Simple Guide To The Energy Market
Energy prices have been increasing year-on-year in Britain with no sign of this trend reversing despite utility companies reporting substantial profits. By choosing your energy supplier you can help transform the market to be more competitive and lower your gas & electricity bills in the process. Here is a brief summary of how things work and what everyone should know about energy.
Switching Suppliers Can Lower Your Bills
Prior to the 1990s, the UK’s energy market was a state-owned collection of regional monopolies. However, gradually over an 8 year period the gas and electricity markets were opened up to competition, and since May 1999 customers have been able to change their gas & electricity supplier. Over 19 million customers have switched suppliers since then.
- Suppliers - the companies who supply and sell electricity & gas. From a customers perspective the suppliers are the most important group as these are the real contacts the customer will have with the energy industry.
- Distributors - the distribution companies are responsible for getting the energy to you. This means that they are responsible for the pipes or cables in the road and the meters within your property. The suppliers effectively have contracts with the distributors to provide these services and all of these costs are already included in whatever price the supplier asks you to pay.
- Generators - just as the name suggests the generators are responsible for generating the energy we use in our homes and businesses. At one time in the UK the major generators were all burning massive amounts of coal to generate electricity. Over the years the predominance of coal has declined in favour of more environmentally friendly methods of generating energy.
However, even though the energy market is considered to be fairly competitive, not enough consumers are taking advantage of the market conditions by shopping around for the best tariff matched to their consumption, a view that is echoed by Energywatch the independent gas & electricity watchdog.
Save Up To £349 On Your Gas & Electricity
At least 10% of customers who switched energy supplier or tariff gained a saving of between £349.27 and £1,566.91 during the period 1 November 2007 to 31 January 2008. The actual amount you could save depends on factors such as how much energy you are using, the tariff you select from the supplier, right down to the payment method you choose to pay your bills. For example, many people pay by quarterly bill, but there is usually extra savings to be gained if you select to pay by monthly direct debit and opt-in for paperless billing (and you can still check your bills & usage online).
Impartial Comparison, Listing All UK Energy Suppliers
Feel secure knowing you have thoroughly researched the energy market, as we list all UK energy suppliers ordered by the tariff that provides the biggest savings first. Comprehensive comparison functionalities also allow you to sort through the results based on C02 Savings and Customer Satisfaction Ratings with the scores collected from hundreds of customer reviews. Our comparison service & tools are impartial, free and easy to use.
New Energy Supplier - Keep The Same Meter, Pipes and Cables
Changing energy suppliers might sound like a daunting task and images of badly dressed builders digging up the pavement outside your house may come to mind, but we've taken the hard work out of the transfer process and made it really simple. After you compare the suppliers & available tariffs and are ready to switch, we take your details and arrange it all for you, providing the relevant information to the new provider and putting your existing supplier under notice. There are no new meters, pipes or cables to install, the only change is to your billing. Phew!
Help The Environment, Choose Green
We've seen lightning before and we're pretty sure it's white and sometimes blue, but 'Green Electricity' is the term used to describe electricity that has been generated from renewable sources such as nuclear plants and wind farms as opposed to generating electricity by burning fossil fuels which creates a C02 impact on the environment. When comparing suppliers and tariffs we will tell you the Carbon Savings available against your current tariff if you switched. Neither should you automatically assume that by doing your part for the environment that it will cost you more than traditional energy suppliers, in many cases the prices are considerably less or very similar. Try the Green Energy search and see for yourself.
Simple Energy Saving Tips
Make further savings on your gas & electricity bills by being more resourceful with your energy consumption. The average household could save as much as £250 on their energy bills. Here are some simple common sense tips and ideas:
- Switch off lights and electrical appliances when they are not in use - this is one of the biggest and most common factors in wasted energy by millions of people.
- Use Energy Saving Light bulbs, they last a long time and will pay for themselves in the energy costs they save you. Just one can reduce lighting bills by £70+ over the lifetime of the bulb.
- Take advantage of home inspection services offered by energy suppliers to check for home energy efficiency. They can also provide some personalized advice based on the living arrangements in your house.
- If you have an old boiler (more than 10 to 15 years old), consider investing in a new one that uses more efficient technology which can reduce your bills further - they also tend to break down less saving you potentially costly servicing payments.
- When making tea or coffee only boil as much water as you need. Excess water uses more energy and takes longer.
- Lowering your thermostat setting and reducing the room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10% (and save around £50). If the heater is on, make sure that windows and doors are closed properly and at dusk closing the curtains will prevent heat from escaping through the windows.
- Check that your water is not excessively hot. Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.
- When buying new electrical equipment look for the Energy Star efficiency label or equivalent energy efficiency rating to ensure it will perform at optimal levels. Energy Star and A-Rated items tend to include features such as auto-sleep on TFT Monitors and Washing Machines that use less water and smart wash technologies.
There are other ways you can go green and help the environment, for example, by sorting your rubbish in to papers, plastics and glass for recycling by the council. You can also recycle old electrical devices such as mobile phones, washing machines, computers and other household appliances that you don't need anymore.
Help At Every Step Of The Way
We've streamlined many of the steps and processes involved in switching suppliers and made it easy and hassle-free for consumers to get a better deal. Start by checking for available suppliers and tariffs in your area and how much you could save by using our energy calculator form. When you are ready to make the switch, register your details and we'll take of the rest. If you need help at any stage, you can get in touch with our help center by sending an email to support@superstoresearch.com where an adviser will be waiting to answer your query.