Simple guide to switching utilties
You might think it would be complicated, but switching your energy supplier is an easy and effective way to save money. Here’s our straightforward guide to how it works.
Switching your energy supplier with BeatThatQuote.com could save you up to £397* on your annual bill, and the process should take just a few minutes of your time.
Our step-by-step switching service makes the process as easy as possible. All you need to do is enter a few details, and we’ll show you how much money you could save.
Before you begin
Before you start the switching process, make sure you have the following things handy:
- Your postcode. We need this because your location is likely to affect how much each supplier will charge you for energy. Knowing where you live will help us find the cheapest deal for you.
- Your most recent energy bill. We need the information you’ll find on your bill in order to help our switching service get an accurate picture of how much energy you use. If you have more than one bill to hand, even better: knowing how much energy you have used over a longer period will make the results of your energy price comparison even more precise.
Step one: give us the basics
To start your energy price comparison, enter your postcode in the box on the left hand side of the screen.
Ensure you select which type of comparison you’d like to make before proceeding: you can look at electricity prices, gas prices or the cost of dual fuel (both gas and electricity).
It’s worth noting that if you use both gas and electricity, it is often cheaper to get both from a single supplier on a dual fuel tariff. You can compare dual fuel tariffs using our switching service.
Once you’ve completed this step, click the Find Suppliers button.
Step two: give us extra detail
The next screen you’ll see has a series of bold headings. You need to fill in the information required underneath each of these to help us find the cheapest energy supplier for you.
The top two headings, Location and Existing Energy Suppliers will have pre-selected answers based on the information you have already given BeatThatQuote.com.
Beneath the next heading(s), you’ll need to use the drop-down boxes provided to tell us who currently supplies your energy and the tariff you are on. You should be able to find this information on your latest energy bill. (Note: you will need to fill in details of your gas and electricity supplier separately if you don’t get your energy from a single company. If you have never switched your energy supplier, your gas will be supplied by British Gas and your electricity by the local company that used to be the main provider in your area.)
The next heading you’ll see is Existing Gas & Electricity Spend or Consumption. Here, you’ll need to fill in:
- How much you spend on energy each month, quarter or year; or
- How much energy you use per year in kilowatt hours (kWh).
Telling us how much energy you have used in kWh over the past 12 months, or how much you have paid for your energy over the past year, will help us to make your comparison as precise as possible.
If you don’t have that information, giving us details of your monthly or quarterly spend will help our service to get an accurate result.
Step three: select your payment method and comparison criteria
There are two further headings at the bottom of the page: Payment Method and Your Comparison Criteria.
Under Payment Method, you’ll need to select the method you’re currently using to pay for your energy. Next, please select which method you’d like to use to pay for your energy in future.
Remember, opting for direct debit payment will help to save you money; energy suppliers tend to offer cheaper prices to customers who choose to pay in this way.
The Your Comparison Criteria heading gives you the opportunity to select which type of energy tariffs you’d like to compare. You can choose to compare all the tariffs currently available to you using our whole-of-market search, or refine your search to look at specific kinds of energy deals. When you’re ready, click the Compare Now button.
Step four: check your results and select a supplier
On the next screen, you’ll see the results of your energy price comparison. At the very top of the screen, BeatThatQuote.com's switching service will display which energy supplier offers the cheapest deal for you, as well as details of how much you could save by switching to this tariff.
Remember, even if you are currently with the company that appears at the top of our list, you may not be on the cheapest tariff offered by that supplier. Energy providers offer a range of deals to their customers that can differ significantly in price, so it can be worth switching to a new deal with the same supplier.
You’ll also be able to check out what other people think about the energy suppliers on the list by looking at their star rating and clicking on Customer Reviews.
Once you know which supplier you’d like to switch to, click Continue.
Step five: complete the process
Finally, you’ll go through to BeatThatQuote.com’s Secure Transfer screen. Here, you’ll be required to enter details of your address and how you want to pay for your energy.
Once these steps are complete, you’ll need to confirm your switch. This is the end of the online process.
What happens now:
- BeatThatQuote.com will now pass your details securely to your new supplier;
- Your new supplier will arrange a transfer date with your old supplier, and you will be notified of this. You don’t need to contact anyone.
What you need to do next:
- Take a final meter reading on your transfer date. Pass this information to both your new and old energy supplier;
- Pay the final bill that you receive from your old energy supplier;
- Cancel any direct debits you had set up with your old supplier (once you have paid your final bill).
Your energy switch should be complete within 4-6 weeks, and there will be no change to how you receive your energy. It will come through the same pipes in exactly the same way as before – you’ll just be billed for it by a different company.
And don’t forget, after completing the online switching process you will have a 14 day cooling off period. If you change your mind about switching your energy supplier, all you have to is contact the new supplier you have selected and tell them.
*At least 10% of customers who switched saved a minimum of £397 per year when arranging a dual fuel energy transfer using our services during the period 1 January 2011 to 30 September 2011.
**This material is for information purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. We strongly encourage our readers not to rely solely on this content, but to seek independent advice when making financial decisions.**
