Advice on how to line up utility switch dates, to avoid being charged higher rates when current deal expires?

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SPC100

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Hi,

I'm looking to organise my annual utiliy switch of electricity and gas.

I am with Bord Gais at the moment, but my great deal expires soon. Unfortunatley every other deal will be more expensive than my current deal, but the new best deal will be cheaper than Bord Gais default rates.

I think if I leave before the one year anniversary Bord Gais will chage early termination penalty. If I stay beyond the anniversary BG will start charging me their very high normal rates.

What is the best way to organise my switch so that I don't pay the Bord Gais early termination penalty, but that I avoid paying higher rates with Bord Gais until I switch.

Thanks!
 
Can you not switch on the anniversary date?

I found it difficult to understand the question - maybe if you put in the dates it would help
 
michaelm said:
For how long though, a week maybe before you switch? It's likely they will ring you in advance and offer to extend your current deal for another year.
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Which is exactly what they did with me so I stayed as their offer was very good but mine was just on electricity. I just diary note it coming up to the renewal each year as I do with all bills.
 
It is worth noting one 'trick' that the providers use.
I was 11 months in to a dual contract when the supplier wrote to me outlining the contract termination date and that I could of course stay with them and I wouldn't lose my discounts.
Fair enough says I,one less thing to worry about.
Then my wife reminded me that I got a €250 cash rebate off the first bill,which of course wasn't going to be repeated.
In reality I was getting a 12% price increase.
 
michaelm said:
For how long though, a week maybe before you switch? It's likely they will ring you in advance and offer to extend your current deal for another year.
Click to expand...
Depending on when your meter was last read you can end up getting a decent number of units charged at the out of contract rate.

My meters are hard to get at and we get lots of estimated readings. I do a real reading when switching. They apportion some of this units at the higher rate.
 
jpd said:
Can you not switch on the anniversary date?

I found it difficult to understand the question - maybe if you put in the dates it would help
Click to expand...
How do you organize that? Last few times I have switched a bit after anniversary date and I'm looking to learn how others manage this.

I want to switch online, typically use one of the switching sites. How many days before my anniversary should I start. If you switch 7 days before will they let you off the early termination fee?
 
Sue Ellen said:
Which is exactly what they did with me so I stayed as their offer was very good but mine was just on electricity. I just diary note it coming up to the renewal each year as I do with all bills.
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I have had these calls in the past but they have never been as good as switching to the cheapest on the market.
 
vandriver said:
It is worth noting one 'trick' that the providers use.
I was 11 months in to a dual contract when the supplier wrote to me outlining the contract termination date and that I could of course stay with them and I wouldn't lose my discounts.
Fair enough says I,one less thing to worry about.
Then my wife reminded me that I got a €250 cash rebate off the first bill,which of course wasn't going to be repeated.
In reality I was getting a 12% price increase.
Click to expand...
Good point. I always put my annual usage numbers into a switching site and go with whatever is cheaper.

Another issue is the prices are not fixed so it is a prediction of which supplier will be cheaper but it is not a guarantee!
 
SPC100 said:
How do you organize that? Last few times I have switched a bit after anniversary date and I'm looking to learn how others manage this.

I want to switch online, typically use one of the switching sites. How many days before my anniversary should I start. If you switch 7 days before will they let you off the early termination fee?
Click to expand...
You are completely overthinking it, it's very simple and straightforward. Do you know the date that your current deal expires? If so then just go online the following day and switch using one of the switching sites. You'll have to provide meter readings with the switch

Don't switch 7 days early
 
vandriver said:
It is worth noting one 'trick' that the providers use.
I was 11 months in to a dual contract when the supplier wrote to me outlining the contract termination date and that I could of course stay with them and I wouldn't lose my discounts.
Fair enough says I,one less thing to worry about.
Then my wife reminded me that I got a €250 cash rebate off the first bill,which of course wasn't going to be repeated.
In reality I was getting a 12% price increase.
Click to expand...

Those cash discounts are usually or were at one stage for first time joiners. When I queried this with Electric Ireland they confirmed that if you go off to another supplier for a year and then return to them they will often allow the cash discount then. I don't see Bord Gais allowing much in the line of cash discounts.

SPC100 said:
I have had these calls in the past but they have never been as good as switching to the cheapest on the market.
Click to expand...

They confirm that anything they offer has a 14 day cooling off period so if you change your mind you can cancel. If I get one of these calls I check what they are offering by checking: www.bonkers.ie, www.switcher.ie, and sometimes others.

You can also let them know that you will get back to them and consider the offer at your leisure. The only problem with that at the moment is that it can be a long wait as many of them are still working from home during Covid. The 14 day cooling off period is probably the best route.

SPC100 said:
Depending on when your meter was last read you can end up getting a decent number of units charged at the out of contract rate.

My meters are hard to get at and we get lots of estimated readings. I do a real reading when switching. They apportion some of this units at the higher rate.
Click to expand...

The new meters will put a stop to all the necessity of meter readings.
 
I'm pretty sure that when you go to (some) switch sites that they ask you to put a date of switch in. I'd make this the day after the anniverary. They also ask for your last reading so if you're really worried make it slightly less to lower the % they charge of the new price. Either way you are talking pennies I would guess.
 
I waited till the date of my contract expiry and initiated the switch the day my contract expired.
 
Last edited:
I switched day of expiry. Maybe it will be better to cancel that one and switch again!.
 
SPC100 said:
I switched day of expiry. Maybe it will be better to cancel that one and switch again!.
Click to expand...

Be careful that you are not switching mid-contract (12 months) and therefore incurring the €50 penalty. The reason why the Bord Gais representative told me to leave it for a day or two was to ensure that this did not happen with my account.
 
Showmethemoney said:
Watch out for termination fees. For the last two years I have switched on the day my contract was up and on both occasions I was hit with a termination fee. This fee was removed after I questioned it and both companies said it was apparently a technical glitch. Maybe it was an accident but after two years in a row I am a little suspicious.
Click to expand...

SPC100 said:
I switched day of expiry. Maybe it will be better to cancel that one and switch again!.
Click to expand...

@SPC100 Came across this post elsewhere from Showmethemoney and it confirms what I mentioned above so definitely best to leave for a day or two.
 
Yeah. Last year iirc I switched away from Energia, and it was very close to expiry day, and they agreed to remove termination fees.

I double checked I have an email statement saying contract expires the day before I put in my switch. Although I have another statement or email saying it is the day of my switch. So I'm fairly happy I can get them removed if they are added.

That other thread implies their is a bit of bait and switch tactics happening.

I also submitted a manual reading just before switch so there should be no units at the higher default unit rates.
 
How does one avoid bait and switch tactics though?

I had two companies that were going to be fairly similar price wise for me. I went with the one that has already increased prices twice, hoping that they would be less likely to do it again in near future
 
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