view gas and electricity news

What is the Big Energy Week?

Big Energy Savings Week is an awareness campaign, run by Citizens Advice to provide consumers across the United Kingdom with access to advice on the financial support available to lessen the burden of rising fuel bills, as well as information on how to lower bills.

Now in its eighth year, Big Energy Savings Week will run from Monday, January 21st to highlight the many ways we can all save money on our energy bills, from switching supplier to being more energy efficient.

There's no price cap on business energy. Compare deals to find cheaper prices than your supplier's out of contract rates.

There’ll also be a week-long series of Big Energy Savings Week events taking place across the UK, check this map to find an event near you.

Why switch energy supplier?

2018 saw energy suppliers increase their tariff prices by unprecedented levels – increases in wholesale prices and the pressures of the price cap mean there are now just eight energy deals that come in at under £1,000 a year for the average household.

To put a bit more perspective on that, there were 77 such deals available at the start of 2018. The only way to protect against the price hikes is to compare deals and switch to a better one – a fixed-rate deal that locks your rates in for the length of the contract is usually best, but there are some competitive variable rate deals around, so always run a comparison with us to weigh up which deal is best for you.

If you think switching supplier is too much hassle, or won’t save you any money, think again – you can switch online in a matter of minutes and be with your new supplier within a couple of weeks, and just making the switch could knock as much as £447 off your annual energy bills.

The short video below will show you just how easy it is to switch supplier with UKPower.

How to switch energy supplier

How to switch energy supplier with UKPower. Simply enter your postcode and we'll compare energy prices from a range of suppliers. You then choose the one you prefer and we'll take care of the rest.

 

Switching supplier is only half the story though, and there are a few other things you can try to help bring your energy bills down even further.

How to cut your energy bills

When switching supplier, it’s worth considering the following, to see if you can trim a bit more off the cost of your bills:

  • Pay by Direct Debit – Many suppliers will offer a discount to customers who pay their energy bills by monthly Direct Debit. On average it is £100 cheaper per year to pay by monthly direct debit than paying by cash or cheque.
  • Get a dual fuel deal – Suppliers will also usually offer a discount it you use them for both your gas and electricity supply. This isn’t always the cheapest option though, so it’s worth comparing single fuel deals before deciding.

Once you’ve switched supplier, you can cut your energy bills even further by being a bit more energy efficient. See if you can make any of these changes around the house:

  • Set the thermostat to come on only when you need it - 30 minutes before you get up in the morning and set it to switch off 30 minutes before you are due to leave. Of an evening, set it to come on 30 minutes before you get home, and go off an hour before bed time, the residual heat should keep you warm until you’re tucked up in bed.
  • Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors. But make sure your curtains are covering any radiators, as this will stop heat from getting into your room.
  • Always turn off the light when you leave a room, and don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
  • When you are doing the washing try to fill up the machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. One full load uses less energy than two half loads.
  • Try and ensure that you only boil as much water as you need.
  • A dripping hot water tap can waste enough energy in a single week to fill half a bath. Fix leaking taps and make sure they are fully turned off.
  • If you turn down your main thermostat by 1 degree, you can around 10% on your energy bill. But make sure your home is warm enough during cold weather. Cold homes can damage your health.
  • If you’ve not already done so, get loft and wall insulation installed, and if your boiler is ten or more years old, consider getting a new one.

For more energy saving tips and advice, check out How to reduce your electricity and gas usage.

Click here to run an energy price comparison, and see if you could be paying less for your gas and electricity.

Les Roberts - Energy Expert at UKPower

Les Roberts - Energy Expert at UKPower

If you’ve got an issue with your energy supplier, our consumer champion Les is on hand to help. A decade in consumer affairs means Les understands how confusing energy tariffs can be, so he'll cut through the jargon to help make sure you get the best deal.

Published on: 18th January 2019