From Guest Blogger Jenny Richards: How to Choose the Best Energy Saving Company
Have you moved to a new place and are trying to find yourself a new energy supplier? Or are you dissatisfied with the current plan you have and want to choose a new energy supplier? There are many options available as far as gas and electricity supply companies go. You can even choose to have separate providers for each fuel, or a single one for both.
Whichever you decide, it is important to your research to ensure that you have landed the best deal in terms of services delivered and costs. Before you begin, try to source as much information on different suppliers and their tariffs, terms and conditions, all of which should be readily available freely on supplier websites.
Here are the key things you should bear in mind as you examine each supplier’s terms and before you settle on an energy plan for your home or office.
Independent Reviews
Alternatively, there are online review and comparison sites like the Which.co.uk that have broken down the various charges and other criteria into an easy to digest format. Compare this with your current supplier’s rates. For example, this Utility Warehouse Review breaks the overall Customer Score into metrics for Customer Service, Flexibility & Fairness, Product Features and Value for Money.
Examine the contract
You will likely enter a contract with the supplier that you choose, and this will be legally binding to you. Therefore, you should know all the terms of the energy contract, which you should have in writing for your reference. You should know the following:
- Duration of the contract
- Standing charges and discounts
- Available tariffs, and terms and conditions of each
- Standing fees/charges
- Unit prices of electricity or gas
- Charges and conditions for early termination
Ensure before signing, inclusion of all matters discussed and agreed to in the contract. You will have 14 days after signing the contract during which you can retract your agreement, take your time and consider the contract in full. Consider specifically the following aspects:
Unit charges for energy
Compare unit charges from various suppliers. These prices are usually available and sent to you on request.
Contract cancellation
An energy supply agreement is typically supposed to be a long-term agreement. However, with the changes in the world of technology, there will be changes coming that you may want to take advantage of. Ensure you know the full terms to the contract, and what it takes to cancel the agreement once you have signed up.
Standing charges
The standing charge is a fixed sum of money that you will pay every day/week/month that you have access to a gas-electricity supplier’s supply network. Usually, if the contract has no standing charge, the unit prices will be higher, while ones with standing charges have lower unit prices.
Payment options
Find out how you can make payments. There are three common methods:
- Quarterly bill payments – payable by cheque, through a post office order, online or via other method mentioned.
- Direct debit per month – it pays out the same amount each month using a standing order on your bank account.
- Prepaid meters – require you to top up the meter for a certain amount before using the energy. It is ideal for budgeting, but it is also the most expensive.
After-sales Services and Complaints Handling
You can check out the companies’ FAQ pages to find out how they handle complaints and make sure that they provide both telephone numbers and address for correspondence as does Utility Warehouse Complaints department. You should also know what is likely to happen if you fall behind on your payments, as well as any discounts or incentives e.g. for picking the same gas and electricity supplier etc.
