Beat the gas and electricity price rises before you pay more
A number of 'Big Six' energy companies have announced huge price hikes for households.
Back in December EDF announced it will hike electricity prices by 8.4% from 1 March 2017.
Last week, Npower said it will be putting gas prices up by 4.8% and electricity prices by 15% from 16 March.
The increase will see a typical dual fuel tariff rise by an average of 9.8% or £109 a year for 1.4 million households.
ScottishPower has now announced it is increasing its gas prices by an average of 4.7% and electricity by 10.8%. Meanwhile, British Gas has announced it's freezing its prices, but only until August.
Anyone sitting on their provider's standard variable tariff is vulnerable to price hikes, so check your deal and see if you could save by switching before you get stung by a price hike.
See if one simple search can save you hundreds on your energy bills
The cheapest energy deals
Here's a round-up of the cheapest tariffs right now if you opt for both fuels from one supplier (known as dual fuel), pay by monthly direct debit and manage your account online.
The price includes both the unit rate and any standing charge.
Energy supplier | Tariff name | Type of tariff | Average UK price* |
Iresa Limited | Flex4 12-Month Fixed Direct Debit | Fixed for 12 months | £834 |
Tonik Energy | Tonik Energy Positive Energy V2 | Fixed for 12 months | £880 |
Avro Energy | Simple and Switch | Fixed for 12 months | £888 |
Economy Energy | Direct Saver 2017 v2 | Fixed for 12 months | £889 |
iSupply Energy | iFix Direct 12-Month Feb18 | Fixed (until February 2018) | £890 |
Affect Energy | Fixed until February 2018 | Fixed (until February 2018) | £893 |
iSupply Energy | iFix Direct 19-Month Sep18 | Fixed (until September 2018) | £895 |
So Energy | So Gorilla | Fixed for 12 months | £897 |
Places for People Energy | Together - February 2018 - fixed 44 (Paperless Billing) | Fixed (until February 2018) | £903 |
Source: UK Power
Prices based on average consumption as measured by Ofgem of 12,500kWh of gas and 3,100kWh of electricity and a customer paying by monthly direct debit including VAT.
Bear in mind the price of your energy will be based on your postcode and so may be more expensive, or even cheaper, than the ones listed.
Other things to consider
Fixing your energy bills is a bit of a gamble, in much the same way as fixing your mortgage or savings.
That's because prices could come down, which means you end up paying more than you would have done if you were on a variable or even a shorter-term fix.
Having said that, the general trend for gas and electricity prices is to only go one way and that's upwards, certainly over the long term, although they may fluctuate within a year.
See if one simple search can save you hundreds on your energy bills
