will be time to move again????

Thats what im trying to read of it anyway

eeepaulo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119007085#Comment_119007085

they wont be chasing, the base rate for the contract is the standard unit rate, thats what everyone gets, then you get a fixed discount on that rate, say 40% as a new customer, that just means you get 40% off what you would get when you are out of contract. (although they usually give you 5-20% discount when you are out of contract) That standard unit rate is what they rise, so it rises for everyone.

Cape Clear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119006218#Comment_119006218

Dealing with them for a commercial premises with multiple metres and couldn't recommend them on a billing communication point of view. It's taken 6 months to extract a credit on one metres which they were incorrectly charging. It may be different with just one metre but they need watching and the back and forth will take time.

On price increases I'd expect another 30 to 35% increase between now and next March. EI and BG may be better placed to insulate their customers against these costs than some of the smaller suppliers.

Donnie2020

So I'd be well covered by the cashback and the 40% discount to withstand the increases through the course of the contract

Total estimated annual bill (inc VAT)€540.10 current<<<

€251.55<<<<new crowd Flogas

Save €288.55 in year 1

They are the figures for me anyway. 220 euro cashback included

eeepaulo

based on the info you've given, absolutely. if you are using 587 units a year (i thought you meant from jan 1st till now)

Donnie2020

No, thats 587 for this year, from Jan 1st

Last year was 192, but I wouldn't have been home that much during that period so I didn't care who I was with then

Donnie2020

Estimated annual bill

€251.55

Estimated annual savings

€288.55 

Payment method

Direct Debit

Electricity charges

Discount

40% discount

Unit rates

20.48 cent ex VAT

23.24 cent inc VAT

Annual standing charge

€188.19 ex VAT

€213.60 inc VAT

Some more figures from the flogas deal

eeepaulo

so about 1800 kwh a year, assuming continued usage, not sure how its going to end up at 251 euro, unless 587 is your yearly usage

sully123

I went with energia in the end. Even tho flogas worked out marginally cheaper due to cash back and low standing order. FG unit rate was very high.

eeepaulo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119007389#Comment_119007389

You are using the unit rate that is about to expire with the new standing charge

Donnie2020

Don't know. It's currently 90 quid every 2 months

That's been factored in and price increase into it as well

eeepaulo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119007473#Comment_119007473

well good luck with that, my fridge freezer uses more electricity than you did last year so lucky it doesn't matter how incompetent you are you will neither lose nor save that much

Donnie2020

Ah here. These guys have probably taken a recent high reading from my meter like around Christmas time and then used the same high reading for the billing periods thereafter

I have them here

first 2 months 95 kw

next 2 months 95

next 2 months its changes then which is around xmas. 298 kw and similar figures thereafter. There's no way I go 3 fold every months. Im just not around to do it

Donnie2020

I can only attribute my excessive use early on for using the immersion.

Yeah we're all bolloxed if our fridges and stuff are using

I'm using solar panelled heated water and that's on constant. Does that use much electricity???

Sonya4u

Energia and Flo Gas are coming in much the same rate for me, just wondering if Energia Rewards are any good? That might sway my decision a little!

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010412#Comment_119010412

not really IMO but here's the current list of offers:

bromley52

Energia have rewards! They never told me about that .

Mervyn Skidmore

Anyone successfully get a switchers discount while staying with same provider? (Might not be the correct terminology!) I'm with Bord Gais and they have offered me a new contract with 25% discount on both gas and electricity. I'm just checking their website and they have a much better contract for new customers with a 40% discount and better unit rates.

Cape Clear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087514#Comment_119087514

Never got offered as good a deal as a new customer so moved on. Got an extra €50 discount from Airtricity my new provider when I threatened to cancel the switch.

DeadSkin

Just an FYI for some folks, back in March I went to switch my electric provider, was with Energia and turned out they were still the best option for me so I just renewed my plan (41% discount).

When I got my recent bill, I got a fright, it was 350 Euro, I knew the government 200 Euro was already credited to my account so it was originally for 550 - couldn't believe it! I contacted them and they said they "forgot" to include the 41% discount for my new contract.

Just a reminder to check the actual breakdown in your bills when you get them.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087514#Comment_119087514

not much help to you but Energia were offering the same discounts and cashback to existing customers renewing their contract as to new customers this year (if you renewed via Bonkers).

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119088389#Comment_119088389

Yeah that happened me before with Energia about three years back, after signing up they charged me full rate for the unit prices rather than giving the 41% discount. I didnt cop it till the third bill but once pointed out they gave my account credit and an extra 30 euro by way of apology. But an easy enough thing to miss if you dont check the breakdown of your bills. I keep all my unit prices and standing charge on a note on my phone and do a rough tot up of the bill when I read the meter, it means I know what bill to expect and will know immediately if there is a mistake.

On Energia rewards theres not much there for me but they did give away cinema tickets last week. You had to be quick though as there was only 160 pairs so they were gone about three hours after the email was sent when I tried to get them without success.

the 12 th man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119089005#Comment_119089005

Didn't know about that,Energia just let me switch with no effort made by them whatsoever to keep me as a customer.