Recently, whilst shopping, I was canvassed by a gas supply company who had set up a stall near the store entrance. They asked a few pertinent questions and said that they could save me about £100. "Payment by direct-debit," I replied. "Of course," was the answer. "My wife and I are the only ones with access to our account," I told them, "and it's not going to change." The salesman just shrugged his shoulders and left at that.
Later, with that encounter in mind, I wrote a letter, not an e-mail, a handwritten letter, to my gas supplier explaining that I can get a decent price reduction elsewhere. They answered by return of post with a copy of some super deal and all I had to do was sign the direct debit. I wrote back telling them much the same as I did the canvassing salesman, adding an implication that I was looking to change supplier.
Two days later another letter arrived informing me that they had looked again at my account and were able to improve on the rate that I had paid previously, furthermore they would backdate the offer and credit it to my next quarterly bill. I thanked them and said that I will wait and see my new tariff.
We have a large property, my winter bills can reach £400 and my summer ones are about £200, they vary up and down of course but it's the use of hot water that will cause those fluctuations and we do use a lot of hot water.
Today my quarterly gas bill landed on the doormat, you can see for yourself how much it is. I will leave it with you, I'm off to write a letter to my electricity supply company.
