How to change electricity and gas suppliers?

[HarlequinOrka]

New at adulting in a home.

Please may I have your tips for changing electricity and gas suppliers?

My electricity has gone through the roof for no reason, and I cannot log onto the account to see why. I've had long-term issues with the account log on.

I am looking for cheap, but environmentally friendly, so any idea of places to look would be welcomed.

Also, how does the switching process go? Do they physically have to cut off the utilities to do it? I don't really want anyone in the house at the moment (shieldy bug here).

Forgot to add, a supplier that I can pay smaller amounts each month would be fab so I am then not surprised by a huge bill, and I find it easier this way for budgeting.

Get in touch with your new supplier by getting a quote on their website. If you're happy with the quote, go ahead. There'll be no break in service or anyone coming to your house. I'm with bulb and if you want a referral code, message me cos we'd both get 50£ credit if you switch.

You choose the supplier you want- try price comparison websites. Once you've chosen one you tell them to want to switch to them and they will carry the switch out for you. They will ask you to provide final meter readings (take a picture of the readings so you have proof) and then your current supplier will give you a final bill using those readings and they will become your start readings for your new supplier.

I am with Octoous, they also do a £50 referral credit to your account. I have been happy with them as you provide monthly readings and they give an up to date balance and show how much gas/electricity you have used.

When looking for quotes it would be helpful to have note of how much gas/electricity you use annually so the comparison is more accurate

Get an annual statement for both fuels.
Go on a comparison website, tell them your postcode and typical usage.
Choose a supplier/tariff you are happy with
(Optional, go onto topcashback or similar and see if there is an incentive in there)
Fill in the form, and sit back. They will do it all - including dealing with your current supplier. The only thing you need to do is provide meter readings when requested.

It is all done electronically, no-one needs to visit the house.

Contact your existing supplier- painful but necessary! Ask them to reset your account details and send you your bills for last 12 months, Confirm with them if you are locked into a contract, also ask why your payments have gone up so much, take a meter reading and see if your account is in debit or credit.
If you arent locked in go to a price comparison website ( money supermarket, compare the market etc) and with your bills you can calculate your annual usage and get a quote from other suppliers. You can also do this without bills based on monthly payments but its more accurate with meter readings, importantly check you arent locked in so you dont have to pay cancellation fee to existing supplier.
Green energy supplies are usually more expensive so you may have to weigh up the benefits.
You can fill in all your details on the website new supplier sorts out the transfer all you need then to do is take a meter reading on the day you switch and send it to old and new suppliers. Depending on your final bill from old supplier you may get a refund or you may have a balance to pay.It is a very simple process.

Thank you everyone!

Mumsnet is pretty much filling in for the Big Book of Adulting which seems to have not been published yet.

I've just had someone to take meter readings so I will give them a couple of days to be updated to the system and then start the switch process. I have my energy bills for the year so I can work things out, I use very little energy here it seems (compared to the "average" usages I am getting online), but it still doesn't account for why my electricity use has trebled.

Has your usage gone up or has your tariff changed?
You will need to give your own meter readings during the switching process too

@HarlequinOrka

Thank you everyone!

Mumsnet is pretty much filling in for the Big Book of Adulting which seems to have not been published yet.

I've just had someone to take meter readings so I will give them a couple of days to be updated to the system and then start the switch process. I have my energy bills for the year so I can work things out, I use very little energy here it seems (compared to the "average" usages I am getting online), but it still doesn't account for why my electricity use has trebled.

Are the readings on your bills A for actual or E for estimate, if you use less than average and are on estimated billing you'll likely be overpaying

@dementedpixie it is saying my usage has gone up. However, I cannot see why it would have.

For the same period of time last year, there were three of us here - now there is just me. I appreciate that lockdown may have given a slight increase but I doubt it would be that much. I just want to double check it's not a metre issue if that makes sense.

Don't forget to take photos of the meters too.

Hi there,

I switched last September from British gas to octopus. Id never done it before but it was really simple, just do a quote on their website to see roughly what you'll end up paying and if happy sign up and they do the rest :-) I had a nightmare with British gas and ending up going to the ombudsman. They failed to tell me my smart meter wasn't sending them readings and billed me 1000 and claimed i was using 184 a month! I now pay around 80 with octopus for a 4 bed and 1 child. Defo worth doing a quote. Since being with them Ive recommended a friend and we both got 50 credit so there's advantages. My referral link is share.octopus.energy/great-calf-414 if you like the look of them

They don't cut off your facilities. Hope it helps!

I'm with Flipper. It's something like £30 per year. They check the market every month and flip you if they find a better deal. They do EVERYTHING. All I've done for two years is supply meter readings when asked occasionally.

I've just had an annual report. I was flipped three times and have saved £760.

I literally do NOTHING.

Martin Lewis has lots of info on this. You do not need to pay anyone to do basic maths.

You need to get the price for each unit of gas and electric and the standing charges. Your annual cost is the standing charges multiplied by 365 and the unit charges multiplied by your usage. Currently electricity is around 17p a unit and gas a bit under 3p. These prices will keep going up. There isn't much actual competition. Money is made from the 60% who pay over the odds and support the rest of us. Mi

Electricity and gas are supplied by large network companies split by area. They sell the fuel to suppliers who are the people you pay. Hence switching is purely an accounting exercise and does not involve cut offs or anyone visiting. If you have gas as well as electric, buy both from the same supplier.

Switches quite often go wrong and will need phone calls to sort out.

Do not use small companies, they all go bust because the business model is to undercharge, take money and then ofgem bail them out! We all pay for that.

No such thing as green energy - all generation pollutes. Do not be suckered by greenwash. No cheap energy either.

As for your actual issue , turn everything off and see what the meter does. Usual culprits are heat generating items : immersion heater, incorrectly used storage heaters etc. Twitter works surprisingly well for getting attention.