Affect Energy Review
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Affect Energy is, currently, a minnow in the gas and electricity industry.
Based in the West Sussex town of Shoreham-by-Sea, a stone’s throw from trendy Brighton, Affect is making waves in the market. Well, ripples at least. COULD A SWITCH TO AFFECT PUT POUNDS IN YOUR POCKET? Granted its licence by Ofgem in December 2015, Affect has started acquiring new customers since April 2016 by offering one of the cheapest dual fuel fixed deals around, its Fixed Until April 2018 tariff. The company appears to have been set up by ex-EDF employees – the history behind Affect’s claim of “50 years of energy experience”. Price is clearly Affect’s unique selling point, so we'll dedicate some focus to it in our Affect Energy review. It insists that in its time working in the industry, its “seen that most people just want to get cheap gas and electricity and for their supplier to do what they say they are going to do.” That’s what Affect aims to do. To see if you could save money with Affect, compare energy prices now. 
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Affect Energy tariffs and price
Affect offers both dual fuel, gas-only and electricity-only tariffs Its Fixed Until April 2018 tariff is a pretty attractive prospect. One of the key standouts in our Affect Energy review. Let’s run through the details: * Fixed prices until 30 Apr 2018 * Online account management * Online discount of £15.75 per fuel per year * Pay by direct debit Affect also promise you won’t have to contact your previous supplier, although because of the Energy Switch Guarantee it’s unlikely you’ll ever have to do so, no matter what supplier you switch from or to. At £25 per fuel, the exit fees are standard. While the price will depend on a number of factors (the size of your house, usage etc), we got a quote for a three-bedroom home in Brighton, with normal consumption, for just £816. The only way you can know for sure if Affect will save you cash is by crunching the numbers yourself. OVERPAYING FOR ENERGY? SEE WHAT YOU CAN SAVE Watch out for payment taken immediately Like many small suppliers, Affect will take the first payment on the day your account goes live; something to be aware of so you’re not shocked when money leaves your account immediately. This seems to be standard practice among independent providers, who can’t buy bulk energy in advance and need instant capital to trade on the wholesale market. Affect only seem to accept payment by direct debit. |
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Does Affect Energy support the Warm Home Discount?
No, at the moment Affect isn’t part of the government's Warm Home Discount scheme. What’s Affect Energy’s customer service like? The short answer is: it’s just too early to tell. The best indicator of a supplier’s performance is the complaints or reviews data submitted to the industry regulator Ofgem. Affect has yet to file its results. It replies quickly and helpfully to any messages on its Twitter page, but with 149 followers we don’t imagine customer service are inundated with requests… One thing is for certain: it wants to do as much of its business online as possible. It does, though, have a support centre, available Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm on 0330 60 62 675 (excluding bank holidays). But Affect clearly tries to funnel you into contacting them via email ([email protected]) or social media on its website. As Affect grows (and it will if it keeps prices as low as they currently are), it faces the same problems of scale as its smaller rivals. It could end up like Extra Energy, slammed for abysmal complaints performance, or OVO Energy (Read our OVO Energy Review), delivering quality service while adding hordes of customers. For now, watch this space. Affect Energy green credentials Again, this is an unknown quantity. Affect has yet to file its fuel mix disclosure – the table that shows where a supplier gets its fuel from, including what percentage comes from renewables, – with Ofgem. There is, however, no mention of sustainability or renewable energy on Affect’s website. For a more renewable supplier read our Bulb Energy review. This is a bare bones energy supplier in its infancy whose sole goal is to lure customers in on price. If that sounds good to you, get switching; but if you’re an Eco-conscious consumer who would like to do your bit for planet earth, you might want to look elsewhere. We suggest Ecotricity or OVO Energy – both with renewable energy firmly at the heart of what they do, but competitive on price. FIND OUT HOW AFFECT'S PRICES COMPARE TO THE REST |
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