The Lemon Fool

Was with Eon, dual fuel, quarterly billing, and payment by direct debit 14 days after each bill. All fine and happy.
Then Eon decided to shift customers to "Eon Next". Eon Next only offer monthly billing.
It was the nudge that I needed to start talking to that well known Meercat and the like. It seems there are not very many dual fuel providers offering quarterly billing and payment by variable direct debit around: everything is heading towards monthly bill and fixed monthly fixed direct debit (to "improve" the customers' affordability and no doubt the utilities' cash flow...)

I found a suitable tariff at Shell Energy https://www.shellenergy.co.uk/energy/tariffs (Flexible 5) which will be around the same price and seems to offer quarterly billing and variable direct debit (I have yet to check the precise details with them in the morning).

Does any other fool have or know of gas/electric providers who offer quarterly billing and payment by (variable) direct debit. Just thought I'd ask in case I'd missed any.
TIA

(I have a SMETS2 Smart meter & based in North Yorkshire)

Sorry, no. But shell energy are TERRIBLE. Worst I’ve ever dealt with (and I was an NTL customer for years). Got stuck with them for a while after a tenant left. They are impossible to talk to. No email. Takes literally hours to get through to their telephone lines. Nothing could be worth dealing with them.

Gryff

Try:

https://switch.which.co.uk/index.html?db=dual

which under 'How would you like to pay?' allows you to specify both 'Direct Debit' and 'Quarterly Variable'.

I am with Shell
check that they do quarterly billing (I get a bill EVERY month which I DON'T want or need)
I am on fixed monthly debit
They are annoyingly good at sending emails for meter readings but NEVER send one to say your bill is available
I have never had to use their customer service vut they wrere the cheapest for me(I change as soon as a provider isn't, but avoid penalty fees of course)

Have just checked via that link in the first post
WHAT a Rip off - almost 4 times what I am paying now
Time for a move when my fixed rate ends next January

pje16 wrote:I am with Shell
check that they do quarterly billing (I get a bill EVERY month which I DON'T want or need)
I am on fixed monthly debit
They are annoyingly good at sending emails for meter readings but NEVER send one to say your bill is available
I have never had to use their customer service vut they wrere the cheapest for me(I change as soon as a provider isn't, but avoid penalty fees of course)

I read on their T&Cs for the tariff I might have gone for at:
https://imageassets.shellenergy.co.uk/tariff-guides-rmr/ISDFEDV849SR/ISDFEDV849SR1R_GDDPN.pdf

Shell Energy wrote:You will receive a bill every three months or more frequently if we notify you otherwise. Payments will be collected by:

• Monthly Direct Debit
• Variable Direct Debit
• Pay on Receipt of Bill

but it's not correct. I spoke to someone at Shell Energy (didn't take too long to get through) and they don't offer quarterly billing.

Update: SSE (https://sse.co.uk/) say all their tariffs are quarterly billing. I've just started the switch process to them. I am told I will be getting quarterly billing, and variable direct debit 14 days after presentation of the bill. The proof of the pudding ...
However, I know that SSE do this as my sister's holiday home uses SSE dual fuel and and bills quarterly based on usage and direct debit 14 days later.
When I tried to do the switch process online, it would only offer fixed monthly direct debit, so I did it over the phone, and the nice lady I spoke to who sorted the switch request said variable direct debit was quite possible. We shall see how it turns out ...