We all know a good value is what folks need most from their vitality provider however there’s extra to contemplate. Whether or not you’re already an Octopus buyer, are pondering of switching to us or are merely exploring your choices, we’ve put collectively a useful information on what to examine when selecting your vitality provider.
Selecting an vitality provider
We give clients fairly-priced inexperienced vitality with outrageously good service, so we hope we’re an amazing selection. While you’re selecting a provider, ask your self these questions:
Is their customer support as much as scratch?
TrustPilot evaluations can reveal how properly your new provider lives as much as its guarantees. Looking for our clients has helped us grow to be the UK’s most awarded vitality provider, having been awarded Which? Really useful Supplier for 7 years working, and counting. Examine what makes us the UK’s most trusted and really helpful provider.
Do they help inexperienced vitality?
We’re main the UK to a sustainable vitality system by investing billions in wind and photo voltaic farms, and bringing you inexperienced tech like EVs and warmth pumps affordably.
Can they assist me scale back my vitality prices?
Selecting good tariffs and inexperienced tech can slash your carbon footprint and lower your expenses in your vitality payments on the similar time. Our clients can get the most recent good inexperienced tech along with our main good tariffs for savvy savers, EV drivers, and warmth pump or photo voltaic houses to avoid wasting a whole bunch on their payments.
Do they provide rewards?
Sure, you learn it proper. Will you get any incentives or rewards for being a buyer? We’re well-known for our game-changing rewards programme, Octoplus, which rewards good meter clients for making the grid greener with Saving Periods, provides free leccy when the grid is at its greenest plus masses extra possibilities to win incredible prizes.
What to examine earlier than you turn
Earlier than switching take the time to know your present vitality deal and ask your self:
Is my new quote personalised to my dwelling’s vitality use?
When you’ve already acquired a less expensive quote from a brand new provider, the probabilities are it’s based mostly in your estimated use and never precise use. Estimates are given based mostly on nationwide averages in your kind of family, so your quote received’t essentially be correct and will go away you with a nasty invoice shock whenever you get your first invoice out of your new provider.
Your present vitality provider will have the ability to offer you your actual vitality use figures, so you may make positive any new quote is admittedly correct.
Tips on how to examine vitality costs for essentially the most correct quote
Month-to-month funds aren’t one of the simplest ways to check costs – use your unit charge and standing costs to verify any new offers truly stack up.
First step: discover how a lot vitality you utilize:
Your estimated annual electrical energy consumption
Your estimated annual gasoline consumption
You’ll discover the data you want in your vitality invoice. When you’re an Octopus buyer, you will discover this on web page two of your invoice. Take a look at our helpful annotated assertion information when you’re unsure. Or you possibly can e mail us and we’ll be blissful that will help you.
Use these figures to get a quote in your new suppliers’ tariff to verify your month-to-month value is decrease than what it prices along with your present provider. Once more, it’s higher if these figures are based mostly in your precise utilization and never estimated.
Second step: discover your present vitality costs:
Electrical energy
Unit charge:
Night time unit charge:
Standing cost:
Fuel
Unit charge:
Standing cost:
Use these to check the costs out of your new provider. Whoever is providing a decrease unit value and standing cost are cheaper!
In case your payments are estimated, you’ll wish to submit an up-to-date meter studying to your present provider to generate an correct invoice to assist get your account so as earlier than a swap.
Future tip: When you don’t need the effort of submitting common readings, contemplate getting a wise meter when the time is true – they’ll offer you tremendous correct payments and, with Octopus, you’ll get entry to cost-busting vitality insights in our app.
Is my present cost larger as a result of I’m paying off debt?
Your present provider could also be taking any debt into consideration when figuring out your month-to-month funds. So, when you’re evaluating your present invoice to a quote from a brand new provider, it’s unlikely to be a real comparability as a result of the brand new quote received’t embody any debt however your present invoice will.
Have I constructed up a variety of credit score on my account?
When you’ve got, and also you pay by Direct Debit, this may very well be an indication that you simply’re paying a bit an excessive amount of and will afford to scale back your funds or get a refund. We’ll at all times make suggestions to be sure to can cowl the price of the vitality you utilize and get to a wholesome steadiness. With us you’re at all times answerable for your funds, and may change them or get a refund on-line while not having to contact us.
Our Stability Forecast instrument maps out your vitality steadiness over the subsequent 12 months, so you possibly can see the influence of elevating or reducing your Direct Debit. You should utilize it to check out completely different cost quantities, determine on one you are snug with, and clearly see what your steadiness ought to seem like in a 12 months’s time.
Will I be charged exit charges to go away?
When you’re on a set tariff, examine the size of your contract and whether or not you would need to pay to go away earlier than it ends. Exit charges fluctuate from tariff to tariff however will be round £150, that’s £75 per gas on a one 12 months tariff. When you do must pay exit charges, it may make a giant distinction towards any potential financial savings of a less expensive deal, so be sure to examine earlier than switching.
Keep in mind that your provider cannot cost exit charges when you swap within the final 49 days of your mounted tariff.