Check your energy bills – and switch to a cheaper supplier
WITH price rises from the Big Six suppliers kicking in and colder weather just around the corner, it is vital to review your energy bills – and the provider. Chances are you could make a big saving by switching ahead of the winter months.
Claire Osborne, energy expert at price comparison website uSwitch, says householders who have not switched for a few years are likely to make big savings – as much as £300 or more in the first year.
Osborne says: ‘With more than 50 suppliers in the market offering a range of deals, you can
find one that suits your needs and can compare not just on price but other things such as customer service, whether they provide green energy and best fixed rates.’
She adds: ‘Whether you choose to go with a large supplier or one of the smaller, newer ones, make sure you are not rolled on to the supplier’s default standard tariff – these are normally the most expensive deals.’
It is important to supply regular meter readings – usually once every three months – to your energy company if you do not have a smart meter which can do this automatically.
Almost six million households never do so and it leads to around half of consumers receiving much higher bills when they finally submit a reading. Retired delivery drivers Sandra and Pete Coomber, both 70, first switched supplier five years ago from E.On to EDF and then again two years ago to First Utility.
The couple, who live in Bristol and have two children and four grandchildren, knew little about the company but the savings looked attractive.
‘We decided to go for a fixed tariff with First Utility for two years,’ says Sandra.
‘It was a bit of a leap in the dark as I didn’t know the company – it was not one of the big names I recognised.
‘But we are set to save almost £300 over two years. Switching is simple, the energy companies do all the work for you. The savings make a big difference to us.’