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Due to the energy crisis, there are very few deals available to switch to right now.
In the meantime, there are plenty of ways to save energy (and money):
Once you’ve clicked 'confirm' on our site, you could be switched within just five working days. Read on and we'll walk you through the process...
Compare energy deals with us: It only takes a few minutes to find a deal and confirm your switch.
If you prefer, you can then choose to switch right now. In which case you should be switched to your new provider within five working days. Although there may be a slight delay if the supplier requires more information. You'll still retain your right to cancel within a 14-day period.
If you cancel within your cooling-off period but after your five-working-days switch has completed, you'll need to pay for any energy used with the temporary supplier until your energy supply is moved again.
Alternatively, you can wait for the switch to complete after your cooling-off period, in which case your switch should be completed in around 15 days. However, your new supplier may give you the option to choose a switch date up to 28 days ahead.
The Energy Switch Guarantee means your new supplier will handle the process and you’ll be switched over smoothly and without loss of service.
Your new energy supplier will get in touch with your old supplier and agree a switch date. They’ll tell you when this will be.
Your new supplier will also get in touch with you around the time of the switch to ask for a meter reading. They pass this on to your old supplier, so they can send you a final bill.
Energy switches happen in the background, so there’s no impact on your gas and electricity supply. You won’t need any new pipes, there won’t be any digging or drilling, and your energy won't be cut off.
Your new supplier takes care of all the admin too, so you can relax. To put your mind at ease, we’ll keep you in the loop at every stage of your switch.
To change provider, you’ll just need:
Your address and postcode
A recent energy bill. Or access to your energy online account
Your bank details, if you want to pay by direct debit
If you opted to switch within a five-day timeframe, you’ve still got the 14-day cooling-off period to change your mind.
In this instance if you do change your mind, you won’t be charged anything for cancelling. But you will receive a bill from the new supplier for the short time you were on supply with them. But don’t worry: you won’t pay for the same energy twice.
If you decided not to fast track your switch, you’ll usually be switched over 15 days after filling out the switching form on MoneySuperMarket. Until then, you’ve got a 14-day cooling-off period to change your mind and won’t be liable for any cancellation charges.
If you change your mind about your switch during the cooling-off period, you’ve got a number of options. These are:
You may be able to move to another tariff with your new supplier. You’ll need to get in touch with them to check
You may be able to return to your previous supplier on a tariff on ‘equivalent terms’ to your old deal. To check, you’ll need to contact your old supplier. We advise you do this as soon as possible, as the previous tariff may only be available for a limited time.
Switch to another provider altogether. This will require you to make contact with the provider you’d like to join. Or if you like the look of an exclusive tariff on MoneySuperMarket, you’ll have to sign up through our site to get it.
In all these instances, the onus is on you to get in touch with suppliers to notify them of your intentions and tell them what you’d like to do.
If you decide to cancel your switch and don’t act on any of the options outlined above, you’ll be automatically moved to a standard variable tariff with your new supplier.. You’re then free to switch provider or tariff at your own convenience with no penalty to pay.
Whichever option you choose, it’s important to note that you’ll be billed for any energy you used during the cooling-off period.
Ready to shop around for a better deal? We’ll handle your switch and you can be with your new supplier within five working days
Get a quote in minutes by telling us your postcode and your energy usage.
Compare the best deals in the market to find the right deal for your needs.
Once you’ve started your switch you won’t need to do a thing – the suppliers take care of everything.
The lower cap for July 2024 cut the average household energy bill to £1,568, so it seems there’s light at the end of the tunnel at last. But with bills confirmed to rise again by 10% in October and stay largely unchanged in winter, we’re not out of the woods yet. So make sure you carry on practicing good energy-saving habits to keep your bills as low as possible and keep an eye out for a good value fixed tariff to protect you from future price rises.
There are many energy companies in the UK, and in normal circumstances, there are lots of options for customers to choose from.
With the energy crisis still ongoing, things to consider when deciding if a deal is better for you include:
Whether a deal will be under the July 2024 Price Cap (£1,568 a year) – if so, that's a decent deal by today's standards
Whether to switch to a fixed energy deal – usually, switching to a fixed-rate deal will save you money. In current market conditions, though, that may not be the case
Other factors to think about include:
Customer service – smaller companies can sometimes provide better support than bigger ones
Renewable energy – some tariffs are branded as 'green' or 'zero carbon'
Smart tariffs – these require you to get a smart meter, so you'll pay for your actual usage rather than an estimate. You can also see exactly what you use, and make use of cheaper off-peak rates
These figures are examples of annual energy usage in the average household. Your bill may be higher or lower depending on your energy consumption. Bear in mind, too, that your bill also includes standing charges.
Energy Use | Household Size | Gas Usage (kWh per year) | Electricity Usage (kWh per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
Low | 1 to 2 people | 7,500 | 1,800 |
Medium | 2 to 3 people | 11,500 | 2,700 |
High | 4 to 5 people | 17,000 | 4,100 |
Installing cavity wall insulation can save you up to a massive £370 per year on your energy costs. (Source: Energy Saving Trust, July 2024)
As it stands, under plans announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, this year the Winter Fuel Payment will no longer be paid to all Britons of state-pension age.
Instead, only pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit or other key benefits will qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment to help with their winter energy bills, which is worth up to £300.
It’s estimated that 880,000 pensioners who qualify for Pension Credit currently don’t claim it.
You can check your eligibility and find out how to claim at gov.co.uk.
Not eligible for Pension Credit? You may still qualify for the Warm Home Discount, or Cold Weather Payments. Both of which are means-tested and require claimants to be in receipt of certain benefits.
With energy bills set to rise 10% from October and again in January, you may also want to look into fixing your tariff now to save money and get peace of mind that you’ll know how much you’ll be paying for your energy.
Worried about racking up large heating bills this winter? Get tips to help keep your bills down with our handy energy-saving guide.
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
At the time of writing (July 2024), energy costs have fallen. From 1st June 2024, the energy price cap means that energy bills for average UK households will be £1,568 a year.
While bills are considerably lower than they were two years ago, they're still almost double pre-energy crisis levels. And they're unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels before the end of the decade. Gas and electricity prices can also fluctuate, depending on supply and demand.
With uncertainty still affecting the markets, only a few suppliers are able to offer a switchable fixed-rate tariff through MoneySuperMarket.
This will allow you to lock into a fixed price and might be a good idea if you'd prefer the peace of mind from knowing that you'll be insulated from further price rises, should these occur.
We're hopeful that lower wholesale prices may lead to more and more suppliers slowly offering cheaper fixed tariffs to switch to again soon.
When the market returns to normality, it's a good idea to run an energy comparison regularly to check if you can get a better price.
The 'Big Six' energy suppliers in the UK are:
British Gas
EDF Energy
EON
Npower
Scottish Power
OVO
There are also plenty of other smaller companies, including:
Octopus Energy
SmartestEnergy
It's hard to say which is the 'best' energy supplier – the best thing for you to do is to compare deals and see what's available.
The cheapest supplier for you depends on where you live, plus how much energy you use. So, what might be the cheapest for someone else, won’t necessarily be the cheapest for you.
That’s why it’s important to run an energy comparison – telling us some key details about where you live and your energy habits allows us to find the cheapest deals for you.
Once you’ve found an energy deal that suits you, you can choose to sign up for alerts with Energy Monitor. We’ll keep an eye on the market and let you know when it’s time to switch again.
Every single energy supplier in the UK is regulated by Ofgem, the industry regulator. This means that the smaller, lesser-known companies must follow exactly the same rules as the bigger, more established ones.
If a company goes bust, you’ll be covered by Ofgem. They’ll ensure your supply isn’t cut off, and protect any credit balances you may have.
Ofgem will also appoint a new supplier to take over your tariff.
When you’re choosing a new energy deal, think about whether to go for dual fuel (where you get both your gas and electricity from the same company) or separate tariffs (where you get gas from one company, and electricity from another). It’s worth checking both options, as the combined price of separate tariffs can sometimes be less than a dual fuel offer.
Think about whether you’d like to go for a fixed deal or a variable deal. Fixed deals can be a bit more expensive at the beginning, but you’ll know that your bills won’t suddenly jump during the fixed term.
The way you pay your bills can also affect the price – you can often get a discount for paying by direct debit, and for managing your account online, with no paper communications.
No. When you’ve chosen a new deal, your new supplier will handle the switching process. They’ll contact you to let you know what date you’ll be transferred over, and they’ll contact you around the switching date to ask for a meter reading. They’ll pass this on to your old supplier so they can send you a final bill. You don’t need to contact your old supplier either - your new supplier will handle it.
Yes. When you close your account with your old supplier, they will send you a final bill. Once this payment has gone out of your account, you should cancel your Direct Debit. If your account is in credit, the supplier should send you the balance.
Absolutely not. Switching suppliers is smooth and seamless and there’s no downtime while the switch is taking place. So you can rest assured you won’t be without an energy supply at any time.
Better still, unless you’re getting a smart meter installed you won’t an engineer to visit your home either.
Fixed-rate tariffs offer the security of knowing that the price you pay per unit of energy will be fixed for the duration of your plan. This is usually for one or two years.
That means that as you’re on this plan your rate will be set in stone and won’t go up even if your supplier announces it is rising prices. You may, however, be charged an exit fee in some cases if you cancel or switch early.
Variable-rate tariffs work differently. When you’re on this type of tariff, the price you pay per unit of energy could go up or down, depending on how your supplier reacts to price fluctuations in the wholesale energy market.
As you may have learned from experience, it’s pretty unusual for suppliers to cut prices. It’s much more common for them to hike their rates.
That depends on how long you’ve owed the money to your current supplier. If you’ve owed money for 28 days or less, you’re free to switch. In this instance, the money you owe will be added to final bill from the supplier that you’re leaving.
But if you’ve been in debt for more than 28 days, the situation is different. In this case, you generally won’t be able to switch until you’ve paid the sum owing.
The exceptions are if culpability for the debt lies with the supplier you’d like to leave. For instance, if they billed you incorrectly.
The rules are also different if you’re on a pre-payment meter. In these circumstances, you’ll only be prevented from switching if your debt to your current supplier exceeds £500.
If your address is changing, you may want to close your account or ask if you can transfer your service to your new property.
Whichever you choose to do, you’ll get in touch with your supplier at least two days before you move to inform them and give them your new address. That’s so they’ll know where to send your final bill.
It’s also a good idea to take meter readings and give these to your existing supplier, so you’ve got records in case there’s a dispute with billing.
When you move in to the new property, once again you’ll need to take readings and settle your final bill when. And most importantly, you should find out which energy company supplies your new address.
For more help, read our fully comprehensive one-stop guide to moving home and switching energy supplier.
Start your energy comparison and tell us your postcode, current supplier and energy habits. If you can, use a recent bill for best results
Compare energy tariffs from different providers
Choose the deal you want
Put in a few confirmation details, like your direct debit and contact details
Click to confirm, and you’ll be switched within three weeks
It doesn’t matter whether you own or rent your home – you can still compare energy deals and start saving on your bills.
A dual fuel tariff just means that your gas and electricity comes from the same supplier. You can choose this option when you run an energy comparison online with MoneySuperMarket – just choose ‘Gas & Electricity (Dual Fuel)’ when you start your energy comparison.
Some gas and electricity providers will offer a discount if you switch to a dual fuel tariff – if this applies, it will be shown in the tariff details.
Be aware that the best gas and electricity deal may not be the cheapest option. It’s always recommended that you check the price of buying your gas and electricity separately, too.
Although you can choose to compare dual fuel tariffs with MoneySuperMarket, you can also choose to compare gas prices or to compare electricity prices separately. Here’s how:
Compare gas only: Simply start your energy comparison and select ‘Just Gas’. If you select just gas, you’ll only compare gas prices and you won’t see any electricity tariffs
Compare electricity only: All you need to do is select ‘Just Electricity’ on our energy comparison page. This will show you energy suppliers that have electricity tariffs without gas or dual fuel deals included
Whilst price is important, the best gas and electricity supplier for you might not always be the cheapest.
With MoneySuperMarket’s energy comparison, you can use filters to narrow down your search. Whether you want to find a deal from a supplier that you recognise or are looking for green energy from an environmentally friendly supplier – you can filter your results to suit you.
You might also be looking for good customer service, so we include star ratings to show how happy customers have been with each supplier.
When you switch to a new energy supplier, they’ll write to you to tell you what date you’ll be switched over. They’ll also contact you around the time of the switch to ask for a meter reading, and they’ll pass this on to your old supplier, so that they can send you a final bill.
That’s all you have to do – your new supplier will handle the admin throughout the process.
You won’t need any new pipes, there won’t be any digging or drilling, and there won’t be any interruption to your gas or electricity supply.
Unprecedented market conditions mean that low cost tariffs are very hard to track down. But in normal circumstances, comparing energy prices is usually an easy way to save money on your bills.
Smart meters send details of your energy usage directly to your supplier. The smart meter display also tells you how much energy you’re using and how much it is costing you at any given point.
Smart meters ensure you get an accurate bill and the display unit could help you to work out how to reduce your consumption and cut your bills - but they won’t save you money automatically.
Cut through the jargon and get help understanding your energy bills. The key things to be aware of are:
Your tariff: your bill will show you the name of your tariff
Comparison rate: this highlights how much your tariff costs, so you can compare the rate
Energy consumption: how much electricity or gas you’ve used in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Terms and conditions: this is where you’ll find details such as any notice period, the conditions of your current price plan and everything else
Our energy saving tips show you how to save electricity and gas in the home. These tips include:
Turn off anything left on standby
Turn down your heating or install a smart thermostat
Buy energy efficient appliances
Wash your clothes at lower temperatures
Invest in double glazing
Insulate your roof and/or walls
We think it’s important for you to have all the information you need to make your home as energy efficient as possible, so you can save on your household bills.
Here are some organisations that offer advice and support with energy efficiency:
We help you compare prices from all the energy suppliers in the UK, so you can find the right deal for your needs.
It only takes a few minutes to compare. All you have to do is answer some simple questions, and we'll show you tariffs and offers from all the energy companies.
We can help you switch to tariffs from most companies directly through MoneySuperMarket. Just click the green button, answer a few more questions, and you’re done.
If you’d prefer to talk to someone, you can call us on 0800 177 7087. We can answer any questions you might have, and even switch you to a new deal over the phone.
We’re accredited by the Ofgem Confidence Code, which governs how energy comparison sites work. This means we’re bound to strict rules about how we do business, to make sure that switching energy is easy, reliable and reassuring for you.
Like most energy comparison sites, we’re paid a fee each time someone switches tariffs. Find out more about how MoneySuperMarket works.
MoneySuperMarket gives you lots of clever ways to save a lot, by doing very little.
Take control of your credit score by checking and improving it for free with Credit Monitor
Stay abreast of the best energy deals with Energy Monitor, our energy monitoring service
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy a product, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
But you might have other questions. Do we provide access to all the companies operating in a given market? Do we have commercial relationships or ownership ties that might make us feature one company above another?
We commit to providing you with clear and informative answers on all points such as this, so we have gathered the relevant information on this page.
