Going for gold
Tuesday 29th July, 2008 - £8,428.07 in debt…
I don’t like being told what to do, I don’t like being shouted at, and gentle persuasion and nagging don’t normally work either. But, for some reason, a combination of these methods and some sort of Jedi mind trick from Martin Lewis have finally made me switch to a capped energy tariff. Where’s my medal?
You’ve probably heard that energy prices are set to rise by anything up to 70% (the amount depends on the paper you read) by the end of the year and, according to some sources, EDF’s price hike has sent energy consumers UK-wide scuttling dementedly from their houses and straight off the nearest cliff. I think I read that in the Mail.
So, yes, I’ve decided to switch to a tariff that promises my bills won’t rise until Autumn 2009. One of the reasons it’s taken so long for me to do this is because the energy bills are in my boyfriend’s name but, after receiving some sage advice from a wise friend, I nicked his chequebook and took the bull by the horns.
Switching to a capped tariff is entirely different from my previous experience of switching, where the aim was to save money straight away. I know that my new tariff won’t save me any money right now - in fact, it’s more expensive than my current one by £41.49 per year - but I’ve just got to gamble on everyone else’s bills shooting up if it’s going to be worth it.
But the switching process itself is as easy as it’s ever been if you use a good comparison service. Just a few questions to answer, as the service establishes how much I currently spend on household energy. And then a few bank details to fill in (hence the chequebook), as it signs me up for a Direct Debit (saving about a tenner a month on my bill).
The tariff I’ve chosen is from E.ON (formerly Powergen): the Energy Saver Version 4 Dual Fuel. This gives me the security of the fixed price, but without a cancellation charge if I decide to leave earlier than planned. According to the E.ON website, “If our standard prices go down, your prices could too”, and I get a free energy monitor. And a Tesco Clubcard point for every pound on my bill! Get in!
Why didn’t I do this months ago…? And where’s my MEDAL?
