Save money on your energy bills

Monday 12th November 2012

The colder, darker winter nights have us all reaching for the heating dials but rising energy prices mean many of us are worried about managing our heating bills this year. Read our tips on how to cut the cost of your energy bill and still stay cosy!

Check out the competition

Chances are if you haven’t moved energy providers in the past, switching over to a different provider will see your energy bills drop. Go to comparison sites such as energyhelpline.com and uSwitch.com, tap in your details and check for more competitive deals. You can then either switch providers or quote one of the more competitive deals to your existing provider to see if it will offer you something better.

Fixed tariff

Don’t end up on a standard tariff, these are the least cost effective contracts to be on and energy providers put customers onto these once their fixed deals have ended. Basically they’re hoping you won’t notice. Ideally you want to secure your fixed tariff deal before it starts getting too cold but even if it comes to fixing in the winter months you’ll still be better off than staying on a standard deal.

Direct Debit

The cheapest way to pay for your gas and electric is by setting up direct debit payments. The payments will be calculated based on your average use. A lot of customers are suspicious about paying for their energy bills this way but it is possible to make adjustments to the amount debited and claim back extra money paid in summer months.

Pay online

Ditch paper billing and your energy provider will reward you with a cheaper bill. Many of the best deals tend to only be available to online customers too. Dual tariff Get your gas and electricity from the same provider – they don’t want to share your custom with a competitor so make dual fuel tariffs cheaper than paying for gas and electricity separately.

Source: Good Housekeeping UK