My thoughts on this subject
were ignited last week when I got my half yearly energy bill. The
background to this is back in May our dual fuel monthly direct debit
was reduced from £78 per month to £40. We were also £80 in credit
on our account and this was returned into our bank account. We didn't
request either of things and I wasn't happy about it. You may wonder
why I wouldn't be happy about lower bills and extra money in our bank
account but I knew it couldn't last. The £40 per month would cover
the summer months but not the winter months. So last week our bill
stated it was going from £40 per month to £117! Now if there's one
thing you need to know about me it's you don't mess with the Ness!
One Twitter message and several direct messages later and I was on a
new tariff and the new monthly direct debit is now £67 per month.
What if I hadn't managed to
lower my bill? Since my tariff was coming to end this month it would
have been best to shop around and find a new energy supplier. With
such a choice of suppliers and tariffs there's a lot to think about
so here's some tips to finding the best deal.
Get accurate comparisons
– There are several reputable comparison websites about and in
theory it should be easy to search for the best deals. Do make sure
they are available in your area as some suppliers are regional.
You'll also need to look at the terms of the tariff such as how you
pay it and how you need to manage the account as listed below.
Look at your latest bills
– To get the most accurate picture of your account you'll need at
least a year's worth of bills. If you're using a comparison site
enter the amount of energy you have used (usually in kWh) rather than
the amount you have paid.
Pay by direct debit –
It's far cheaper for companies to have their bills paid by direct
debit rather than by cash or cheque and this is reflected in the
tariff. Even the most basic of bank accounts allow for direct debits
to be set up so try to pay this way if you can.
Duel benefits – If
you have gas and electric quite often a supplier will give a discount
if you you take both gas and electric from them. Do check though that
this discount still works out better than having separate suppliers.
Get online – In
recent years I've managed to get a cheaper tariff by managing my
account online. This means that I get emails rather than paper bills
and I get a reminder every couple of months to send my meter readings
in. If your bills are often estimated you could be underpaying by
quite a bit of money so it's worth keeping them up to date.
Energy is energy –
Unlike broadband speeds and reliability the gas and electric which
comes into your house is the same no matter what provider you chose.
If you decide to change suppliers you shouldn't notice any disruption
in service as no new wiring or pipes need to be fitted. What will
differ is the quality of service. Hopefully you will never have a
problem or query with your bill but if you do look at their record of
complaint handling.
Cancellation fees –
Some providers make it as hard as possible to leave by having
termination fees. By leaving it could cost you more than you save
with a different provider. Usually you will need to wait until your
tariff ends to escape without paying.
Keep in credit – If
you are in debt with your current supplier you may not be allowed to
leave until you have paid it all off. Do make sure if you are in
credit that when you switch that you do receive it back when you
leave.
Have you ever changed energy
suppliers? Do you regularly review your energy tariff?
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This is something I really think I should do sometime. I always worry it will be hard though. x
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I am thinking of changing suppliers but I have a smart meter and am worried it won't work
ReplyDeleteThis is all very practical advice, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI haven't swapped supplier in forever, I do check their range of tariffs though
ReplyDeleteGosh, that was a big jump, from £40 to £117, it would have been a big shocker for anyone! Glad to hear you managed to get it down to nearly half, well done!xx
ReplyDeleteWe changed our supplier about six months ago and our bill has almost halved. We always shop around every now and then x
ReplyDelete