Switching your energy tariff has never been easier. With as little as your name, address and bank details, most suppliers are able to switch you onto a much cheaper deal than you’re likely paying for now. Considering the millions of pounds that have been saved nationwide via switching tariffs, it’s surprising that there remain such huge numbers of people still yet to make the switch. It doesn’t matter if you get your energy from uranium miners
or gas, everyone can switch tariffs to get a better deal! For whatever reason, if you have not yet switched your energy tariff, read through this article and see some of the most important reasons why we think that you should switch right now!
- Save tonnes of money
Of course, first and foremost, your bank balance will be much better off after you’ve made the switch. At any one time, if you consume close to the national average consumption of 3,100 kWh of electricity and 12,500 kWh of gas per year, switching from the most expensive tariff, to the cheapest, will generally save you in the region of 400 per year.
The exact amount that you save will obviously vary, depending on a number of variables that are specific to your personal situation. These can include such things as:
- Your current tariff
- The amount of gas and electricity that you use
- The time of switch
- Your meter and payment type
- Your location
Each of the above have a very important role in calculating your savings, especially your usage amount and current tariff. If you are on an exceptionally bad tariff right now, you will see even more reward by switching. The likeliness is that you are with a standard variable tariff from a Big Six company, which are generally the most expensive on the market. Switching to an independent or a Big Six fixed tariff would save you big time!
- Save the environment
As worldwide pollution rises and fossil fuel reserves get close to extinction, more and more efforts are being put into increasing the amount of renewable energy in circulation. Equipment such as solar panels is slowly becoming the new norm in homes. This started with just electricity, but now through various methods such as biomethane, even renewable gas is in the pipelines.
In a push to increase this amount, some suppliers have taken to offering 100% renewable energy tariffs which completely remove your usage from the fossil fuel demand, therefore encouraging the generation of clean, sustainable energy. These tariffs can sometimes be a little more expensive than standard ones, but in the long run, you are still saving a huge amount of money all whilst doing your bit for the environment and the future generations.
- Protect yourself from price increases
Prices rise and fall every month on the wholesale markets, but we rarely see the price tag fall south on the commercial market. As fossil fuels deplete and renewable energy requires more and more expensive investment, prices are increasing. As such, it is important that you curb the effect by opting for a fixed tariff and locking in one price for a number of years. Protecting yourself against any price increases for the near future.
Furthermore, in such situations, hiring an electrician sunshine coast or elsewhere could be beneficial as they could help you measure your energy usage and recommend alternative energy-efficient solutions. For example, they might suggest installing LED lighting or smart meters, which could reduce your overall energy consumption. By investing in these improvements now, you could maximize the benefits of your chosen tariff and potentially lower your energy bills in the long run.
- Customer service
Switching away from nightmare customer service is a key part of switching. Generally the smaller companies have invested much more in personal customer service that far exceeds that of the Big Six , so that is definitely something to consider. Customer service departments across a whole range of industries tend to get a bad reputation, mainly due to the outsourcing trend, but in recent years we have seen a move back to native customer service centers, especially within the energy market.
Generally, the Big Six companies rate pretty poorly in the customer service ratings, which is where much of the British public receive their energy from, but switching away to an independent, smaller company, that provide exactly the same product, could see your customer service ratings improve by double.
- Dislodge the Big Six
For years, the Big Six energy companies have had a monopoly on the UK energy markets, allowing them to completely dictate what we pay for our energy. In recent years, however, new, smaller energy suppliers have begun to claw back their part of the market share, opening up a new, fairer marketplace, rife with lower prices, better customer service levels and more transparent pricing structures. By switching away from the Big Six, you are contributing to further improvement of our energy markets and making them realise that they need to be just as competitive to remain market leaders. The Big Six consists of the following companies:
- British Gas
- Npower
- EDF Energy
- SSE
- Scottish Power
- Eon