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Gas and Electricty

Making your money go further
Howard
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Re: Gas and Electricty

#449013

Postby Howard » October 9th, 2021, 10:23 pm

XFool wrote:
funduffer wrote:Perhaps the best commentary on why we have an energy crisis currently, from Dieter Helm, an Oxford professor on energy matters

http://www.dieterhelm.co.uk/assets/secu ... .10.21.pdf

Worth a read as he explains almost everything about the current crisis.

Quite so. I already referenced this elsewhere. Worth quoting the last paragraph again, in full, IMO:

"What the gas crisis has really done is to highlight where customers are coming from, and to knock down the pack of cards that is supply competition. Instead of simply assuming that customers want to switch and that suppliers have the interests of their customers in mind, ideologies have trumped these. The implication of supply competition has always been that customers who do not switch are just stupid, and therefore in the end it is their own fault that they are landed with higher prices. The alternative – that customers are the best judges of their own interests, and do not want to spend their evenings searching the internet amongst the bewildering claims of 70 companies offering them such “good deals”, and what they really want is a secure stable and not volatile supply at a price with a fair rate of return, and to spend as little time and effort on this – has clearly escaped ministers’ and regulators’ minds. As one of those “stupid” customers, I am very glad that I did not switch to the latest bunch of companies going bust. Frankly, like most customers, I have better things to do."


I'm not sure Dieter Helm's right? I've used the "Which" energy comparison website over many years whenever a fixed price tariff expired. Using around the average household energy consumption of gas and electricity, it only took a few minutes to check comparative prices and now looking at my records, it has saved me well over a thousand pounds in energy costs. I've usually chosen large suppliers like Eon and EDF, although I admit I did have a year with People's Energy which saved over £500 in 2020. Perhaps this is the reason they went bust! ;)

I'm now with Octopus and paying 5p per kWh for off peak electricity to charge a BEV and run other high demand appliances. Will the tariff last when it ends in the middle of next year, I doubt it! But following Dieter Helm's advice would have cost a lot.

Obviously if one is wealthy and not prepared to spend a few minutes each time a one or two year fixed price tariff expires then it is one's right to disagree. :)

This is an investment site and a lot of contributors seem reasonably prepared to spend a little time on managing investments so might feel it's worth it.

regards

Howard

mutantpoodle
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Re: Gas and Electricty

#449042

Postby mutantpoodle » October 10th, 2021, 8:43 am

well said Howard

as for Dieterholm suggesting that customers 'dont want to spend their evenings searching y70+ tarifs''...

TOTAL STUPID COMMENT.......clearly another drama queen

ONE 15 minute effort would cover at least 4 comparison sites and provide enough choices to select from.

simoan
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Re: Gas and Electricty

#449052

Postby simoan » October 10th, 2021, 10:25 am

mutantpoodle wrote:well said Howard

as for Dieterholm suggesting that customers 'dont want to spend their evenings searching y70+ tarifs''...

TOTAL STUPID COMMENT.......clearly another drama queen

ONE 15 minute effort would cover at least 4 comparison sites and provide enough choices to select from.

Yes, it was a ridiculous comment from someone that had clearly never tried the process. It just goes to show how totally out of touch with reality most academics are when it comes to everyday life. It’s completely irrational to not spend 20 minutes a year to save yourself hundreds of pounds.

All the best, Si

XFool
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Re: Gas and Electricty

#449095

Postby XFool » October 10th, 2021, 1:35 pm

simoan wrote:
mutantpoodle wrote:well said Howard

as for Dieterholm suggesting that customers 'dont want to spend their evenings searching y70+ tarifs''...

TOTAL STUPID COMMENT.......clearly another drama queen

ONE 15 minute effort would cover at least 4 comparison sites and provide enough choices to select from.

Yes, it was a ridiculous comment from someone that had clearly never tried the process. It just goes to show how totally out of touch with reality most academics are when it comes to everyday life. It’s completely irrational to not spend 20 minutes a year to save yourself hundreds of pounds.

Oh dear!

You are precisely making his point: YOU think that. YOU do that. It doesn't mean EVERYONE ELSE wants to or MUST do the same thing!

His simple point is it is the individual customers who know and can decide for themselves what THEY wish to do. The 'businesses' should ideally be orientated around that, rather than: This is how it's going to be... (EON Next?)

I have noticed in the past how many BB's (explicitly 'Computer Help' BBs) are all too often populated by people who think: "YOU MUST HAVE WHAT I HAVE. YOU MUST DO IT AS I DO IT. And if you don't, YOU ARE AN IDIOT."

simoan
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Re: Gas and Electricty

#449107

Postby simoan » October 10th, 2021, 2:13 pm

XFool wrote:
simoan wrote:
mutantpoodle wrote:well said Howard

as for Dieterholm suggesting that customers 'dont want to spend their evenings searching y70+ tarifs''...

TOTAL STUPID COMMENT.......clearly another drama queen

ONE 15 minute effort would cover at least 4 comparison sites and provide enough choices to select from.

Yes, it was a ridiculous comment from someone that had clearly never tried the process. It just goes to show how totally out of touch with reality most academics are when it comes to everyday life. It’s completely irrational to not spend 20 minutes a year to save yourself hundreds of pounds.

Oh dear!

You are precisely making his point: YOU think that. YOU do that. It doesn't mean EVERYONE ELSE wants to or MUST do the same thing!

His simple point is it is the individual customers who know and can decide for themselves what THEY wish to do. The 'businesses' should ideally be orientated around that, rather than: This is how it's going to be... (EON Next?)

I have noticed in the past how many BB's (explicitly 'Computer Help' BBs) are all too often populated by people who think: "YOU MUST HAVE WHAT I HAVE. YOU MUST DO IT AS I DO IT. And if you don't, YOU ARE AN IDIOT."

Why all the Caps? It's OK to disagree without shouting. What an awfully rude post. I won't report it though. You are clearly very angry about something you've never done. Maybe you've been paying too much for your energy all those years! :)

XFool
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Re: Gas and Electricty

#449116

Postby XFool » October 10th, 2021, 2:53 pm

simoan wrote:Why all the Caps? It's OK to disagree without shouting. What an awfully rude post. I won't report it though. You are clearly very angry about something you've never done. Maybe you've been paying too much for your energy all those years! :)

:roll:

Or is this "QED" time? :)

redsturgeon
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Re: Gas and Electricty

#449128

Postby redsturgeon » October 10th, 2021, 3:34 pm

Moderator Message:
It is a bit sad that grown men can't have a conversation about gas and electricity without it breaking down into some sort of slanging match. I will lock this thread now. If you want to start another one, please think about things before being uncivil to your fellow posters.


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