RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Turn the heat down on energy bills this winter

4th October 2016 Print

With just four weeks until most people reach for the thermostat and turn their heating on for the winter, new advice from MoneySuperMarket reveals customers can avoid a winter of unnecessarily expensive bills by switching their supplier and saving hundreds of pounds in the process.

Since the start of the year, over 100 fixed rate tariffs have ended, meaning thousands of homeowners who took no further action will have automatically rolled onto standard variable tariffs and, without realising, face huge bills to heat their homes this winter. The latest stats show that it takes on average 21 days to switch supplier, meaning that with some great fixed deals currently on the market, those languishing on expensive tariffs could switch before the central heating goes on and save themselves over £303

According to the energy regulator Ofgem, more than 50% of UK households are on a Big Six supplier standard tariff, which is currently £303 more expensive than the cheapest tariff available through MoneySuperMarket.com, so it’s worth shopping around to see what’s available.

Stephen Murray, energy expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “At this time of year, it pays to be ahead of the game and consider your current tariff before turning on your boiler for the winter. Obviously there are plenty of tips and tricks to control energy use over the winter, without having to layer up or sit in the dark, such as turning off your appliances or lowering the temperature of your washing machine. There are also a host of new mobile apps and smart systems to help control costs. However, without doubt switching to a cheaper tariff for the higher usage winter months is still the most effective way of delivering great savings.

“Energy bills have been steadily rising since May and we may even see other suppliers following in the footsteps of Co-op Energy and others by hiking their prices. It’s crucial that bill payers act now to save money this winter. It takes five minutes to switch, and you could save up to £303.”