Gas electricity bills question, moving house soon into first house, but want to cap energy prices, can we????

Question

we are moving house soon into first house, but want to cap energy prices, can we????

we have notified the existing owners suppliers and told them we will be moving in, (but we haven't moved yet)

we haven't recieved any letters yet, but can we cap our bills? can we switch companies or do we have to wait until we are in??

all this talk of price rises i'd like to cap if possible.

Also how much do you think we will pay for gas and electric??

2 adults in a one bedroom flat in uk.

Have absolutely no idea of how much its likely to be.

If you don't mind me asking, about how much do you pay and how many people are in your house??

hope you can help, thanks

Answer 1

hiya, you wont be able to switch until you move in. Reason why is it isnt your house until then and its illegal to switch somone elses supply without their consent.

Once youve moved in (on the day if possible) take a meter reading and let the current suppliers know what it is. This will ensure you only pay for the gas an electricity you are using and not the previous owners. Ask about switching your tariff to a capped on, there should be no problem switching tariffs at all. they may even be able to tell you about any savings you can make.

Just a word of waring regarding capped prices, they seem like a goosd idea but in the long run they can hurt your pocket...why? beacuse lets say we cap your electric at 12p per unit for 3 years. if during those 3 years the price increases to 24p per unit. when your capped tariff runs out you will then be capped at 24p per unit which is a steep increase. your bills will double overnight. the prices are increasing. but try and get a tariff that offers lots of discount, like an online tariff, that way your bills shouldnt be too high.

your energy consumption is down to you and not just your house size. some people live in 4 bedroom houses but dont use as much as a single person. it depends on how warm you like your house, whether you use energy efficient lightbulbs, whether you have any fish tanks, or animal cages with lighthing etc. it depends how many radiators you have, it depends how well your loft is insulated etc. theres a lot that goes towards your consumption. your supplier should be able to offer you energy efficiency advice.

As an average id say set aside £40 per month for gas and £40 for electricity. If you have electricity only then set aside £80 for electricity only.

gas is more expensive than electricity, the unit price is lower but it takes more gas to heat a radiator.

Answer 2

2 bed flat, all electric no gas, 2 adults.

£120-£200 a quarter depending on Winter or Summer (electric heating)

You can get a capped tarrif, so you know the maximum amount per unit you will pay until say, 2010.

This will be slightly more than the current per unit price, but if you think prices will go up a lot it's a good move.

You don't have to stay with your existing supplier when you move, so shop around for the best price for you.

Answer 3

Sweetra, To ask about running costs, is a basic question you must ask before you decide to buy. The cost of utilities IS part of the purchase price, in that these are running costs. How much you pay for gas, electricity, Water etc, will depend on how much of it you use. The only utility company I know will agree to capping is BT. What would you do if you reach the agreed cap before the end of the quarter, your gas or electric could be stopped until the next quarter, when you can start again. Unless you are extremely wreckless with the use of facilities, and even in spite of the present rate of fuel increases, 2 people should be able to afford easily, to pay what I would assume to be minimal bills. As for switching utility company, you cannot do this until the facilities are in your name, and that does not happen until you living there.This answer assumes that "capping" means an agreed  financial limit on how much commodity you can buy , and when that limit is reached, the supply is stopped.

Answer 4

find out who the suppliers are first -  

then go to

www.uswitch.co.uk  or com   -  not sure -  

once you have found out who the supplier is call em   job done

Answer 5

Go to uswitch.