How to Save Big Money on Your Utility Bills
If you’re looking to save money, then it makes more sense to go after the pounds than the pennies. After all, if there are big savings to be made in one area, then these will outweigh a large number of minor savings. You can thereby still enjoy the little things in life while also paying into your savings account. One area where you can make such massive savings is with your utility bills. According to one survey, the average British household stands to save around £400 by switching suppliers- yet few people actually take this step. They assume that these promised savings are too good to be true, or simply see the whole process as more hassle than it’s worth. But with so much money on the line, can you afford not to?
Even if you don’t want to switch suppliers, you might still be in the running to save money, too. That’s because the majority of people are overpaying on their current tariffs. Ofgem, the energy regulator, found in a recent study that some 57% of consumers were being charged £300 more than necessary because they never looked into the other options available to them. They just go ahead with whatever tariff the energy company puts them on, and lose out as a result. The truth is, it takes just a few minutes to find out if there’s a better deal out there for you- and in this article, we’ll talk you through the whole process. There’s no excuse not to take a look- so read on to discover just how easy it can be!
Use Online Calculators
The easiest way to find out whether you could stand to save money on your utility bills is to use one of the many online calculators out there nowadays. In particular, we recommend Energy Helpline, since they are completely impartial- you won’t be automatically pointed towards one of the bigger companies just because they have paid to come top of the list.
If you take this route, then you might be surprised at how many smaller energy companies provide better deals than their big-name counterparts. Surely there has to be some kind of catch, right? Well, not really. While these companies are generally a bit slower with their customer service since they have a smaller overall staff, they still tend to provide the same quality of service that you would receive from bigger suppliers. The main difference is the price- and with savings of hundreds of pounds a year, a slightly longer response time to queries is a small price to pay.
Don’t Be Afraid to Talk Tough
Once you’ve settled on your new supplier, you might be tempted to just switch over there and then. After all, most price comparison sites will let you do just this, and therefore make things extremely simple. However, as we saw earlier, it’s not necessarily the smartest choice to put your new tariff in someone else’s hands. It could well be worth your time phoning up the company in question and speaking to their staff about switching over. In some cases, they may be able to offer you an even better deal than you would otherwise receive. Either way, though, we recommend that you speak to a real person before making any decisions. They will be able to answer any questions you might have, and therefore clear up exactly what you’ll be getting for your money. If you then decide that you do want to switch to them, then the person on the other end of the phone should be able to do this just as easily as you could on the computer!
