Your Energy Guide
AVOID DEBT, MANAGE YOUR ENERGY BILLS
To ensure that you are getting the best deal from your provider, you must manage your gas and electricity bills on a regular basis.
Getting into debt in the current financial downturn can be quite daunting, especially with a majority of lenders being reluctant to lend.
Due to the increase in energy prices along with bills being based on estimation readings which are usually lower than annual consumption, it is not very difficult to land yourself in debt.
It’s best practice to ensure you keep up to date with your household bills so that you know how much you are spending and if your existing deal is the best for you.
By comparing gas and electricity rates and plans from a range of providers, you may find a cheaper deal than your existing one, and may chose to switch suppliers.
In the case of finding a cheaper supplier, you would need to pay off any debts with your existing supplier on top of your current energy costs. Otherwise you may not be able to switch.
TAKE REGULAR METER READINGS
Because your bills are based on estimations, you may be paying more for the amount of energy you actually use. By providing your supplier with regular meter readings, your bills will be more accurate.
Some providers enable customers to submit their meter readings online so that the bills you receive are based on what is actually used. This means that the chances of receiving a surprisingly high bill when the actual reading is taken, is less likely.
A Smart Meter is another way of ensuring you are up to date with your energy bills.
WHAT IS A SMART METER?
The Smart Meter is a tool that enables you to monitor your usage of gas and electricity more accurately by entering in your own meter readings so that it can tell you how much it will cost you.
With a third of people finding it difficult to understand their energy bills, the Smart Meter makes it easier for homeowners to get clear and accurate billing.
It also allows you to monitor the times of high energy use and will help you see which appliances use up the most energy.
It replaces your existing energy meter which will link back to your energy supplier to allow them to get accurate readings of your gas and electricity. Therefore you would not even have to take the readings and submit them as this will be fully automated.
This also means your bills would be more accurate and someone does not have to come to read your meter.
There are a number of plans and tariffs to choose from if you decide to switch.
COMPARE PRICES
Make use of our free price comparison tool to search for the best tariffs and plans.
Suppliers aim to attract new customers and therefore make modifications to their tariffs and price plans. By comparing gas and electricity rates regularly, you may be able to find a better deal than your existing one and could save up to £200.
You should compare these prices every 6 to 9 months if you want to get a better deal.