Changing energy supplier - how do I actually calculate which is the best deal for my gas and electricity?

[TreasuredMim]

Easy to get random quotes based on how many bedrooms I have and how many adults are resident, but this surely is meaningless. How do I do a proper calculation to decide on the best deal? Don't think I'm BU to want to understand how to do this.

Look at your bills and see how many units you used in the last year. Check the unit prices at each of the suppliers you are considering. Remember to look at the standing charge too. Depending on how many units you use, it can be better to pay slightly higher standing charge if the units are cheaper.

Or sign up for one of those services that do the work for you and switch you automatically when your cheap deal expires.

Luckily you don't need to do any of that, many comparison sites are available. All you need is your actual usage which your current provider has to tell you

Even if you have estimate that the cheapest unit price is still the cheapest unit price

Google Uswitch. It does the job for you.

Your bill should tell you your actual usage in kWh for the year e.g. mine is 5921 for electricity and 14988 for gas

Plug them into a comparison site and it'll do a lot of the work for you. I've used comparethemarket, uswitch, moneysupermarket, etc

Look on Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert site and sign up to the Cheap Energy Club.

clubs.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub

As others have said you need to use units used not anything else for an accurate quote

Very helpful

Sorry if a stupid question, but my energy with Eon is coming off fixed rate in December onto a variable rate. Martin Lewis has said variable is better at the moment, but variable rates different with other suppliers? I'm not sure if I should be looking around? Ty x

In reality all suppliers are charging the government capped tariff on their standard variable products. This is because it is costing them more currently to buy the gas / elec than the government will allow them to charge. So the variable tariff is in essence a fixed tariff at the government cap until April 2022 when the cap will rise. This is why Martin Lewis and others have changed their usual tune of switch to stay put if you are on a standard variable tariff. You will be on a svt if you have never switched or have come out of a fixed tariff and not changed supplier since.

The alternative is fixed tariffs but these are currently upwards of 30% higher because they reflect the current price of energy and the providers need to balance the books. As a result all providers will be pushing these higher priced fixed tariffs as hard as they can.

The cap figure will rise in April as it is based on costs that have risen. I don't know if we are yet aware of what it will rise to but I suspect that the unscrupulous amongst the energy sellers will be telling everyone that the prices will rise astronomically in April and therefore they are better to pay a more expensive fix now to protect from that rise.

In terms of comparing rates use the annual estimate in usage (kWh) on your bill - which your supplier is obliged to provide at least once a year. Use that in all comparison and you will be comparing like for like.

No one can be certain how many baths a household if 3 will take and how efficiently their water heating system is to provide the varing amount of water they use for them...

I’ve just renewed with E.ON and swear I am so confused by this price cap business and whether a fixed or variable tariff is the best thing to opt for this time round that I’m just hoping for the best. I’m on a 1 year fixed online tariff. I read Martin Lewis’s advice and am still none the wiser. I have a learning disability and trying to get my head round energy deals this year seems to be beyond me.

Good luck finding the best deal you can OP.

Make sure when looking, that you use actual usage from meter reading that you have provided, not from estimated readings.

Thanks very much and for the very helpful responses. Handy info LittleOwl153, ty
I have the readings for last year, so will see if I can work out if any fixed rates are cheaper than the variable.. doesn't look like it then.
Will probably stay put then, thank you all😊