Six tips to keep your costs down

CONSUMER expert Sarah Pennells, who founded the money website SavvyWoman, shares her top tips for keeping energy bills and costs in check. LOOK for the letter by meter readings. An ‘E’ means it is estimated, which you cannot rely on for accurate bills. Take a meter reading every month and report it to your supplier for accurate bills. MONITOR fixed direct debit payments to ensure they adequately cover your usage. Energy companies do not always set direct debits at the correct level and while some review what you are paying every three months, others do not do it so often. CHANGE your monthly direct debit payment if you feel it is necessary by contacting your supplier. If they refuse, make a complaint or consider switching. ASK your energy company for a refund if you have built up credit. Companies will generally give one if you are more than £5 in credit (normally on the anniversary of signing up to the deal). But you will only get this if there has been a meter reading in the past few months. SWITCH suppliers – especially if you have not done so before or if you are on a standard tariff rather than one of the supplier’s newer deals. But only do this if you have a year’s worth of bills or your annual energy statement, so you know what your usage is. SEARCH for a new supplier based on service as well as price. ScottishPower and npower have both recently landed in hot water with regulator Ofgem for failing to sort out problems over billing.