DJ,

I do switch and have always done to obtain the best deal available.I think you are missing the wider point about how the UK public are being systematically ripped off by the energy supply companies. It has gone on in other places, notably the banking sector and they are now all being brought to account.

I doubt if my response is typical of that you get at work.You seem to have avoided arguing the detail of the purchasing process.Spend a bit more time in that Department and really see how it works.

The response you are getting at work from customers is simply because they have had enough.Many can't afford the high prices but are powerless to do anything about it.Shame you dismiss it so easily. Forums like this at least allow the general public to air their grievance and hopefully via the press, action will be forthcoming.

You will be surprised how powerful the message can be.

hi DJ,

Nothing personal but the company medicine must be strong. ;-)

Staff costs don't vary other than by inflation,wholesale prices do.The companies did not wait 18 months to put the prices up.Indeed because their purchasing was poor they had not hedged against the rise in the wholesale market and were thus exposed to it through their own ineptitude.They can fix prices in advance but they don't have to.That is up to each purchasing Department's strategy.However,to maintain profits they were allowed to pass these costs onto customers.Hardly a competitive market eh?

Market forces should work both ways.You will see that in the not too distant future,the energy companies will be rumbled by the OFT,Energywatch or possibly the European commission for anti competitive behaviour.

DJMarky:

 All I can say is that prices are at the lowest we can offer as it costs the company money each time we reduce the prices, which in the long term can effect Jobs as in head office we employ over 3000 people!

There is very little linkage between staffing costs and pricing and the cost of price changes is extremely small given automated billing systems and slick marketing tools.The main driver is the wholesale price of energy which has fallen by over a half.The supply companies have only passed a portion of this reduction but were quick to raise prices when the wholesale price was rising.this time they have delayed the reductions by many months.

All the companies are profiteering and it's not just me saying it,the Regulator Energywatch have issued a press statement saying so.Google search for it and you will see.Also watch out for the extortionate rise in profits to be announced by BG as an example.

Hey icc.chef,

 You need to lighten up a bit.

Most people come to this forum to glean advice, give advice, maybe be thankful they are not in the same position or indeed, feel smug that they made a right descision at the right time.

Whatever. Sometimes threads deviate from the subject. This is not a bad thing because being mega serious all the time is not good for anybody. What is important is that genuine people share what has happened to them at some time or other.

 That is the whole point, I feel.

You are out of order for picking on Backfoot.

He certainly does not need me to fight his battles for him, but I am here in support all the same.

Why? You just need to look at his contributions to see they are valued by not just me, but by many.

Phil

That's an encouraging development for PP customers.

SP best offer is £53 p.a. dearer for me than my current supplier. Energywatch think that you are ripping off customers.If you decrease the cost by 15% which is their suggestion you might be in with a shout.

DJ,

Do you work for SP?

I was interested to see that Energywatch believe the market is overpriced by at least 15% and that competition on price is no longer working. It's taken them long enough to come to that obvious conclusion and it will be interesting to see how they now enforce a reduction.

Perhaps SP will take the lead and show us how much they care !! ;-) 

ICC,

Thanks.It's good to know that you will be not be on my case.It's funny how you now seem to be saying the forum is about giving and receiving advice but your first two postings on this thread were simply to have a go at me for some unsubstantiated reason.If you wish to check out my posting record you will see that I have freely and gladly given lots of advice particularly on financial and utility matters of which I have experience.I have no idea why you targetted me and you have failed to answer that direct question.

I will look out for your further contributions and hope they match your patter.

Hi backfoot,

I am not one to run from a fight so to speak especially a good one but now we are back and forthing when you or I could be offering a valid opinion to someone in need. Good advice is too hard to come by when you need it the most especially since the rapid decline to virtual extinction of the Citizen Advice Bureaux. So I'll refrain from targetting "innocent people" like yourself with my wild unfounded generalisations in my trollette like manner (lol). I am far more interested in being helped and on occasion being of help myself than this malarky.  Feel free to respond but I won't be replying again. I'm sure we'll meet again, I'll look forward to it ;-)  ;-)

icc.chef

DJMarky:

Hello all,

 In my opinion each company has its flaws, its just a matter of trying and testing whoever has the best deal.

Regards

DJMarky

The Customer Review section of this website gives quite a range of experiences. Atlantic get a 10/10 rating while BG get 3/10, NPower 4/10, and Scottish power 5/10.I think this is a powerful analysis and also seems to back up much of the anectodal evidence we see here as well as the findings of Energywatch. Price is one aspect, but as the companies gradually come closer together on price,poor customer service will come back to haunt those guilty companies.

Icc.chef,

Thanks for your indepth analysis of my contributions. Interestingly,Cate and the many other names used by that poster have been banned from this site for causing mischief. I am happy to say, having reread the thread to which you refer,I am totally happy with my contribution there and in other places.

May I ask why you seem to have targetted me in this troll like manner? If you think any of my postings are factually incorrect,please counter them with substance by all means. Otherwise, I think you will find yourself looking even more foolish than you already have done with your wild unfounded generalisations.

:-)

Hi backfoot,

In the Re: Scottish Power post you started to advise someone then seemed to get sidetracked by Cate and had a back and forth purpose of forum debate. There was definately a few harsh comments there.  Maybe you are a defender of the little man/woman but I did think that the back and forth between you and Cate was of no help to the postee.

icc.chef

Hello all,

 In my opinion each company has its flaws, its just a matter of trying and testing whoever has the best deal.

Regards

DJMarky

Hi icc.chef,

I dunno where have I been harsh in this or other threads? !! I would suggest just the opposite.

Hello backfoot,

I am new to this site and having read some of the concerns and your response am hoping that you don't feel the need to respond to any problems I post.  Although the softly softly approach is not always the best course of action the cruel to be kind approach is a bitter pill to swallow especially when you have a problem.  Do you believe in taking no prisoners as oppose to rational re-assurance when you have advice to input? Or as a new comer am I mis-reading you in thinking that you come across as harsh?

icc.chef