Want to save €517 in 35 minutes? Read on

Fancy making €517 in 35 minutes? That’s exactly how much you can save just by clicking on a comparison site when your energy contracts come up for renewal, usually every 12 months.

Alas the majority of people don’t bother.

I recently had occasion to switch providers and decided to time and list what is involved to show how easy it is.

11.44am: Sit at computer with nice cup of tea.

11.45am: Log onto Switcher.ie. Go to compare electricity and gas prices. Tick three boxes on form.

11.46am: Check cheapest dual fuel offer – Energia €1,526.

11.47am: Check cheapest electricity deal – Energia €800 per year.

11.48am: Check cheapest gas deal – €684.

You’ll notice that the best deals include whacking great discounts of say 30%. That’s great but it’s also a warning. When your 12 months are up, the bill will rise by that amount because the discount period is up, leaving you paying way over the odds compared to a new customer.

That’s why you have to keep switching to avail of these discounts.

On the website I click Switch Now to change the gas account to Flogas 11.50am: Fill out and read form 12.00am: Fill in bank details 12.02am: Done! That’s €136.05 saved so far compared to the previous deal.

Switcher.ie like all energy comparison sites are closely monitored by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.

This means they have to give you the best deals.

Accordingly, Switcher listed the best deal as one that is only available directly from Energia and not through the Switcher.ie website. Fair play. So I log onto the Energia website. 12.03am: Fill in form 1 12.08am: Untick boxes on marketing consent. Read terms and conditions (as before). Yes I know this is a major pain but it is worth doing. (To quote that great American consumer champion Homer Simpson: ‘I never sign anything without giving it a cursory glance.’)

12.18am: Tick boxes on terms and conditions.

12.19am: Done! Another €381 saved.

That’s €517 saved in less than 40 minutes. And that includes reading the terms and conditions!

That’s over €10 a minute.