Act now to save money on energy bills

Whilst energy prices have fallen, unless you act now to get the best energy plan you won’t save as much as you could, ending up with higher energy bills compared with a couple of years ago.

According to uSwitch.com, the independent price comparison and switching service, as winter energy bills hit doormats, many consumers could be in for a nasty surprise.

As heating is ramped up this winter, unfortunately so too are the energy bills ramping up.

The message though from uSwitch, strongly supported by MoneyHighStreet, is don’t wait for further reductions in energy prices, take action now and you could save money on your energy bills. Just by switching to an online energy plan it could save you around £300 compared to a standard energy plan.

So take these 5 steps to help get those cheaper energy bills:

1. Compare and Switch – get the best energy deal for you, based on where you live, your energy usage and how you like to pay. Switching energy really is easy, easier than you might think and with websites such as uSwitch.com and Confused.com to help it really couldn’t be simpler.
2. Pay by direct debit – if you pay by cash or cheque you could be paying considerably more. Switch to direct debit payments to save money and make payments easily
3. Switch to a duel fuel energy plan – buy your gas and electricity from the same supplier. Many duel fuel plans offer a discount over a single fuel and it simplifies things for you as you only have one energy supplier to deal with and one bill
4. Opt for an online plan – you could save some £300 compared to a standard plan. Online may be offputting buy let it be – some so called online plans only need you to register online and then you manage the account as before
5. Keep your energy bills up to date – check your meter readings to ensure your being billed accurately and review them at least annually to make sure you’re still on the cheapest energy plan for your needs

Also, make sure you insulate your loft – to at least a depth of 10 inches. Also it may be worth contacting your energy supplier or the Energy Saving Trust to find out whether you would be eligible for a grant or financial help towards making your home more energy efficient.

Turn off appliances, such as TVs, computers and DVD players, at the socket and turn off lights when you’re not using a room – energy efficient light bulbs can help too.

And don’t forget, if you can turn down your heating just one degree, you could save up to 10% on bills.

If you want to switch energy but are worrying about how easy it really is, you may find our article ‘Switch energy supplier – how easy is it?‘ helpful.