There are many energy providers in the UK and they vary in terms of cost, coverage and services. The market is dominated by the largest companies but the smaller providers have their niche. Given the credit crunch and the ever increasing cost of energy or if you are just moving home it is well worth comparing the companies, their costs and the deals they have on offer. Aside from the smaller and usually more local companies the main providers in Britain are British Gas, Scottish Power and NPower.
First of all, find out what your options are in your area. The easiest way would be to use a website like energychoices.co.uk they provide energy switching and comparison services for gas and electricity (and indeed both together), The site will let you perform your search based on your postcode then you can compare energy prices and options.
British Gas is is one of the largest power companies in the UK and can be one of the cheapest. It is available throughout England, Scotland and Wales, though trades as Scottish Gas in Scotland. They are now providers of both gas and electricity and are keen to offer discounts if you become a dual fuel customer and also if you sign up online, they quote potential savings of £122 if you follow this route. British Gas also provide a fairly comprehensive range of ancillary services such as boiler and central heating instalation, maintenance and repairs and even boiler insurance. Given the cost of a boiler and a gas certified plumber this is one service worth investigating as one call out and the cost of repair will exceed the cost of several years insurance. They also offer a market tracker tariff that follows the wholesale cost of gas on a quarterly basis though in the current climate it seems that energy prices are set to steadily rise.
NPower is another big player supplying 6.8 million customers in the UK it is an amalgamation of several smaller UK energy companies and and is jointly owned with RWE a German energy supplier. It has three tariffs standard, fixed and NPower juice. The fixed tariff caps the unit cost of power for a contractually agreed period (one or two years common) and NPower Juice is a tariff that allows it’s users to derive part of their consumption from green and sustainable sources, a factor that will both draw in new customers and the increased investment should help bolster green research and uptake.
Scottish Power is somewhat smaller than NPower but with 5.2 million customers across the UK it is certainly a major player. It offers a much broader range of tariffs including a fixed price energy deal (until 2009), a green/sustainable tariff and the Economy & tariff all available in different variations. After a 2006 price increase, Scottish power has recently reduced electricity prices 6% and gas prices by 16.5%.
As the providers are vying for our custom they are all keen to stress that when you switch, the power remains on. Unless you are in breach of contractual terms the switch is usually free. Though, given the variety of providers, offers and regional differences in availability, careful research is required to ensure you get the best value. Undoubtably, the most effective and time-smart way to do your research is by using a comparisson site, if you ensure the site is accredited and regularly updated all the information should be readily at your fingertips and the options to save highlighted.
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