Is it Time to move to a Fixed Tariff?

  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 60
    @JoeSoap @retrotecchie @Tommysgirl @WizzyWigg @meldrewreborn

    Had a dabble with the spreadsheets this morning. Makes for interesting reading for me. Two of the fixes I've costed for my current annual consumption show than annual cost lower than the April 1st fix as I expected. Of course I cannot factor in the July and subsequent cap numbers for obvious reasons. OK I'm currently on Winter Support Fixed 25 so I'll be staying on that come hell or high water until 31st March 2024. The two out and out fixes that would be tempting to go for (if they are still available on 31st March) are Next Assured Fixed 15m v1 and Next Secure Fixed 24 v2. Had I been on say Next Flex ATM I'd be looking at either of these 2 fixes now and possiblythe Next Pledge Tracker 'hybrid'. Some of you have already fixed and I can quite see why. There is a heap of price certainty with either tariff with a possibility that these tariffs might prove to be cheaper over the term of the fix.

    BTW the increase in Next Flex for my usage in the Northern region comes out to be a 9% reduction (rather than 12.3%) due to my usage numbers. July is forecast for another drop of circa 12% again followed by a slight 4% rise in October but. like weather forecasts, these numbers will alter over the coming months and depends on your usage as well.

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    Last edited by Mailman; 25-02-24 at 10:45.
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Mailman

    Good analysis and I can see why you are hanging on to your current fix but you need to hope the new deals stay the same or get better. Might it be worth the one month hit to secure the deal? Where's that crystal ball when you need it?

    I use about twice your electric and three times your gas and that has a big bearing on decisions. Once I identified the tariff I liked, I started to count the cost of delaying the switch and did it at the earliest opportunity. I saved 80p on electric yesterday and £1.20 on gas so that's £2 exactly on Day 1. That means my exit fee stake is reduced to only £298 already 😂

    So, where you will be hoping the deals get better in the coming month, I hope they don't 😂

    It's been chilly the past couple of days so my consumption has risen. Perversely, the more I consume, the more I save 🤔... Yeah, right 😂
    I'm an Eon Next dual fuel customer with no particular expertise but have some time on my hands that I am using to try and help out a bit.
  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 60
    @Mailman

    Good analysis and I can see why you are hanging on to your current fix but you need to hope the new deals stay the same or get better. Might it be worth the one month hit to secure the deal? Where's that crystal ball when you need it?

    Good points (esp re a 1-month hit of circa £20-£25 pcm if I went for a fix now) but the fact that Eon Next introduced a v2 on the 24m fix leads me to think (rightfully or wrongfully) that these fixed deals will not get any worse between now and when I have to make a decision. Perhaps other fixed tariffs will be adjusted - who knows 🤔?

    As ever though there is no right or wrong decision to be made and none of us has the luxury of gazing at those crystals balls with any degree of absolutely certainty.

    Interestingly though the numbers churned out by Eon Next for some of these tariffs are actually very close (e.g the Next Assured tariff comes in at £100.51 v my calculation of £99.00).
    Last edited by Mailman; 25-02-24 at 12:03. Reason: Additional comments
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Mailman

    Interesting - those facing significant Standing charge increases might do well to fix now than later. We'll watch to see how quickly these "advantageous to some " tariffs are withdrawn.

    Current Eon Next customer, ex EDF, Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 60
    Interesting - those facing significant Standing charge increases might do well to fix now than later. We'll watch to see how quickly these "advantageous to some " tariffs are withdrawn.

    Yes I agree.

    For folk like me and @Tommysgirl up t'North we are facing a particularly high proportion of our utility bills in standing charges from April 1st. Using my usage numbers I am only just below the average houshold in electicity usage (and way below in gas) and it is the electricity SC that has gone up particularly steeply (and not just for The North although we are arguably the hardest hit). Overall, the SC total will be in the region of 25-29% of my total bill should I elect for any of the tariffs where the electricity SC has gone to 71.2p/day. One thing for sure is that that combined SC figure of £1.02/day for The North is unlikely to ever go down in the future compared to the current 87p for most current tariffs and 60p/day for my current tariff.

    I'll be checking the tariffs daily now (esp the fixed ones) as part of my daily energy monitoring. My energy spreadsheet document now has a new tab title called (unimaginatively) 'tariffs' 😁
    Last edited by Mailman; 25-02-24 at 16:44.
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    ... Surprise, surprise...a £75 exit fee slapped on. WhatsApp sorted the problem and apparently there is a dedicated team reversing erroneous exit fees, but the backlog is currently 3 days.

    Time will tell.🙄

    Well, I just had my exit fees returned to my account after sending them an email on Friday. Also, having quoted me a lower monthly cost compared to my current tariff, and then saying I would pay considerably lower again for the first several months due to my credit balance, my DD has remained unaltered. I'll cut them some slack for a while and then reduce the DD myself if they don't lower it a bit.

    @Johnh1995

    I didn't get the extra tenner 😭
  • Johnh1995's Avatar
    Level 19

    @Johnh1995

    I didn't get the extra tenner 😭
    Let me know next time and I'll try and help you.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @JoeSoap

    My exit fees haven't been removed yet, but they have been added to the variable DD that Eon want to take from me in ten days time.
    Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    Let me know next time and I'll try and help you.

    Thanks for the offer but if they take them from me again anytime in the next two years it’ll be legit 😂
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @JoeSoap

    My exit fees haven't been removed yet, but they have been added to the variable DD that Eon want to take from me in ten days time.

    Of course. So you’re not actually waiting for a refund but just for them to remove it from your next DD.