How Do I Find a Good Power Retailer

bpop99 on 26/08/2019 - 20:21
Last edited 27/08/2019 - 19:14

Hey all, I have a Billsht situation from the company that claims no Billsht

I posted this is the general discussion as I don't think there is one specific category for this. I'd like to ask your honest opinion on this, horror stories, suggestions and tips

We received our second quarterly bill recently and this was the one for the past 3 months. Being winter, we expected the energy usage to be significant, so we are not entirely surprised. What shocked us what that our prices this round shot up by 10%.

Whats also annoying is that the 'discount' is only applied in the following bill. Which is a pay on-time discount that applies on the following bill. This means that this round, we are paying a hefty sum of money for the privilege of being overcharged, which no guarantee we will get it the next round. We also are stuck as we will lose this hefty discount next bill if we decide to switch.

I did so much research over this before deciding and still got stuck in this scam. Is there a retailer that plays fair in terms of upfront pricing without these billsh*t tactics. And that just includes the upfront pricing without all these sneaky tactics? I mean, i now don't mind paying a little extra if I don't have to live with sudden bill increases, sneaky discounts with catches and stuff.

edit: They replied to say that the additional 10% markup for this bill is GST, as the previous bill is before GST

General Discussion Electricity

Comments

  • Halo375 on 26/08/2019 - 20:28
    +1

    With Globird at the moment and they’ve been okay. All power companies (and insurance providers) quietly wiggle their prices up whenever they can, its what they do. Just review every 6 months and keep jumping ship - its a pain but thats our local energy regulation for you!

    • bpop99 on 26/08/2019 - 20:47

      Thanks, just looked it up - Globird is not available in our location

    • bpop99 on 26/08/2019 - 20:54

      Also, as an add on to this - do they not need to inform us first before they raise prices? Do we have a case to push back? I think we are lucky that we can afford it but i sort of feel like I've been scammed and it makes my blood boil.

      • brad1-8tsi on 27/08/2019 - 07:57

        You would have got a notice from Amaysim via email

        • bpop99 on 27/08/2019 - 11:07

          We've written to them to get a response - and no, I don't think there was a notice

          • bpop99 on 27/08/2019 - 19:16

            @bpop99: Just to add to this - they replied the 10% is after GST whereas the one previously was before GST

  • mysterytal on 26/08/2019 - 20:55
    +1

    "I mean, i now don't mind paying a little extra if I don't have to live with sudden bill increases, sneaky discounts with catches and stuff."

    LOL…no. That isn't possible. If you want a plain bill then forget about the discounts and go for a low ongoing rate with no requirement to pay on time.

    Sudden bill increases are due to old discounts expiring so forget about the discounts and the rate will stay somewhat steady increasing by a small amount each year.

    I'm with Origin Energy and you would need a maths degree to figure out what the best tariff to be on with them is.

    • bpop99 on 26/08/2019 - 21:04

      My initial reason for going with this Billsh*t provider was because they claimed to play fair and had a seemingly fairer position. They weren't the cheapest, so it wasn't like I made a decision solely on price. I think the scamminess stacks up, and pulling this hidden price hike was the last straw

  • Yabadabadoo on 26/08/2019 - 20:58
    +2

    In Sydney I found ReAmped Energy to be the cheapest and no catches see https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/475414 remember to get the handshake plan as it has lower rates and still not contract (just a handshake LOL)

    • bpop99 on 27/08/2019 - 10:22
      +1

      Thank you for the recommendation. I looked them up and now its currently top of my list

  • kahn on 26/08/2019 - 21:06

    According to an unnamed ozbargainer who is currently in the penalty box, this is what happens with market deregulation.

    Voters, being the retards that they are, voted to continue losing money so that the economy can go on being severely damaged by the Laberal Parties.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/privatisation-has-damaged-th…

    • HighAndDry on 27/08/2019 - 13:28

      I've never gotten the complaints against de-regulation, especially as it generally comes from the same people who complain about government unfairness and corruption too.

      Honestly the easiest way to deal with power company shenanigans is an anti-misleading and deceptive conduct campaign by ACCC forcing them, like telcos and loans, to disclose a standard comparison energy rate, taking out all the possible discounts and rewards, etc that each plan has.

      • kahn on 27/08/2019 - 14:24

        So the easiest solution is regulation?

        • HighAndDry on 27/08/2019 - 14:57

          Not to the degree which "regulation" in the context of "de-regulation" means. Of course all companies and businesses are subject to 'regulation', energy companies are already subject to the Australian Consumer Law as regards misleading and deceptive that my suggestion would be applying.

          • kahn on 27/08/2019 - 15:07

            @HighAndDry:

            Not to the degree which "regulation" in the context of "de-regulation" means.

            Please, could you offer more mental acrobatics?

            • HighAndDry on 27/08/2019 - 15:20

              @kahn: You can't seriously suggest that "de-regulation" means not being subject to any laws and regulations. I'm only asking for the ACL to be applied.

              Here, from wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deregulation

              Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations

              And with particular relevance, see Canada's example from the same page:

              Natural gas is deregulated in most of the country, with the exception of some Atlantic provinces and some pockets like Vancouver Island and Medicine Hat. Most of this deregulation happened in the mid-1980s.[4] There is price comparison service operating in some of these jurisdictions

              I'm basically suggesting the same kind of price comparison service.

              • kahn on 27/08/2019 - 15:37

                @HighAndDry:

                I'm basically suggesting the same kind of price comparison service.

                If we were in America, I'd be able to call you a communist.

                • HighAndDry on 27/08/2019 - 15:49
                  +1

                  @kahn: In America, unless I'm digging the oil from the ground myself and burning it in a hand-built generator, I'd be counted a communist haha.

  • brad1-8tsi on 27/08/2019 - 07:56
    +2

    I was with Amaysim April 2018-April 2019 and they send out an email notice that the prices are going up. Maybe you missed it?

    I agree, the discount off the next bill is a bit of a rort.

    Amaysim's prices increased so much that I used Wattever.com & energymadeeasy and went with Simply Energy AFL10 plan. I haven't had a bill yet so possibly it was an unwise decision. They did put their rates up 2 weeks after signing on which was disappointing.

    I'm in Sydney (Energy Australia region), single person household, TOU metering but Simply Energy appear to have put me on flat rate, which is great as I'm mainly home during peak rate time.

    • bpop99 on 27/08/2019 - 11:05

      I don't doubt they are better than some of the others, and as such I don't feel like.

      It just feels weird that these practices exist at all. I mean which other industry do you pay the company 40% extra just for the privilege of getting it back the next month WITHOUT interest?

      Also, i don't remember us received a notice - but I'll check. I've written to them for an explanation

      • HighAndDry on 27/08/2019 - 13:30

        I mean which other industry do you pay the company 40% extra just for the privilege of getting it back the next month WITHOUT interest?

        It's a discount - you're not paying more this month, you're paying less next month. But yeah - no other industry has a "discount applied to next period rates", in energy it's far from uncommon. And it does exactly what it's designed to: make it more painful to change providers.

  • profar on 27/08/2019 - 11:17

    Currently on Momentum and at Daily Supply Charge $1 Peak 1 .188 Peak 2 .176 .
    They send what they want to charge from 22 Sept Supply Charge $1.07 Peak Use .282 . They said on my usage will be around $569 more pa and they are pleased to offer a 3 yr contract .
    So no choice but to go to comparison sites again .

  • dom03 on 27/08/2019 - 15:36

    AGL just increased my gas (not power) rate by +0.025c per MJ usage and +2.2c per day for supply charge which equals about $100-$200 a year more on my gas bill - thieves!

    I am in the market looking for new rates with another supplier -

    My Current GAS Rates with AGL are below (far right column is the inc GST rate):

    New rates
    Effective 1 Jul 2019
    Gas usage
    per annum
    Unit GST excl. GST incl.
    General Usage
    First 7560 MJ c/MJ 3.15300 3.468300
    Next 7440 MJ c/MJ 2.98500 3.283500
    Next 18000 MJ c/MJ 2.82500 3.107500
    Next 969000 MJ c/MJ 2.81300 3.094300
    Next 4002000 MJ c/MJ 2.69200 2.961200
    Thereafter c/MJ 2.41300 2.654300
    Supply charge c/day 66.00000 72.600000

    • dom03 on 27/08/2019 - 16:16

      cuns won't change the base rate, and go on about the % discount applied and only offer a non discounted fix term plan with lower base rate but ends up being more than the original plan anyway.

      Time to find another supplier for gas.

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