Changing power suppliers and solar panels.

[GROWLER]

The whole subject is completely cabbaging me 'ed tbh.
I want to change as British Gas are whacking their prices up like everyone else now. but trying to do comparisons and workings out for the best deal from one of the other thieving bastard suppliers is an absolute horror show.

Then of course, we are now being  bombarded with adverts and emails from all of these bandwagon merchants, offering free leccy for 25 years, and promises of the power companies actually paying US, the consumer, for making leccy for them.

I'm seriously thinking of going back to candles for lighting,and a drift wood  fire for heating and cooking, not so much for the cost saving, but just to escape from the clutches of all these parasites.

What actually is the answer ey? What you lot doin'? 


PS. Move this to the Saloon bar will you please. It's a proper snarl.

[Snoopy]

Once a year I go to a comparison site ~ usually the ASDA one. Put in my past years usage and supplier and they tell me who will offer a better deal. I was with BG but recently returned to NPower on a one year fixed price deal.

Never sign up for more than 12 months as most "deals" expire at that point and they automatically put you on an expensive one.

Have a look at: http://www.asdaenergy.com/calc_asda.html?db=dual


Oh and the ASDA site does the transaction for you if you want them to at no cost.



PS It is best to choose a change over date that you will remember like a birthday or anniversary so that you don't get slipped into there trap of taking you off the special deal and up the price without you noticing.

[Barman]

We have no choice... 

[Snoopy]

As for solar panels ~ good idea and nice sales pitch but it will take at least 25 years to recover the cost of having them installed. We don't get enough sunshine in this part of the world to make them effective ~ a windmill would do more good in this part of the country.

Avoid them like you would the plague.

[Snoopy]

Moved as requested. 

[GROWLER]

Moved as requested. 

Tar.

I've had deep suspicions about these solar panels, and many houses can't have them fitted anyway because they are facing the wrong way.
Had one sales company around so far knocking on the door. Expecting many more in the coming months as they all try to make a quick buck, tell you a pack of lies, do a shit job, grab yer dosh, and then vanish without trace.

I'd quite like a windmill though....a proper one even, like what you get in Norfolk or Holland.

[Barman]

Even here solar panels only really 'work' because of the subsidy dished out by the EU on the lektrik generated by them...

...I can't help but think that at some point in the very near future the economic crisis will demand a re-think of pissing away taxpayer's hard-earned on windmills and other 'green' energy sources...

[Nick]

http://www.executionandstrategy.com/2011/08/could-you-build-windmill.html

[Snoopy]

The windmills that Growler and I can see ~ out in the Irish sea ~ are frequently not turning as the wind is too high for them and the speed would break them .... or so I am told.

The ones off Prestatyn have never all worked at the same time. One in particular gives us much joy .... when they went up local school children were invited to name them and a girl in my daughter's class asked for one to be given her name. It seldom worked .... the THW commented that the child after who it was named was just like that at school. The THW then got into a lot of bother for making the same observation to a teacher ..... the THW is now at the University of London ... the child who shares her name with the windmill tried to play catch up by signing on at college to do the A levels she failed to get .....the college where Woodstock lectures and last week was thrown off the course for not working. 

[GROWLER]

http://www.executionandstrategy.com/2011/08/could-you-build-windmill.html

Top man! Luv it!

Him, not you btw.

[Pastis]

Tried the Asda link but it refuses to acknowledge that I only have leccy  , so I tried another one. Like Snoops I've done this fairly regularly.

This time it came back with a result that I could save around 200 quid!  , but the estimated annual was about 50 quid more than I'm actually paying ... work that one out, eh?   

[Snoopy]

TBH I only go for fixed term deals where I can see that the standing charges and pence per unit are cheaper than those on my most recent bill.

I have in the past found that changing suppliers can work out dearer over the year than they forecast.

The whole thing is a bit of a lottery.

[Snoopy]

Tried the Asda link but it refuses to acknowledge that I only have leccy  , so I tried another one. Like Snoops I've done this fairly regularly.

That'll be because I gave him the dual fuel link

They do have one for Leccy only ~ we have no gas in the village and dual fuel offers don't seem to include oil or logs..... A matter I have taken up with their regulatory body. Why should I be penalised and denied a discount because they can't supply the gas? I have told them I am willing to sign a dual fuel deal. The regulators agree that it is morally wrong but there is, it seems, no legislation covering it. They did, however, promise to put the matter forward to government .... Tony Blair was on the throne then ... haven't heard from them since.

[Just One More]

Tony Blair is very busy sorting out the Middle East, hadn't you noticed? 

[Pastis]

 

Just checked again with uSwitch ... t'would seem I have the right one for me in Atlantic.