Tips on changing your Gas and Electricity supplier

To give you the confidence to switch your gas and electricity supplier and make it go as smoothly as possible please see below for our guide and tips.

• Before you start to shop around gather your last few gas and electricity bills together. Simply add up the amount you have spent or even better work out how many units of gas and units of electricity you have used. If you do not have these and you pay by direct debit then you can work out from your monthly payments what you will be paying per year.
• Tip - Use a winter and a summer bill so you have a good balanced view of your energy usage.
• How you pay your energy bills now and in the future will have an impact on the savings you make. If you pay by monthly direct debit this is the cheapest way to pay your gas and electricity bills.
• When choosing a new gas or electricity supplier the only way to get a true and accurate comparison is to use our service. This will compare all the UK energy suppliers and their energy prices and products.
• When you choose a new energy supplier there are a number of things to consider.
  • Price; if you are switching energy suppliers to save money then this is key. You want to look for a supplier that is cheaper than your current one and go for the biggest savings.
  • You may also want to consider the Customer Service Ratings for your prospective new energy supplier as some UK energy suppliers have better customer service ratings than others. Our customer service ratings are derived from aggregating the statistics collected by Energywatch. For details of these complaints please visit the Energywatch web site http://www.energywatch.org.uk
  • Consider taking a Green energy product. Most of the UK's energy suppliers have a green energy product. Some have green energy at no extra cost to their normal standard products. Others it is a touch more expensive, but by taking Green energy you can help to reduce your own carbon emissions and help to do your part for protecting the environment.
  • Consider Online Managed Accounts. Most of the UK's biggest energy suppliers have the ability to manage your account online. This means you can manage your account over the Internet and submit meter readings, get paperless billing and contact their support teams through the Internet.
  • Prepayment meters are the most expensive type of way to pay for your gas and electricity. If you wish to change the type of payment method you will have to have your meter physically changed in your property. In most case you will need to get your current supplier to do this before you can change.
  • Tip - paying by direct debit and manage your account online are the cheapest ways to pay for your gas and electricity.

Switching your gas and electricity supplier is easy. Once you have chosen who you want to supply you the following is a guide to what to do next:

• Simply complete our online form for your chosen supplier or give us a call and we can transfer your over the phone. 0845 119 3197
• You will need you mpan and mprn numbers. Simply explained these are the numbers the new energy supplier will need to know where to send the gas and electricity to. These can be found on your bill but our web site has the software built in to find this simply from your postal address so you do not have to worry.
• If you have chosen to pay by direct debit, your new supplier will need your bank details. If you give your bank details to us over the Internet or the phone all your details are stored securely and encrypted and only passed on to your chosen new energy supplier so they can set up your new direct debits.
• If you have chosen to manage your account online a valid email address will be needed and is one that you check regularly.

Once you have completed one of our forms to change your gas and electricity supplier there are a few simple things you can do to ensure it all goes smoothly:

• First be aware of your rights to cancel and change you mind. Under UK regulation you have 7 days to change your mind from the date of your application. This is known as the "cooling off period".
• Once you have had confirmation of the date your new supply will start, take meter readings so you can give these to your new gas and electricity suppliers.
• Make sure you pay any outstanding gas and electricity bills. If you have overpaid during your time with your current energy supply you will get this money back. If you owe your current supplier money you will have to clear this debt to allow you to move to a new energy supplier.
• Once you have had a welcome pack from your new gas and electricity supplier write to your current gas and electricity supplier to tell them you are moving to a new gas supplier and electricity supplier.
• Tip. Ignore the energy suppler win back teams as you will be better off moving to a new gas supplier and electricity supplier. Many suppliers employ "win back" techniques to call you or even come to your house and knock on your door. At the end of the day you will be better off moving to a new energy supplier.

To see what you can save on your gas and electricity bills click here.

 

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