Selfsufficientish.com

Hello again all, long time no SSish!

Looks like we´ll be moving to Wales in the near future, into a "normal"-ish house , so I guess I´ll be needing lots of your advice because it´s been quite a few years....

First things first: I´ll have to pay bills again so how do I find out who´s gonna give me the best deal on phones, internet and electricity?

There are loads of comparison websites - uswitch and others. When we moved in here we just took over the existing agreement, as I suppose most people do. Then you have time to consider what's best for your circumstances. You won't know how much of anything you'll use until you've found your house .

Ecotricity looks good, from a green viewpoint, but they won't be the cheapest.

well, I suggest for phone and internet use the 'phone coop' via http://www.bristolwireless.net/ I am with phone coop for my line and voice calls, I have a business style internet connection.

not sure about energy providers, but http://www.atcostenergy.com/ is a new player, unsure if there are any real energy coops.

Thanks Maggie and John.....I already have the house I´m just too frightened to move into it

Wales is not that bad!! (Please note: Fi m yn cellwair. Cara Cymru.)

Hi Clara - did you sell your house?

Millymollymandy wrote:Hi Clara - did you sell your house?

Not yet, a few people have come and fallen in love with the place then made offers on condition I make car access.....some people just don´t get it

I got Ecotricity when I moved in to my new house. They match the 'Big 6'for their green tarif, so I am assuming altho more expensive than 'cheap' power they are competitive. They also started a trial green gas, but I just tied into British gas Heard about the phone company, but again, tied in for now to BT.

Good luck with the move, it will all be worth it once settled.

Sarah

That's a shame, they must realise that before coming to look at the house so why do they bother? Good luck though.

hi clara
been absent for a bit just found this thread
my wife and i work for a company called utility warehouse. they offer your phone broadband gas electric and mobile all on one bill .
they are also regularly top of which surveys for utility supply stuff
so pls check out www.myfunlife.co.uk
once again i do get payed if you take out their services i say this just so i can be apsolutly open about this

I´m just starting to engage with this...all previous agreements have been severed and I don´t know who they were with. Trying to work out what would be the best deal seems like some sort of black art.

I have another question....looking at broadband deals, do I also have to pay a line rental on top? I went to some BT offer which was 19.99 per month (first 3 months free) and it seemed to want to bill me 11.45 a month for line rental. I´m sorry I really don´t understand, been up a mountain too long I guess!!

hi clara
some companys will charge you line rental, for others you will have to pay bt's line rental on top so all i can say is ask the question.
the utillity warehouse (who i work for so bias) dont charge you line rental on top and give you free calls for being a customer if you are intreasted in know more pls visit the web site in previous post



sorry blatent plug over

Depends on what you mean by 'best'!

As already mentioned, there are loads of websites you can use to compare tariffs, but I tend to start with Ethiscore, which compares the ethics and then work from there.

Good Energy come out on top for electricity (they only invest in renewables), the Ecotricity green plan is about 5th. As far as I can remember with Ecotricity, although they provide more renewable energy than is legally required, not all their plans are 100% renewable).
Phone Coop come out top for line rental, Green ISP for broadband and Equigas for gas.

I don't always go for the highest rating, but it gives me a starting point and certainly highlights the companies to aviod!

TBH At the moment best equals cheapest, I suspect this will be a short on-grid sabbatical.

Clara
can i offer a word of caution please be aware that most indroductory deals are offered inconjunction with a long contract the only company i no who are so confident in thier products and prices that they dont tie you to a long contract are the utility warehouse