Here's a long overdue update on the Electricity situation. After saying we were going to try out Iberswitch we didn't and I'm glad we didn't.

I've looked a lot more closely at their site and asked them plenty of questions. They do not promise savings of between 10 and 30% but simply say at the foot of a paragraph that "Our clients see savings of 10 - 30% off their monthly electricity bills!" I don't consider that to be quite the same thing and there is no mention of a guaranteed saving of any percentage.

In reality I would have to pay them over 75€ in the first year to get my savings !  Ok so each month I 'may' make a small saving but I have to pay 3.50€ a month to get my saving !  30€ sign up plus IVA = 35€ then 12 x 3.50€ = 77€

Changing electricity provider is not a quick process either, think 3 months and you might not be far off which means how can iberswitch switch me over to the company with the cheapest electricity when by the time I am with them they are not the cheapest ?

Not for me I'm afraid.

I want a guarantee of a saving.

Iberdrola are trying harder now to keep their customers. Have a look at the different plans they are offering.

Basic Plan - fixed monthly bills, tied in for 12 months and paying 0.142319(€/kWh) also the TUR or last resort rate set by the government.

Home Plan - Sign up for this and get 10% off your fixed charge until the end of the yr. I reckon that's the contracted capacity and is usually about 10€ a month anyway so 10% off that I'm not impressed by. You'd be tied in for 12 months and its a higher rate of 0.156551 (€/kWh)

Day and Night Tariffs - This looks more promising the Off-peak rate appears much lower than we've seen so far at 0.070452 (€/kWh) But the peak rate is very high at 0.190108 (€/kWh) You are tied in for 12 months. Cheap or off-peak times are between 11pm and 1pm and peak or expensive times are between 1pm and 11pm. This changes by an hour winter/summer.

Home Plus Plan and the Day and Night Energy look to only be concerned with over 10kW accounts and we are all under that.

Green Energy - Not the lowest of rates at 0.149435 (€/kWh) that's the off-peak rate then the peak rate is 0.173141 and the valley rate (?) is 0.067697

So the Day and night will give you the cheapest rate at 0.070452 (€/kWh) but if you want to cook your dinner in the oven at 6pm it's going to cost you a lot more than it does now.

No easy answers I'm afraid.