Energy Companies have played their cards, now is the best time to compare energy prices

December 29th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases
  • All major suppliers have announced their price rises or price plans
  • Comparing energy now will get you the best deal for the new year and prepare you for a cold winter

After a long period without price rises, we’ve seen four of the six major energy suppliers in UK come out with a price rise of the last two months, which most have blamed on the rising cost of fuel worldwide. But you shouldn’t have to pay out more just because your energy company has set a new price and now is the best time to think about switching over to a new provider who may well be able to offer you a much better deal on your energy now all the prices have been made public.

Npower were the latest company to announce a price rise out of all the major suppliers, announcing a 5% price in overall electricity prices that is likely to cost many of their customers over £50 extra next year, though this price rise won’t affect customers on their basics packaged designed for the most vulnerable people. 6.2 million customers will be affected by Npowers rises alone, which follows a similar rise in prices from Scottish Power, British Gas and Scottish and Southern Energy.

EON will be holding their energy prices until the new year, while EDF are sticking to their current prices all the way to March 2011, which will be a great relief to the 5 million customers that company already serves electricity and gas to the in the UK.

One of the coldest winters for the last 20 years is set to make the electricity costs of standard home reach even higher figures in the next few months.

It’s not all bad news over the holiday season, though! There are still good deals available for consumers who are willing to search them out. Comparing energy online gives you bonus of being able to see exactly how much switching over is likely to save you, but it was also give you access to each suppliers online tariff, which can save you up to £50 a year simply by opting to pay for your bills using direct debit and turning off the options to receive bills through the post. These are ideal tariffs for people who have an active internet connection and can also save you time and money having to deal with payments through the post.

So if you get snowed in this winter, why not take the opportunity to check out comparison sites online and see how comparing gas and electricity prices on the net can keep you away from the overall rise in energy prices around the world.

About Energychoices.co.uk:

Launched in 2005 the Energychoices.co.uk website has provided a wide range of features for people who wish to change their electricity and gas supplier. The site offers a large range of information about the world of moving providers and saving money on one of the biggest monthly outgoings most families have to face; everything from energy saving tips to how to use business energy price comparison services.
While the main function of the site is to compare different service providers the features of the site extend well beyond that, giving deal hunters unparalleled access to community features, guides and FAQs, as well as providing regular new updates about the industry and one time deals including exclusive offers.

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Heating costs soaring: Energychoices.co.uk’s top tips to beat the British Gas price hike

November 17th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

British Gas is putting up gas and electricity costs by 7% from December, but you can beat the cost of rising energy prices, according to leading energy switching site Energychoices.co.uk.

Already this year, Brits have been wrapping up warmer at home, making hot drinks to avoid putting the heating on, but now prices are going up too – a double whammy for hard-pushed Brits.

Nevertheless British Gas has chosen this time to blame rising wholesale energy costs for the price increases. It says that prices have gone up by 25% since spring.

But you can fight the energy price hikes with some simple measures which will cut your overall costs, keep your energy usage down and keep the whole family toasty this winter.

Energychoices.co.uk’s top tips for keeping bills down:

  1. Go online and compare energy prices – you’ll need to enter the amount of rooms and people living in the house to get the most accurate idea of the best deals for you.
  2. Switch to online billing and paying by direct debit for your energy – don’t worry about being overcharged – much stricter rules are now in place so customers don’t build up a big credit on their energy bills.
  3. Do what you can to insulate your home – some energy-efficiency measures such as buying a draft excluder for your front door and covering keyholes are cheap but can pay dividends.

Chris Eagle, Energychoices.co.uk’s expert says:

“Just as we’ve had a tough week of cold temperatures and even snow in some places of the UK – we’ve had the major energy price hike that we’ve been warning consumers about for some time. “

“There’s no doubt that keeping energy bills down is the top of Brits financial concerns this winter, so it’s vital to get online and compare energy prices to ensure you get the best deal available.”

“One good piece of news is that British Gas is holding off on raising prices for its most vulnerable customers, including poorer pensioners until after the winter – but that won’t help struggling families as the countdownto Christmas begins.”

“I would also urge those in the mood, to act now to get free energy efficiency help from their supplier. British Gas, for example, is offering help with energy-efficient boilers, loft and cavity wall insulation and EnergySmart meters – which can help your monitor your usage.”

“EON has a scheme called Energy Fit which offers energy efficiency advice and goals to complete, plus an online tracker of your energy use – which may help pinpoint reasons why your bills have been high.”

EDF offers a free, online energy adviser for its customers and can offer information on improving your energy efficiency.

However, the most important piece of advice I can give Brits at the moment is don’t delay – get online and sign-up for a cheaper energy deal. Our customers have saved £265 when they switched energy suppliers during October.”

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The advantage of business energy price comparison

October 25th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

1 Not switching regularly puts SMEs at competitive risk
2 90 per cent of business contracts get rolled over automatically

We’re all subjected to adverts about switching our home bills; everything from our mobile phone contract to our broadband supplier or who handles our internet shopping. However, less effort is put into letting businesses know that comparing utilities for your business at regular intervals is vital. In fact, it’s arguably more vital than it is for residential customers, as refusing to be an active customer could be costing your business money and making it harder to compete against competitors that keep up with their energy prices.

Ofcom defines an ‘active customer’ as someone who is always looking out for the newest deals. That doesn’t mean you have to spend every day reading about energy news or browsing websites and blogs though, it simply means you need to be aware that switching regularly is a part of being a savvy customer and saving money, and using business energy price comparison sites is a vital part of that process.

Energy suppliers love to roll over contracts. That means that when your energy contract is coming to a close, it’s automatically renewed by the supplier, and they are legally allowed to increase their rates as they do this. Even worse, they don’t have to inform customers about this at all, which means that around 90 per cent of all business energy prices rise year on year without many companies even realising that they are paying more.

Before you can switch your energy supplier, you need to be outside of the time limit of your current contract, so moving energy suppliers isn’t just about choosing a good price, it’s about making sure roll over contracts don’t happen.
The best way to do this is to use a business energy switching service like Make It Cheaper, who will work on behalf of a business to find out when your contract runs out, and then switch you to a better deal at that time. That way you get all the benefits of having a brand new energy supplier and saving money without having to spend hours on the phone with your previous supplier trying to sort out contract dates.

About Energychoices.co.uk:

Launched in 2005 the Energychoices.co.uk website has provided a wide range of features for people who wish to change their electricity and gas supplier. The site offers a large range of information about the world of moving providers and saving money on one of the biggest monthly outgoings most families have to face; everything from energy saving tips to how to find the best boiler insurance.

While the main function of the site is to compare different service providers the features of the site extend well beyond that, giving deal hunters unparalleled access to community features, guides and FAQs, as well as providing regular new updates about the industry and one time deals including exclusive offers.
For further information please contact:

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Why do energy prices rise in the summer?

May 26th, 2009 by writer | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

It is extremely hard to fathom but Gas prices seem to actually rise during summer months when demand is almost nil. Why is this? One can understand the rise in electricity prices as we all turn on air conditioners. But why would gas prices rise when we are not running any heat? Many of us don’t even run a pilot light during summer. Prices for natural gas fluctuate in summer as they do during any part of the year based on projected usage. Energy companies are obliged to speculate on the rise or fall of fuel prices based on factors such as political climate in fuel producing nations, and actual climate projections for the UK. If scientific opinion is that a cold winter is coming energy companies will scramble about to lock in prices and supplies. Usually prices rise and energy companies speculate on that upside. They purchase their fuel far in advance of its demand. Now when the speculation fails to achieve the predicted result then energy companies buying on the present or spot markets are placed at an advantage. A smaller company may very well be buying fuel at a better rate than BG and they in turn can offer you a better deal for your home or business electricity. You can find out which companies serving your home location offer the best gas and electricity prices simply by using the free energy prices comparison tool found at energychoices.co.uk. Merely type your postcode into the search box and click to enter it. Within seconds the companies who bought their fuel wisely will be shown along with the lowest rates for energy for you location.

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Energy prices are apt to once again climb upward

April 9th, 2009 by writer | No Comments | Filed in General News

With petrol, gas and electricity prices restored to somewhat saner levels it is all too easy to become complacent and give little thought to such needed money saving practices as driving cars that give use less fuel and turning off unneeded home appliances. People simply are less diligent once the cost of energy related commodities have fallen. But anyone who has lived through an economic downturn can tell you that the price of petrol will soon enough be higher than ever and gas and electricity prices will not be far behind. The time to take action is before the prices are once again unbearable and the way to do this is by looking into fixed energy costs. Fixed energy tariffs are an arrangement between you and your energy provider to cap off your energy prices a predetermined set level for a set term of time. Put more simply, it is a deal you make with the gas company to pay them a little more overall now so that your price can not rise above that level for up to three years.

What makes this the perfect time to do this now is that prices are once again reduced. The time is now to lock in a super low price on both gas and electricity. You can then watch prices climb with a smile on your face.

The place to begin this process is at energychoices.co.uk. Energy Choices is a free consumer benefit website that has onsite a tool to compare energy prices. Visit the site and use this simple tool to make certain the company you choose to buy fixed price energy from offers the best deal for your location. Then follow through with Energy Choices to switch to the lowest price for your home energy. Once this has been established, sign up for a fixed price energy deal so that your energy bill every month will never be out of your control.

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Single Customer Saves Over £2000 On Their Yearly Energy Prices

March 23rd, 2009 by writer | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

Energy Choices, United Kingdom’s premier energy prices comparison website has recently helped UK residents have almost two thousand pounds from their yearly energy costs. Thousands of people in the UK use the helpful free energy price comparison tool offered at enerychoices.co.uk and a large percentage of these discover they can save several hundred pounds yearly on their cost for gas and electricity while saving money with assistance from Energy Choices is not a surprise, the size of the reduction in costs one customer received is rather astounding. Within the last 60 days savings gained after using the onsite free to compare energy prices have averaged almost £300.00 but that pales in comparison to one person’s savings of 2249 pounds just for switching energy suppliers.

Everyone agrees that using the energy Choices energy price comparison tool could not be easier. Just type your postcode into the front-page box and within seconds you will see which energy suppliers in your location offer the lowest prices and the highest incentives for switching to their company.

For the time being energy prices are somewhat stable, but no one believes that status will hold for long. Now is the time to compare rates for both monthly and fixed rate energy costs so that when the price upturn begins you will be protected.

You may not be the next record breaking energy costs saver at EnergyChoices.co.uk, but you will never be aware of your potential savings if you do not take at the few minutes required to do a home energy costs survey.

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Are UK Homeowners Wasting Money…

March 17th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

wasting-moneyConsumer magazine Which? Stated that only around 15% of householders switched energy providers in a 12 month period, despite the large potential savings involved. With the current financial climate, one would think more people would be jumping on the energy bill saving bandwagon…

Why Don’t More People Compare Energy Prices?

Considering the fact that most UK householders (probably safe to say householders worldwide!) are trying to tighten the purse strings these days, at first it seems confusing that so few of them switched energy providers last year.
One possible reason may be that consumers are simply unaware of the potential savings involved with switching energy providers. Everyone seems to be focused on comparing their options as regards to their credit obligations, such as 0 balance transfers, but may not actually realise that large savings can be had by comparing energy prices.

How do I Compare Energy Prices?

Another possible reason that many people don’t compare energy prices, is they feel that despite the possible savings, they perhaps feel that the level of effort needed to get the best deals is just too daunting.
In reality, this couldn’t really be further from the truth. If you have the internet, for example, a visit to an energy comparison website can be a huge help. For the best results, look for an energy comparison website that gives more than just an energy prices checker, rather find a site with articles and news about energy related matters, as these sites will generally be more up to date and accurate.


About Energy Choices.

http://www.energychoices.co.uk is a UK based energy comparison website. They provide a plethora of information about the UK energy market, with frequent updates. Additionally they give visitors free access to a postcode checker, to enable UK residents to check what energy deals are available in their area, and to help them switch to a better deal if appropriate.

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EnergyChoices Highlights Reductions in Energy Prices

February 14th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

EnergyChoices.co.uk brings not only the best deals available in th UK for electricity and gas, but also has a simple website designed to make your choices easier. They bring the latest news to the widest audience and have their experts on-hand to demystify the jargon. There has been no better time to compare the market and save some money.

Compare Energy Prices

Energy prices have been hot news for some time now with security of supply and volatile pricing meaning regular and significant price rises on the approach to winter. While EnergyChoices can’t control the market they can make sure all the options and information is readily available.

Aske The Experst And Reduce Your Energy Bills

There are many ways to reduce the amount you pay to keep the house warm and the lights on. EnergyChoices aim to make this easy by pointing consumers in the right way for them. For some people, they just need to compare energy prices with all the tariffs laid at their fingertips the right choice is easy to make. Others need to check out the sage words of the experts to stop them paying for services they don’t need. Or maybe just advice on how to be more energy efficient or what grants are available to efficiency savings possible.

Let There Be Price Cuts

With their fingers firmly on the pulse EnergyChices have been calling out the price cuts as Scottish Power, British Gas and latterly, E.ON and EDF have reduced the price per unit to consumers. But, not happy to follow the party line, their experts question the motives and the timing so the consumers know if and when to change and who is holding the best cards.

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Government’s Warm Front Not Helping To Reduce Energy Prices

February 11th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

EnergyChoices.co.uk, the leading comparison website is highly critical of the efficacy of the governments latest grant scheme aimed at helping cash-strapped pensioners afford energy efficiency improvement works.

Compare Energy Prices

EnergyChoices.co.uk succeeds by giving one-stop easy access to all the relevant tariffs the energy suppliers offer and allow consumers to compare gas and electricity prices to find the most suitable deal to their location and requirements. Though, always keen to provide the full service, they offer the insight of experts to ensure the small print is large enough to read and they host a wide selection of articles to ensure consumers can make informed decisions about the options available to them.

Electricity Prices



Electricity Prices have been big news in the UK on the run up to winter with the spectre of ‘fuel poverty’ causing the governmet to implement ‘Warm Front’ policy to help the vulnerable afford energy efficiency improvements in the home to permanently reduce the cost of keeping the household warm. EnergyChoices.co.uk have joined Age Concern and Help the Aged in voicing their concerns that the ‘Warm Front’ scheme is not fit for purpose.

Chris Eagle, commercial manager at EnergyChoices.co.uk said: “It seems the Warm Front scheme is failing to meet the needs of the most vulnderable in our society – and recent figures have estimated that one in four Britons is facing fuel poverty.”

The ‘Warm Front’ grant, currently £2,700 is in urgent need of review, the charities warn. Government figures show 130,799 took advantage of the scheme in the last three years and had to pay top-up contributions averaging £581. 20,491 customers did not proceed with the work being unable to afford the top-up payments, leaving the most vulnerable unable to take advantage of a scheme intended for their benefit.

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: “The harsh reality is that millions of older people are living in cold, energy-inefficient houses and are afraid to turn their heating up because of the cost – which could be putting the health of thousands at risk.”

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How to Save Money This Winter? – Compare Energy Prices!

December 24th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

With global financial uncertainty and spiralling energy cost sending chills down the spine all summer, many people are taking any steps they can to ensure that the lights and the heating stay on and that the energy budget is affordable. There have been big headlines and most energy providers have been offering fixed price enregy tariffs and capped energy deals. But, are these deals all they’ve cracked up to be and are they the best means of getting the best energy prices?
 
As usual, the story is always somewhat more complex than first meets the eye. In the middle of summer a barrel of oil would have cost $144 whereas now you can expect to pay around $60 a barrel. Whilst the oil producers are trying to keep prices artificially high by limiting production serious work is being done by lobbyists and government officials alike as they try and avoid the potential crisis of energy shortages/poverty.
 

Fixed Price Energy


 

In July fixed and capped tariffs were the big news and certainly pushed abutton with many consumers worried about the winter ahead. Though most providers will not pass on a reduction in energy cost to consumers if you have signed up for a fixed tariff. Although contractually bound it is still possible to leave a fixed tariff by paying the cancellation fee (normally between £20-50), it has never been more worthwhile to compare energy prices as the difference in unit cost for a fixed tariff and the newly reduced variable package may quickly swallow the cancellation fee if the difference is that great or your usage is high.
 
It is also worth investigating the discounts that are avilable if you go paperless and deal with your energy supplier online or by direct debit. Though the last word should always be conservation not consumption. Any pound spent on insulation will pay itself back many times over as compared to pounds spent heating your home, and the government now has many schemes available to help households improve their insulation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Energy Choices- Energy Prices

November 20th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

Recently, fuel prices and supply have been big news. A volatile market and uncertain supply has meant the cost of fuel to the average consumer has been fluctuating wildly, though tending ever upwards. Canny consumers are increasingly scouring the market for good deals or the best terms and offers from their suppliers. But help is at hand, energychoices.co.uk is an independant company that offers an excellant comparison service so with a few quick clicks you can find out which providers serve your area and what offers and deals are available.
 
For some time now the energy providers have been trying to woo our custom from underneath our existing provider but, given rises in energy prices of up to 35% the tables have been turned and now it is the customer seeking to switch and save. Comparison websites have been filling a niche and putting all the facts in the hands of the customer without all the time and effort of spending all day on the phone. As part of the Consumer Choices network, Energychoices.co.uk aims to give the consumer all the information so a truly informed decision can be made. Their site is regularly updated, so you can be sure that the terms you see on screen are current, the site is clearly laid out so you can jump straight to the part you need whether that’s advice on switching provider, payment methods or boiler insurance- all easily accessible from the home page. Energychoices are keen to offer the full package, a list of names and prices is not the whole story so they host a large selection of articles to help you understand the jargon and get to facts. They even have a resident expert on hand to point you in the right direction if the big rises in electricity prices are leaving you sweating. They also offer a postcode checker so with one click you can find out which providers offer what services in your area.
 
So, if it’s time for a switch or if you just want to be sure you have the best deal log on to www.energychoices.co.uk and let the impartial and independant experts do the hard work for you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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As Energy Prices Rise… Compare energy prices, and look for fixed price deals

September 4th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

energy-prices
 
Energy bills are soaring, so now customers are looking for ways to save money with their household energy bills.
 
This is not surprising as with all the news on the horizon about adverse geopolitical situations and the soaring commodity market, what with British Gas prices recently rising by 35%, and Electricity prices rising by 9%!
 

Fixed Price Energy

Fixed price energy tariffs are one way that consumers can save money on their bills.
 
The good thing about Fixed Price tariffs is that you know where you are for the agreed term of the contract and can plan accordingly with no price increases above and beyond the agreed amounts. More often than not, this period is 1 to 2 yrs.
 
In the present climate of high energy prices , these deals are certainly more enticing and affordable.
 
When you are considering these types of agreements then there are two basic points to consider.
 
1. At all times understand where and when the agreement both starts and ends and the possibility of price increases after termination of the agreement.
 
2. Some suppliers of fixed price energy deals may reduce your capped Unit price if there is a drop in their standard prices, whereas other providers may not do this. -Make sure you know which is the case with your energy provider!
 
The main benefit of fixed price tariffs is being able to accurately forecast your charges and costs well in advance.
 
This has become more and more vital as the price hikes have taken effect. It is worth noting that it’s not just British Gas that are having to increase their gas prices. EDF Energy are also increasing their prices, as are many other energy providers.
 
So it would seem that now is a better time than any to check the deals on fixed price energy that are available in your area. It has to a bit of a no brainer really to use the various online price comparison sites to help you with your research to get the most favourable options available to you.
 
Where possible use a website that has the ability to drill down data via the use of a post code to help you get a more accurate idea of what is applicable and available to your area.
 
One such site is www.energychoices.co.uk. Unlike some comparison sites, energychoices has a high amount of frequently updated information about the latest twists and turns in the energy market, thus being a one stop shop’ consumers can go visit to find out how they can get the best deals in this turbulent climate.
 
 
 
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