Energy switching and oil clubs
LATEST (March 2024):
A rise in the cost of the units and daily standing charges of electricity and mains gas from January 1st 2024 to April 1st 2024 has meant that prices are higher during these few months than they have been from October – December and will be from April – June.
As a result, if your Fixed Rate Tariff is ending soon or if you are already on a Standard Variable Tariff, you may be better off waiting until April before looking for deals and locking onto a new Fixed Rate Tariff.
The graphic below outlines the current price caps for the South East region until March 31st, and what these will be changing to from April 1st.
Note: the average yearly cost reflects ‘typical’ household usage, and is not a cap on how much a household may spend.
If you haven’t looked at how much you’re paying for your energy and shopped around for the best deal, there is a good chance that you are paying far more than you need to. Just as you would compare prices for car insurance or a mobile phone contract, it’s often worthwhile to shop around for your energy supplier.
Before you switch it’s a good idea to check whether you’re eligible for the Warm Home Discount which can give you to up to £150 off your bill. Not every supplier offers it, so that’s why it’s important to find out before you switch.
There’s a vast difference between the cost of different tariffs and the ways to pay, for example prepayment and credit meters. Even if you stay with the same supplier, there are tariffs that could be cheaper for you such as on-peak and off-peak type tariffs or low energy user tariffs.
Looking online can be a great way to get started when shopping around for energy. Citizen’s Advice has a simple energy comparison service.
View a list of Ofgem accredited energy comparison sites.
These are independent, and the options and prices you find on them will be calculated and displayed in a fair and accurate way – meaning you can be confident when shopping for energy.
If you have a prepayment meter you can still find out whether switching energy supplier could get you a better deal.
Oil clubs
To see if you pay more for your heating oil than you need to have a look at oil clubs.
Oil clubs are groups of people mainly in rural areas who combine their orders for domestic heating oil. They offer bulk purchasing power so that members get a better deal on their heating fuel. The Oil-Club covers East Sussex and is one of the largest heating oil club in the UK with over 5 million litres ordered each month. You should always try to shop around to get the best deal in your area – check out the BoilerJuice and Fuel Tool domestic heating oil comparison websites.
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Warm East Sussex 