Why you should consider switching your energy supplier and how to do it
We spend a lot of money on heating and
on electricity in our family home. One of the easiest ways to save money is to
check your usage, compare supplier offers and switch to a better deal. Ofgem,
the government’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, asked us to check out the Be an Energy Shopper
site that
helps you understand your energy bills, and what to do if you want to find a
better deal. Please note, this post is written in collaboration with Ofgem.
Our
three bedroom Victorian end of terrace takes a huge chunk out of our monthly
wallets to maintain. It is probably the old windows and the roof in need
of repair that make the biggest impact on our heating bills, and the fact
that there is always someone in means we use plenty of electricity too.
However,
I have always suspected we also pay too much to our supplier. Currently our
projection for the next 12 months is £1399. After checking on one of the Ofgem approved comparison sites I
found out we could save around £200. That would be a big bonus that we could
spend on small DIY projects, or perhaps even put towards our window fund in an
effort to make our house more energy-efficient. In another home, that extra
cash could provide funds to heat the house more, ensuring better health and
more comfortable living.
We
have never switched our supplier, other than when we moved houses and left the
old supplier behind and took over the new house and its existing supplier.
Actually deciding to switch suppliers has always felt like a major effort. So I
figured I would have a look to see if it really is such a faff.
After
looking through the page that describes how to switch suppliers, it actually is really simple.
All
you need to do is identify a good deal (by using the comparison sites), and give them few pieces of information. You need your postcode, the name of
current supplier, the name of your current energy deal and how much you spend
on this (check your recent bill for this!), an up-to-date meter reading and
your bank details if paying by direct debit. Direct debit is worth considering
as you can often get extra good deals doing that. The price comparison
website will do all the work for you and switching will take about 3 weeks. If you want to do the switching yourself check out the Be An Energy Shopper site for advice
Your
old supplier should refund you any credit you have with them, or you might have
to pay them for any current debits so check ahead to avoid surprises. And
before you do any of this, you might also let your current supplier know you
are thinking of switching and see if they can give you an even better
deal.
So,
switching suppliers looks easy and you could save money. I
am definitely considering switching now!
Have
you ever switched energy suppliers? How did it go?
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