Best Auto-Switching Energy Companies (Reduce Energy Bills)

Tenant Energy Supplier Switch

Seriously, how long are we going to continue getting bled dry by this whole energy bill crisis? This madness has been going on for long enough, it’s fucking ridiculous. And apparently it’s only going to get worse.

I cannot believe the way we’re being extorted is legal. The whole situation blows my puny mind.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a nifty solution to reduce your rates so they become even remotely sensible. Nope, I suspect we’ll all be begrudging paying our energy bills for the foreseeable future. However, even though it’s very likely we’re going to get bent over and robbed blind one way or another – regardless of which supplier we use – I’d still like to get the best rates possible, wouldn’t you?

Cue: Auto-Switching Energy Companies!

Yup, admittedly, I’m late to the energy “automatic switching” party – they’ve been around for a while now. But the party’s not over – there’s still good time to make hefty savings on our energy bills year after year, whether you’re a homeowner, tenant or [HMO] landlord! So let’s dance.

Saving an average of £400 per year is a sweet and regular occurrence for those that routinely switch their Gas & Electricity supplier.

Only, most of us don’t make the switch, we stick with the same-old and swallow the uncompetitive rates.

*slaps forehead*

Loyalty discounts for staying with the same energy supplier does not exist!

The energy crisis situation is so unhinged, that we’re in a reality where our faith will be woefully misplaced if we believe our energy supplier will automatically reward us with loyalty rates. Instead, wisdom should prepare us for punishing price hikes. Just for being faithful. Bat-shit ridiculous when you think about it, really.

At the end of our fixed terms, there’s often better rates available with other suppliers. But the problem is, it’s time-consuming, and often confusing, to find a better deal and make the switch.

Well, not anymore.

The resistance has developed and provided consumers with a swanky new and simple solution to beating the system, helping us automatically save both time and money on our energy bills!

And, it’s becoming insanely popular. For all the right reasons!

“Auto-switching” services (not to be confused with basic comparison or switch services), which has made it possible for even the most hideously inactive waste-of-space to be automatically switched onto the best energy rates every time the fixed-term contract expires. Hunting no longer required.

If you’re not already on the ‘energy auto-switch’ hype, let’s take a walk through the newest way of managing our utility tariffs…

What Energy Comparison & Auto-Switching Services are and how they work…

An Energy Switching Service will search the market to find the best energy deal for your HMO, BTL and your own home, so you benefit from the best available tariff, and they’ll manage the entire switch for you.

“Auto-switching” is an additional feature (which many standard “switch” services DON’T provide), which enables them to automatically re-switch you onto the best tariff after your fixed term ends, ensuring that you are always on the cheapest deal.

All you need to do is sign-up once to an auto switch service, and that’s it. They take care of the rest. Over and over again.

Having looked into the logistics, it seems like a no-brainer service that everyone [that is responsible for paying energy bills] should be taking advantage of, unless I’m tragically missing the bear trap (which I’m sure someone will aggressively point out if that’s the case). Generally, here’s how it works:

  1. Sign up to an energy comparison/auto-switch website ONCE.
  2. Enter the details of your property and current tariff(s).
  3. Allow their algorithm to search the market for better deals than your current one.
  4. Once a better deal is found, you can review and confirm the switch.
  5. Once the deal ends they’ll re-switch you onto the best tariff for your given energy usage – you don’t need to do anything. If it’s with a new supplier, your details will automatically get passed onto them, so you won’t need to supply your personal information again.

    Depending on which auto-switch service you use, they will either automatically switch you onto a better tariff, or they will notify you by email before switching. In either case, you will typically have a 14 day cooling-off period to cancel any switches.

That’s the jist of it, anyways.

The Best Rated Energy Comparison & Auto-Switching Services

I’ve discovered a few of the most popular (according to Google’ Search Results) and highest rated energy switching services, and I’ve listed them below:

Compare The Best Auto-Switch Energy Services
ServiceRatingFeaturesCostAvg Saving
Rating

4.0

TrustPilot Reviews
Features

How 'Switchd' works

Switch Process & Frequency
  • Switchd keep checking to see if they can find you a better deal. In general, you'll get switched every 6-9 months.
  • They will automatically switch you to the best deal, but they will let you know that this is going ahead. You'll then have 14 days to notify them if you are not happy with the switch for any reason and they'll put a stop to it.
Market Coverage
  • Switchd compare every supplier in the market.
*Average Savings
  • £400 is the average real savings made by UK resident Switchd members.
**Free or Paid Plan explained
  • Choose between a free or a paid plan (£2.49 - £6.49 per month). Energy switching with their paid plan will save you more on average (and you'll only pay if they can save you more than £50.00).
  • Exclusive discount code PIPLANDLORD to get 6 months half price on any of their paid plans.
Cost
**Free
Average Saving
*£400
Visit Website

**Discount Code: PIPLANDLORD

Rating

4.8

TrustPilot Reviews
Features

How 'MoneySuperMarket Energy' works

Switch Process & Frequency
  • MoneySuperMarket Energy scours the energy market every month to search for savings for you.
  • When a better deal is found for you, you will be notified by email, and then you can decide whether to switch or not.
Market Coverage
  • MoneySuperMarket works with over 50 energy suppliers including all of the big brands.
*Average Savings
  • Unlike the other companies listed, MoneySuperMarket Energy don't seem to disclose what their customers save on average by using thier switch service.
Cost
Free
Average Saving
*N/A
Visit Website
Rating

2.8

TrustPilot Reviews
Features

How 'Switchcraft' works

Switch Process & Frequency
  • Switchcraft will normally switch you once a year. But if your supplier puts their prices up by more than 10%, they'll switch you again.
  • They will email you before switching - and you can always say NO
Market Coverage
  • All suppliers that pay Switchcraft a commission for referrals.
*Average Savings
  • £268 is the average savings made by Switchcraft customers.
Cost
Free
Average Saving
*£268
Visit Website

I recommend looking at the FAQ section of each switch service to determine how they manage switches, some of them slightly differ from one another. For example, some companies check for better deals once a year, while others will do it more regularly.

Traditional ‘Comparison’ Websites Vs ‘Comparison & Auto-Switching’ Services

I think many people – like my fossilised parents, who still deem it acceptable to pay poor and unsuspecting schmucks with cheques – avoid dethroning energy suppliers because of the perceived hassle of it all.

Once upon a time, my beloved dinosaurs’ may have had a point. For reasons already covered, traditional comparison websites aren’t all that efficient anymore. Even my dusty parents know it.

I’ve historically unearthed better deals by stampeding through traditional comparison websites (e.g. MoneySuperMarket.com. Confused.com etc) and tasking their algorithms to match me with better partners, every few years.

Case in point, the old way was an fallible solution to mere mortals that, quite frankly, can’t be fucked to do it every year. Even if it only takes 10 minutes.

Shamefully, I’ve allowed too much time to pass since my last switch, and I wasn’t aware of auto-switching back then. I’m not even sure if they existed, so my only option was to gather a quote from a comparison website and then contact the energy supplier directly to tie a deal together.

I feel exasperated just thinking about the old way.

I’m currently tied into my demoralising contract with British Gas for another 4 months *mumbles* After they’ve finished draining me senseless, I’ll almost certainly partake in the good old switcheroo. And I’ll keep it automated this time.

Apparently, according to my early tests, Switchd.co.uk can save me a handsome £340 per year by switching to a new tariff (unless British Gas gets on their knobbly knees and coughs up a sweeter deal! I won’t be holding my precious breath).

I want to switch energy suppliers, but what about exit/cancellation fees and penalties?

To summarise:

  • Energy supplier exit fees (cancellation or leaving fees) are applied to fixed-term energy tariffs with a fixed price and contract end date. If a customer wants to switch energy and leave your provider before the end of the contract, an exit fee could apply.
  • Nearly two-thirds of all energy tariffs don’t have exit fees,
  • The highest energy exit fee in the UK is £100 per fuel by Engie – that’s £200 for both gas and electricity.
  • If you’re on a fixed-rate tariff (a fixed monthly fee and an end date) check your contract for details or information about exit fees.
  • Those on variable tariffs won’t have to pay an exit fee

Everyone Should Benefit from the Best Energy Deals

  • If you’re not currently using an energy switching service to keep your own residential energy bills in check, maybe you should be.
  • Obviously this is first and foremost a landlord blog, so most of you reading this all be a landlord.

    So if you’re a landlord that is responsible for utility bills (common for HMO landlords and the loony single-let landlords that enjoy the headaches of including utility bills with the rent), then using an energy switching service could be a decent means of maximising profits.

  • If you’re not responsible for the utility bills of your BTL(s), then you could just mention the switch service to your tenant if the opportunity ever arises. I mean, why not? Renting is already expensive enough. Maybe your tenant(s) will stay longer than anticipated if their living costs reduce, which of course, is better business for you (unless you have garbage tenants that you’re trying to dispose of).

Isn’t Switching Energy Suppliers a pain in the ass, though?

Yeah, so the thing is, I’ve exercised much more discipline with annually searching and renewing other subscription based services, such as home, BTL and car insurance policies. They just seem significantly easier to manage.

With switching energy suppliers, I’ve been partially paralysed by the figment of my wild and vivid imagination; I’ve previously runaway with mental scenes haunted by tonnes of earth being excavated, and gas pipes and electrical cables being relayed and rerouted in order to make the switch happen. My mind overreacts, for sure, but that’s the kind of irrational non-sense my beautiful mind has to conquer, and the reason for why I probably don’t change my energy supplier as much I should.

Coincidentally, moments before publishing this blog post, this tragic tale appeared on my Twitter feed…

Victoria Whitlock: Energy problems

No, Victoria didn’t get swindled by an energy auto-switching service. Just a sweet lady selling Octopus Energy packages and fine tupperware.

I’d personally side-step door sales people selling energy solutions. Or anything else.

Shout out to Victoria Whitlock (“The Evening Standard’s Accidental Landlord”) for being such a brave victim. You can catch her on Twitter. I’m sure she’ll appreciate our prayers during these dark times (drum roll, please!).

In any case, you can never please everyone all the time. Some times the transition will be smooth, others as rough as the acne on your Nan’s ass. Perhaps naively, I’m inclined to believe “professional” auto-switch services manage the complications and have fine-tuned the migration to deliver minimum disruption, otherwise they wouldn’t really have a business. Errr… right? Right. Plus, I think the trade-off for any potential mishaps will be worth it, and I’m counting on the good times to outweigh the bad.

It is reassuring that there have been a lot of positive reviews for the switch services I listed.

Will you ALWAYS get the BEST energy deal available?

Ha, don’t be a dumb-ass! Of course you won’t. Most likely!

But that’s not the point.

You might get your grubby little mitts on a better rate each and every year if you manually query each energy supplier’s website and every available comparison website on the internet. But the problem is, most people aren’t doing that each and every year, they’re sitting bone-idle, which is precisely “auto-switch” services were able to fill the gap.

I think it’s fair to say that if you use an automated energy switching service you’re much more likely to continuously benefit from better rates than if you were to blindly continue with your current tariff like many of us are, even though we’re aware of comparison websites. And that’s the point.

I think it’s a practical service that many will save money from leveraging. Worse case scenario, I get shown better rates and decide not to switch because the new figures don’t wet my appetite enough.

What’s your deal?

I’m sure many of you will already be on the energy switching hype train, so you’ll be forgiven for looking down at me in utter disgust for arriving to the dance so unfashionably late. But if you’re also late, hopefully this has been a useful camp.

If you do happen to give one of the switching services a spin, whether it be any of the one’s I listed or otherwise, please share your outcome.

Peace xoxo

41 Join the Conversation...

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Smithy 9th October, 2019 @ 10:15

I haven't delved too deeply into their websites but can't see detail at a glance.

Do you know whether they only work for people who pay by monthly direct debit? All my tenants are on pre-pay.

What about smart meters? I have read that all the power companies have different smart meters which are not compatible with other suppliers - which makes switching tricky. (They didn't think that through when the legislation was introduced encouraging suppliers to put customers on smart meters.)

Having said that - it sounds a brilliant idea!

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 10:20

@Smithy,
I just did a quick Google search, "auto-switch prepaid meters"

The first result was an article by Look After My Bills: https://lookaftermybills.com/blog/prepayment-meter-disadvantages-advantages/

Can I switch suppliers with a prepayment meter?

Absolutely!

Consumers in vulnerable circumstances are likely to be paying more for their energy than is necessary.

Even if you owe up to £500 of debt, you can still switch to a new supplier with a prepayment meter. When you switch you’ll owe your debt to your new supplier.

So who should you switch to if you have a prepayment meter?

Look After My Bills can help you find the best deal!

In short, seems so!

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The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 10:22

@Smithy

Same for Smart Meters: https://lookaftermybills.com/blog/advantages-disadvantages-of-smart-meters/

Can I switch with Look After My Bills if I have a smart meter?

You certainly can!

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AAA 9th October, 2019 @ 10:31

Autoswitching sounds grand, but you still have to read the darn meter and submit readings.

And in response to Smithy, Smart meters are smart until you switch suppliers and then they go to dumb mode and you have to start reading them all over again. The joined up thinking was lacking when the dumbasses came up with smart meters. But it should not stop any switching.

Except in my last three switches it has taken the idiotic energy companies months and months to agree on initial and final readings. They spout drivel about "industry standards" "flows" and such bullsh*t jargon even though both the old company and the new company know that you the customer have submitted the exact same meter readings to both. But apparently it needs "verification" and "standardising" and until the "flow" agrees they will continue to bill you based on (always) inflated meter readings.

Smithy you should also be able to switch on all payment methods.

But yeah switching is a great idea otherwise.

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AAA 9th October, 2019 @ 10:35

"Even if you owe up to £500 of debt, you can still switch to a new supplier with a prepayment meter. When you switch you’ll owe your debt to your new supplier."

They may say that, but if you owe money to the energy supplier, they can block the switch. One of my old suppliers attempted that even when we didn't owe them any money. The swines.

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The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 10:37

@AAA,

Yeah, reading the meter is unavoidable, I think. Perhaps that solution should be in the next phase!

My assumption is the auto-switch services manage all the admin, so they'll deal with the final readings and any potential disputes between suppliers etc. The whole idea is that they manage the migration, otherwise they'd be pointless.

How did you arrange your previous switches? Was it a manual job?

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The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 10:39

@AAA
Ha, yeah, I'd block the switch, too, to be fair.

Any reasonable person will clear debt before switching, generally.

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Womble 9th October, 2019 @ 11:15

I've had reservations about energy switching sites for one simple reason - I find their recommendations are made up. If I switch on price I find that if I actually work out the costs I'm not getting the "benefits" they claim, for this year in fact my switch was to get the lowest increase.

So why am I calculating the costs manually - we needed to track energy use one year to determine some odd billing, and since I have to read the meter, it's not so difficult and allows me to compare on what you get billed as opposed to the "estimates" that the comparison sites come up with. Even with precise kwh figures, I was seeing "inflation" meaning that even for a year already past, they assumed I'd paid over £500 more than needed.

So bottom line - yes, check the suppliers - you can save, but check what you will get billed, don't just take their figures. Also for a saving of >£20, you probably aren't getting the benefit against the risk but that's down to your circumstances (I got a couple of results that were £10/£5 "better" one year, but the firms concerned had a poor rep/reviews so didn't bother).

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The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 11:29

@Womble
That's interesting.

But when you have a fixed-rate deal like I do at the moment (i.e. fixed rate per kilowatt hour), how can the price be inflated? I'm guessing the savings are much more accurate in those circumstances.

Yeah, I agreed, you definitely need to consider saving Vs risk/hassle!

In any case, I def think it's worth checking the projected rates/savings.

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Paul 9th October, 2019 @ 11:35

@Landlord

You have touched on a subject that is dear to my heart, I am not sure I agree with you about these companies though.

I have been playing the switch game for years and one thing has become clear, the BEST deals are not listed on the Price Comparison websites, except if like uSwitch they have an option that allows you to see rates that are NOT available through the site, but even that does not list all.

The MSE forum is a good place to engage to find the best deal if you are not seeing a deal cheap enough.

Many people settle for the best they see on the Price Comparison sites but compare the rates below that I got for a vulnerable tenant I help out with this.

Igloo Green.Energy
Electric 0.1301 0.1234
Elect Standing 0.2083 0.15
Gas 0.029 0.03093
Gas Standing 0.245 0.1

Note the low standing charges, some companies charge 0.38p a day PER fuel, that is £277.40 before you have used a single unit.

I did a spreadsheet for my vulnerable tenant and these were the result, the first three were their current supplier from when they started to where they are now.

Total £348.93 £430.71 £544.21 £571.66 £479.24 £522.17 £522.17 £668.14 £636.34 £477.47 £397.31

The last two are Igloo and Green.energy (note the dot)as I said he has very low usage, on the average UK usage of

Elec 3650
Gas 12000

The savings would be even greater, the worst (Robin Hood) is first, the last two are Igloo and green.energy

£1,311.02 £988.32 £912.82

Note, none of these require a contract, lock you in or have an exit fee, I have always found that the energy companies "price in" their anticipated rises and as some of them make money gambling in the wholesale market they can force the price where they want it.

The other reason I would never use an auto switching company is because of the whole smart meter debacle. £13bn of our money is being wasted on this useless project.

Many so called "deals" insist you have a smart meter installed, most people put the In Home Display in a draw after a week or two. The so called Smart Meters have all sorts of problems, the biggest problem is that the companies are STILL installing old tech SMET1 meters, these go back to being dumb if you change supplier to one that uses different tech, even companies with same ones go tits up more often than not.

Some are pre-pay meters in disguise and have awful apps that do not work, so you get the call in the middle of the night from the tenant if you inflicted this shit on them.

Then we have the issues of overcharging, some have been found to overcharge by up to 700% when used with low energy bulbs.

What you will NEVER find is the old credit meter left in place so that an audit could be done.

Others have reported on BBC interference, one case required a normal credit meter be re-installed because after several attempts the energy company could not stop the problem. At the same time they lost the readings and took over £130 from the consumer.

There are people who are apparently sensitive to electromagnetic fields these things create, again, if you impose this on a tenant then they are going to be calling you at all hours expecting you to resolve it by building a faraday cage.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7504927/Smart-meters-turning-debt-collecting-gadgets-Energy-firms-making-pre-payment.html

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/09/households-solar-panels-risk-overcharged-smart-meters/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4288180/Smart-meters-readings-SEVEN-times-high.html

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/06/smart-energy-meters-giving-readings-seven-times-high-study-finds/

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The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 11:47

@Paul
Yeah, I frequently hear about the whole Smart meter scam being discussed on LBC! But that's a side issue.

I understand what you're saying, and as said in the main post, I completely realise that comparison websites may not fetch the best deals available on the entire market. And they probably won't.

But I think the point is that most people aren't actively searching for better deals every year (for whatever reason), and that's where I think these auto-switch services can provide useful. Rightly or wrongly so, the reality is, 99% of people won't be crunching the numbers like you every year.

You may not get the best rate with comparison websites, but at least try and get a better rate than your current tariff, and at least be automatically reminded when you're able to switch (you don't have to use the auto-switch suppliers once you're reminded it's time).

A lot of people are already using regular comparison websites (and may not be getting the best possible deal on the market), so I think they may as well use one with auto-switching enabled.

How many people always get the best rate, though? There comes a point where people value/consider their time and simply accept a saving - because that's better than what they had before.

I think an element of reality regarding human habits needs to be considered, and I think that's what auto-switch services tap into.

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Krish 9th October, 2019 @ 18:19

I think the auto-switching service providers only search their "preferred suppliers" for a better deal (Presumably, this is how they are compensated). So theoretically, you could still be losing out on a cheaper deal with suppliers not on their list.
Happy to stand corrected.

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Eric 9th October, 2019 @ 18:22

lol at the animated gif!!!

Thanks for the great info Landlord as usual. Never heard of the auto-switch service before! I'm ashamed to say I'm one of those people, I haven't changed my supplier since I moved into my house 7 years ago. I got a quote from LAMB and Migrate and my saving is coming in at approx £600!!!!! Its great but at the same time I'm scared to tell the Mrs because I've been telling her for years that we're on a good rate (I was just too lazy to check).

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 18:27

@Krish
That's how all comparison websites/markets operate, whether it be insurance, mortgages etc.

I don't think it's necessary "preferred" suppliers; comparison websites try and arrange deals with as many suppliers as they can, so they have access to the widest range of products to scan through and offer.

However, I believe there is a case of economies of scale. For example, when a comparison website gets extremely popular, like CompareTheMarket.com, more suppliers will try and work with them (i.e. so they can compare more products) and potentially offer exclusive rates.

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The Landlord 9th October, 2019 @ 18:29

@Eric

No probs, and many thanks.

Ha, no pleasing women! She'll probably be pleased with the saving at first, and then hit you over the head with the remote for dragging your heals

Goodluck! :)

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John B 9th October, 2019 @ 18:38

Great post.

My wife signed us up for Look After my Bills earlier this year and we saved £340 which was significant for us. We switched away from British Gas. The switch was painless, no problems at all. Very pleased with the service.

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Dave 9th October, 2019 @ 18:56

I remember watching that episode of Dragon's Den and thinking it was a good idea. I agree, most people can't be bothered with the hassle of switching every year even if they know they can save money.

Tied in for another 3 months, so I@ll give you an update when I'm able to switch. Thanks alot.

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Chris 9th October, 2019 @ 19:44

You might wish to add to the energy switching list a company known as Flipper. They charge £25 per year but don't wait to the end of the contract before switching you if there is a cheaper product on rhe market

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The Landlord 10th October, 2019 @ 08:39

@Chris,
Thanks for letting me know about Flipper, they look decent (great reviews), and they do seem slightly different based on what you said - they actively change whenever their is a better deal that saves you at least £50/year vs your current tariff.

I think their fee may have slightly changed though, because it's now £30.

I have added them to the list :)

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The Landlord 10th October, 2019 @ 08:40

@John B
Thanks, appreciate it!

Ahh, good to hear LAMB worked for you, thanks for letting us know.

As said in the post, it seems as though I'll also be making the jump away from British Gas imminently!

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Jenny 10th October, 2019 @ 18:44

£460.

Thankyou x

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Scott 10th October, 2019 @ 21:00

Flipper sounds more automated than the others and sounds there's a better opportunity to save money. Has anyone used them? Any feedback?

Thanks in advance.

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Biggles 11th October, 2019 @ 10:42

Thanks for all the info. I changed to Together Energy, situated in Clydebank, near Glasgow, 2 years ago. After the first year, I stuck with them and took a 3 year fix deal. I am on Eco7 and the price may be mid range, but their service is awful. It is now difficult to get them on the phone, and to get somebody speaking clear English with the ability to understand the problem, then you cannot be put through to the dept concerned, because the company functions on a virtual basis.
I have been overcharged many times and am still trying to understand my bill to get a credit refund.
So, my advice to you, is DO NOT take a deal with Together Energy!!

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The Landlord 11th October, 2019 @ 11:10

@Jenny
Awesome, thanks for sharing!

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The Landlord 11th October, 2019 @ 11:11

@Scott
It sounds like Chris (comment #18) has had experience with Flipper. Hopefully he can return and provide some feedback (or someone else!).

Other than that, their TrustPilot reviews seem decent enough.

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The Landlord 11th October, 2019 @ 11:22

@Biggles
Ah sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, problems with energy suppliers seems to be a common issue, and that's why I think many don't want to switch once they're satisfied with a provider, despite how much they might save by switching. Totally understandable.

Regardless, I still think the auto-switch services are beneficial for those people, because at least it allows you to weigh up Risk Vs Savings.

In any case... sounds like you could do with the ol' switcheroo!

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YashamototoBicycleCo 11th October, 2019 @ 16:36

Starting with my inherrent distrust of all things which are supposed to 'make me richer' I put that to one side and rang LAMB and asked, so I could make my own immediate comparison, "who would they switch me to now?".....long silence....."ahhh we can't tell you until you've switched" came the snotty reply. "So" I says "how do I know I'm going to be better off from the start then?" "You don't until you've signed up" said Snotty ....so I didn't.

This seems bonkers, after all, this is where Comparison Sites start from. But Auto-Switch sites can't????? "smell a rat here son, get outta here" I says to myself (are quotation marks necessary if you're talking to yourself?). So 'outta here' is where I continue to lurk.

As a relevant aside and this applies to 60% of my properties, they are 'electric only' i.e. no mains gas - it would seem these customers are disadvantaged because the best prices appear to be with dual energy deals rather than electric only.

BTW - Your 'Name' box is very limited on the character allowance front - I had to lose weight on the character spacing to get me name to fit, "bit of a squeeze, don't you know ol' boy"

Cheers

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Steve 12th October, 2019 @ 08:25

The trouble is I have had trouble with two companies that can't seem to produce a accurate bill, and it turned into a mess.
So I would never ever go with these two big name companies ever again.
Also the lowest priced energy suppliers tend to have the worst customer service when you look into it, or they are very new companies with no history of service.
And unless you have been with a company that can't produce an accurate bill, you won't know how much power they have, they can literally lock you in and stop you moving suppliers until you pay this fictional bill.
It's very messy and they hold all the cards.
Even the ombudsman gave npower an order and they lied to the ombudsman and said they had done everything. And they had done nothing!
Never again. Npower and Scottish Power are banned in my book.

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Steve 12th October, 2019 @ 08:32

I have found cheap Energy Club good, they email you when you can save above a certain amount, and you get to choose yourself who you go with.
I personally try and balance customer service and price, its no use having a cheap supplier that can't bill correctly.

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The Landlord 12th October, 2019 @ 22:07

@YashamototoBicycleCo
The 'name' input field allows for 20 sufficient characters, you greedy little git! I give and I give, and you only want more! When will it end?

Wait, I'm confused by what happened. I think Snotty was saying that you need to sign up, enter your details, and then you'll be shown the details of the switch, right? That seems perfectly normal to me, no?

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 12th October, 2019 @ 22:11

@Steve
When you say you've had trouble with two companies, are you referring to specific energy suppliers or actual switch companies?

Cheap Energy Club is the on MSE, right? Doesn't it essentially work very similarly to how auto-switch services work, only without the auto-switch?

I used to use Cheap Energy Club, to be fair. They were decent, but never really found me great deals.

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Steve 12th October, 2019 @ 22:48

Yes just two suppliers I had trouble with , but that is why I wouldn't personally auto switch myself because these experiences have made me be more careful and check out the customer service and not just the price.
In fact very poor customer service may be one of the reasons why some companies have to offer really cheap deals.
I would hate to be auto switched into n power or Scottish Power or any other really poor service energy suppliers.
Yes cheap Energy Club is a bit like auto switch but you do the final selection.
Just my personal preference.

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 12th October, 2019 @ 23:08

@Steve
Ah, yeah, I'm with you.

FYI, a few of the auto-switch services show you the deal before auto-switching, so you can approve/reject. For example, LAMB will send you an email every time they are preparing to switch you. It will tell you who your new supplier is, the unit rate and standing charge of the new tariff and the amount you pay for your electricity and gas based on what you’ve told them.

So the difference between LAMB and Cheap Energy Club is that LAMB will handle all the migration for you, you don't need to deal with the supplier directly, or fill in your details again.

Flipper, however, works on auto-drive- they will automatically switch your supplier whenever they find a better saving over £50/yr! Although, you still have the opportunity to cancel with in 14 days of the switch.

We have options :)

At the end of the day, you're using Cheap Energy Club anyways, so that's cool. The point of this blog post/exercise was just to encourage everyone just to check for better rates in one way or another!

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Steve 13th October, 2019 @ 08:49

I see, Lamb sounds interesting.
As usual you have a good selection of options for us to choose from 🤔

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Steve 13th October, 2019 @ 09:05

Actually this does all link in with your previous article on investing in shares.
One of the ways I suggest starting out investing is to pay monthly into some kind of passive fund like all share tracker or world stock market tracker or any other well thought out investment.
And what better way to pay £60 a month into this kind of investment than saving £60 a month on energy bills.
So auto switching, and switching in general can be part of your investment plan.

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Edward Caunt 29th November, 2019 @ 09:34

I "switched" because they said I would save about £400 a month, after switching I was advised I would save about £200 a month. I found "Switched" to be completely incompetent. Craig agreed to be my dedicated support, he then failed to answer emails. The staff read wrongly the post code of one of my properties and stated the property did not exist. I cancelled my payment of £4.99 on each of 4 properties. Due to poor service I instructed my bank to cancel my DD mandates. I still don't know what happened to the property they got wrong. They appear to be a start up with poorly trained staff.

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grizzledgit 4th January, 2020 @ 16:07

Just no!

Life's too short for this crap and what you want is, pay on receipt of bill - even though it's more expensive. Because, actually it isn't once you factor in the time-wasting headache of dealing with these idiots.

Auto-switching means YOU are AUTOMATICALLY entering into legal agreements with their choice of energy company without reading the small print, and if you DO want to read the small print, you might as well do the whole thing yourself.

For example I'm trying to get away from Bulb, who are blocking my switch because they claim i owe them money. BUT, the alleged money is a number made up by their own over-estimate computer, not what i ACTUALLY owe. I can upload readings, but they don't change the figure i supposedly owe. I cancelled by DD otherwise they'd just steal the money. They send me a PAY button, but it always wants to take their bogus figures.

And they're still not properly accepting the initial reading when i joined.

No no no. I definitely do NOT want this shit automated!!

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The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 4th January, 2020 @ 16:18

@grizzledgit

Auto-switching means YOU are AUTOMATICALLY entering into legal agreements with their choice of energy company without reading the small print

That's not true. For example, LAMB notify you before they switch you. You can read over the new terms.

In any case, all suppliers give you a 14 day period where you can cancel.

It's easy to say "no" and "life is too short", but a lot of people are in fuel poverty, so saving £300 per year is a lot of money.

Either way, the point is: regularly look for cheaper rates. And if you're not going to do that every year, an auto switch service might be a suitable solution.

You're not locked into anything.

Since money is clearly no object to you: worse case scenario, pay an early exit fee (if the cooling off period has expired) of approx £30 if you're not happy with your supplier.

Your bad experience doesn't apply to all.

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Paul 5th January, 2020 @ 17:22

grizzledgit

I understand your concerns, I pride myself on having got cheaper no exit charge deals for years (see my post No. 10 above).

How do I know they are cheaper, well I put my usage and price paying in the sites like Moneysaving Expert or Uswitch and they say they having nothing cheaper.

Ewgarding your dispute with Bulb, provide them with a photo of your readings and if they will not issue a new bill ask for a deadlock letter and escalate to the Ombudsman. There will be a thread on MSE on Bulb so take advice there too.

I have cancelled Direct Debits in the past usually because I feel very uncomfortable giving a corporation the right to take from my wallet.

Energy companies are renowned for fleecing customers, from rounding on readings to backdating opening reads.

I remember one asked me to provide opening reads for Gas and Electricity 15 days apart. I knew I was switching and was in the cooling off period, so I started taking photos every day of my readings.

Then when they told me the days I gave them the respective dates for the two meters, they then assumed they were the reads for the day I had provided them which added £30 to my bill.

The fact is whether it is MSE, Uswitch, Bounce or others, they are making a commission that has to be factored into the price, MSE used to share their commission 50/50 in the deal, but since they were purchased by Money Supermarket the deals are not that remarkable.

I just use the cheapest company I can find, if they try to increase rates I look around, usually on uSwitch with the option to show deals they CAN'T sign me up for, I then visit the sites and record the rates and standing charge, which I enter into my own spreadsheet.

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grizzledgit 6th January, 2020 @ 09:26

Thanks for your advice
Actually - My problems are with TOGETHER ENERGY who are doubling my bills again and not showing the in-payments on the bills.

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Paul 6th January, 2020 @ 12:30

grizzledgit

They have to give you a 30 day notice of increase of Tariff, failure to do that can mean the increase is void.

One of my old suppliers did not issue a notice in the month of January then the next time they increased (May I think) they completely stopped issuing bills on their portal. In August they went bust, the new supplier of last resort promised to match previous rate for 6 months, I not only got the administrator to accept the original Pre-January rate but also the new supplier, I then switched.

If you did not receive a written notification of the increase you simply write to the supplier, tell them you have never received a formal 30 day notification of increase and this were deprived of switching to a more competitive supplier.

Tell them that you now wish to raise your complaint with the ombudsman and as they are refusing to respond to your complaint you would like them to issue to deadlock letter (look at their terms to see that you have followed the stages of their complaints procedure).

Tell them you have found an alternative supplier who is charging X per unit and that you will be asking the ombudsman to have them credit you for your losses.

When a matter is referred it costs them over £300 so they usually just want shot of you.

You might give them one final offer which should be itemised and based on the rates you would have paid for the outstanding debt. That way you can be seen to have been reasonable to the Ombudsman. Maybe even make a token payment of goodwill such as £20, this prevents them saying you are not paying at all and sticking in a pre-payment meter.

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