Cheapest gas and electricity tariffs

It's important to keep on top of the cost of your energy bills, particularly if you're on a fixed tariff that's about to come to an end.

Switching supplier is one way you can save money, and the switching process is improving all the time.

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	Type of tariff	Average annual cost
Extra Energy	Fresh Fixed Price December 2015	Fixed (until December 2015)	£958
First Utility	iSave Fixed March 2017	Fixed (until March 2017)	£960
npower	Fixed Energy Online April 2016	Fixed (until April 2016)	£963
ScottishPower	Online Fixed Price Energy January 2016	Fixed (until January 2016)	£970
Ovo Energy	Better Energy Fixed	Fixed for 12 months	£973
Sainsbury's Energy	Fixed Price January 2016	Fixed (until January 2016)	£998
Extra Energy	Bright Fixed Price Dec 2015	Fixed (until December 2015)	£998
Green Star Energy	Rate Saver 12 Month Fixed 1410	Fixed for 12 months	£1,004
The Co-operative Energy	Fair and Square January 2016	Fixed (until January 2016)	£1,008
Sainsbury's Energy	Price Freeze January 2016	Fixed (until January 2016)	£1,031

Source: lovemoney.com gas & electricity comparison centre. Prices based on average consumption as measured by Ofgem of 13,500kWh of gas and 3,200 kWh of electricity.

Bear in mind these are average prices for the whole of the UK, so they may not be the cheapest where you live. Indeed, the tariffs above may be cheaper in your part of the world.

You'll notice that there are only two tariffs in there from so-called 'Big Six' energy suppliers (npower and ScottishPower). So if you are with the likes of British Gas, EDF, E.On or SSE, it could pay you to shop around.

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Other things to consider

Fixing your energy bills is a bit of a gamble, much in the same way as fixing your mortgage rate. 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.

If there's not much difference between companies, you might want to also consider how good each is when it comes to customer service.

The energy sector as a whole isn't renowned for being brilliant when it comes to dealing with its customers.

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