Green Zone - Summer 2015

Energy Bill image

It may be warm outside, but it is never too early to think about saving money by switching your energy suppliers.

In 2014, the big energy suppliers all announced price-hikes of between 8-10%. And your bill is likely to increase yet again this winter, so now might be the right time to start looking for the best price for your gas and electricity.

 

Getting the best deal

1. Get Online

Energy suppliers will often offer their best deals through their websites. The best way to benefit from switching is to get access to the internet and manage your account online. Many energy providers now offer free apps, which you can download to your phone or tablet.

2. Price Comparison Websites

Getting online means you can search for the best deals using a price comparison website.

These websites will ask you for the following details in order to compare energy providers:

  • Your postcode
  • Name of your current supplier
  • Your current energy tariff (your energy provider should tell you this)
  • Current payment method
  • How much you use per month (this should be on your statement)

3. Shop around

Suppliers offer so-called 'dual fuel' discounts to encourage customers to sign up for both gas and electricity. This kind of discount makes the price lower than the cost of buying gas and electricity separately from that provider. BUT it is important to compare dual fuel deals against the price of getting electricity from one provider and gas from another. Buying 'single' tariffs for each fuel might work out cheaper, although it would mean you'd have two different suppliers, two bills and two points of contact.

 

Other energy saving tips

Gas image Apart from switching your energy provider to get cheaper rates on your gas and electricity, there are a number of everyday changes that you can make that will not only reduce your energy bills, but also help the environment.

  • Take a quick shower instead of a bath.
  • Only boil what you need in your kettle
  • Turn off taps while shaving or brushing your teeth
  • Turn you heating down by 1 degree, this could save you £55 per year.
  • Use energy saving light bulbs, one bulb can save you £60 over its life time.
  • Don’t leave TV’s, gaming consoles, PC’s etc on standby - turn them off at the mains after use.
  • Close curtains at night to keep the heat in.
  • Hang cloths out to dry instead of using the tumble dryer.
  • Make sure lights are off before you leave the house.
  • Don't crank up your domestic water to a scalding temperature - setting your cylinder thermostat to 60°C/140°F should be adequate.