Need to choose an electric supplier for the new house

[Happy Valley]

We are hopefully about 6-8 weeks from moving in and need to choose a supplier for the electrics.

 

No solar panels yet but hopefully in a few years. It will run the usual things plus an 8.5kW ASHP.

 

Question is who to use. I hear a lot about Octupus Energy but not sure if its for us.

[ProDave]

If you are thinking of Octopus, PM me for a referal code that will get you £50 credit.

[Thorfun]

I’ve recently been trying to find a supplier for our new connection to install a smart meter. I phoned a number of suppliers and their response was that they weren’t taking on new customers due to the state of the energy market. 
 

so I would suggest phoning everyone now to find anyone who will install a meter and the switch to your preferred supplier at a later date once you’ve made that decision. 

[Buzz]

6 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

I’ve recently been trying to find a supplier for our new connection to install a smart meter. I phoned a number of suppliers and their response was that they weren’t taking on new customers due to the state of the energy market. 
 

so I would suggest phoning everyone now to find anyone who will install a meter and the switch to your preferred supplier at a later date once you’ve made that decision. 

I read about this on the forum and started to panic as it was one thing i had not considered that might  be an issue , but i found that E-on have no problems fitting new meters in this area , from the first call to instillation of the smart meter was 4 weeks , i will stick with them for now and shop around once we have moved in .  

[PeterW]

11 hours ago, Happy Valley said:

No solar panels yet but hopefully in a few years. It will run the usual things plus an 8.5kW ASHP.

No gas ..? And does the heating work overnight on E7..? Have a look at the Go35 tariff from EDF. 

[SteamyTea]

On 27/06/2022 at 08:10, PeterW said:

Have a look at the Go35 tariff from EDF. 

I just did.

https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/goelectric_ratecard_jul24.pdf

 

Those are painful prices.

May be better off on a standard rate.

52p a day to say you can buy in at 4.5p/kWh at night. 

Then, it will cost you 51p/kWh.

They know that an EV can only pull 7.2 kW for a short time before it throttles back.

ASHPs are similar. Not often they will run at max power for very long. They usually pull about 5A, 1.3 kW, or so.

 

I think you need to be very careful with these sorts of deals. 

[joth]

Personally, unless you're a real energy optimisation nerd (in which case you'd have done the research and wouldn't be asking on here, LOL), then I'd suggest signing up to a 1 year fixed rate flat rate tariff, measure how much energy you're using over a full season and what your usage/lifestyle patterns are living in it, and only then consider if a cheap rate overnight tariff would be more suitable.

 

E.g. you may be able to to get all your required heat by only running the ASHP during the 4 hour overnight cheap rate on Octopus Go, but you may need to run it at a significantly higher flow rate (thus less efficient) to get sufficient heat delivery in the short time window. So maybe much better off leaving the ASHP on 24/7 at a lower flow rate and not trying to play the TOU juggling game (which let be honest is a lot of effort for a small reward -- well, unless your ASHP has a huge crankcase vampire load and you can power it off completely for 18 hours a day)

 

 

[SteamyTea]

17 minutes ago, joth said:

Personally, unless you're a real energy optimisation nerd (in which case you'd have done the research and wouldn't be asking on here, LOL), then I'd suggest signing up to a 1 year fixed rate flat rate tariff, measure how much energy you're using over a full season and what your usage/lifestyle patterns are living in it, and only then consider if a cheap rate overnight tariff would be more suitable

Thank you, I am. 6 years at university studying it.

It is worth getting, or making, an energy data logger, then analyse what is really happening.

It can show you so much.

[Happy Valley]

Well Octopus take 3 months to assist so that's a none starter.

British Gas are not taking on new electric only customers.

 

Email sent to EDF - at least their website does not say not taking on new customers

 

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Happy Valley

[joth]

6 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

6 hours ago, joth said:

Personally, unless you're a real energy optimisation nerd (in which case you'd have done the research and wouldn't be asking on here, LOL), then I'd suggest signing up to a 1 year fixed rate flat rate tariff, measure how much energy you're using over a full season and what your usage/lifestyle patterns are living in it, and only then consider if a cheap rate overnight tariff would be more suitable

Thank you, I am. 6 years at university studying it.

 

LOL we know you are! I was (perhaps ambiguously) addressing the OP. 

I should have said "unless one is a... [nerd] .." 

[Bramco]

4 hours ago, Happy Valley said:

Well Octopus take 3 months to assist so that's a none starter.

 

2 months ago we had them fit a smart meter in a couple of weeks from initial contact. 

 

Maybe depends where you are?

 

Simon

[PeterW]

11 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I just did.

https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/goelectric_ratecard_jul24.pdf

 

Those are painful prices.

Sadly that has changed in the last 48 hours as it was cheaper than that a few days ago - another supplier trying it on !

[Happy Valley]

13 hours ago, Bramco said:

 

2 months ago we had them fit a smart meter in a couple of weeks from initial contact. 

 

Maybe depends where you are?

 

Simon

 

I think it is their way of trying to put you off - many companies do not want new customers at the moment.

[bmj1]

On 29/06/2022 at 15:41, Happy Valley said:

Well Octopus take 3 months to assist so that's a none starter.

British Gas are not taking on new electric only customers.

 

Email sent to EDF - at least their website does not say not taking on new customers

 

 

 

Try this link - "UW". They are currently taking on new customers for Energy.

I managed to get them to install a 3-phase meter in around 2 weeks (from when I had my service live with them), which I thought was a decent result.

[Kelvin]

Octopus are a shambles. So much so I’ve emailed ‘call me Greg’. 😂 A month of nonsense to get the supply connected and now 4 months for a meter. They’ve given my £90 in compensation but that doesn’t really help me.  

[Kelvin]

On 29/06/2022 at 18:28, Bramco said:

 

2 months ago we had them fit a smart meter in a couple of weeks from initial contact. 

 

Maybe depends where you are?

 

Simon

I got my supply installed in June and it’s the end of September before they can install the meter. The only reason they took me on is because I already had an account with them. Due to all their screw ups they’ve upped the credit to £150 from £90. Scottish Power are also no longer taking on new customers. It’s ridiculous. Ofgem needs to step in and force them all to do it. If they won’t then the Government needs to do something. You can’t have basic utilities being withheld from people.   

Edited August 3, 2022 by Kelvin