Too Much Energy Needed to Swap Tariffs!

We've heard from Chris Huhne at the Lib Dems conference today that energy companies are going to have to make it easier for consumers to spot cheaper deals and switch suppliers. Take our situation for example. We've been with e-on for nearly a year now - the deal was good at the time I took it out. They have written to me to say the deal I had with their SaveOnline 3 tariff is coming to an end and they are transferring me to their Energy Online tariff. This they will do automatically if I don't get in touch; as they say, "you don't need to do anything else, we'll take care of everything."

But it then says, if I don't want to renew, I should have a look at their website where they are sure there's a deal just right for me.

So I have a look, and there is one, namely SaveOnline 10, which seems just about the same as what I'm already on! So I ring them up and ask why they haven't suggested I go onto this tariff. Ah, well, they tell me, that would involve going on to a new contract and they are not allowed by the watchdog to tell me about it!

Either there is something very badly wrong with the current regulations or they are lying! Or maybe it's a bit more complex. Maybe they make the most attractive tariff a new contract, so they don't have to tell me about it. Then they can try to 'con' me by automatically moving me to a more expensive rate.

Whatever the truth of it is, something needs doing about all this! With my estimated consumption for a year, this is how the monthly figures work out according to the spreadsheet I have created in order to try to compare prices:

Current tariff (which I'm on at the moment):	£80.45
New tariff (that they will put me on if I don't do anything):	£96.83
Alternative tariff (according to their website):	£90.07

As Chris Huhne said today, "We want simpler tariffs." Indeed we do!

(sorry about the big gap above, but the nice blog editing program seems to want to put lots of extra lines in before my table; even though I delete them, it puts them straight back! The trials and tribulations of blogging!)