You don’t want to pay more than you need to on energy bills, especially when gas and electricity prices have been rising year-in year-out.
This means you’ll want to use the cheapest energy supplier and actually, the big six suppliers are mostly beaten for price.
Gas and electricity is charged in one of two ways, depending on the type of tariff you are on.
- Fixed tariff:
This type of tariff ensures prices stay the same for a certain period of time. The benefit is that if prices rise nationally, yours won’t be affected. Of course, there’s still the adverse effect of if prices decrease, yours won’t.
- Variable tariff
With a variable tariff, your gas and electricity prices will change in line with national rates.
Below we show you the cheapest tariffs in the UK for dual energy bills (gas and electricity), with an average annual UK bill.
Choosing a small energy supplier
Most homeowners will know about the larger energy companies operating in the UK. They’re continually in the news for one reason or another and have a fairly dominant share of the energy market as a whole.
Known as the ‘big six’, it includes Npower, E.ON, British Gas, Scottish Power, EDF and SSE. The chances are you’re probably using one of these suppliers.
But there are several smaller companies you should consider, as shown by the table above. So our advice would be not to let the non-household names put you off. Despite not being part of the ‘big six’ they still answer to Ofgem and supply the same gas and electricity.
Insulating your home
Switching your energy supplier is just the start when it comes to reducing bills, because if you have an inefficient home you’ll be wasting hundreds of pounds worth of heat every year.
You can insulate a number of areas in your home, from the loft and windows, to pipes and hot water tanks. Make sure your home has the insulation it needs all through the year.