How to compare electricity prices

Have you ever considered how much electricity your household is using? We use electricity to power everything from lighting and heating to televisions and washing machines, and if you’re paying expensive electricity rates, your annual energy bills will be unnecessarily high.

That’s why it makes sense to regularly compare electricity prices and see if you can get a cheaper deal by switching supplier. And if you think switching electricity suppliers is a hassle, think again – electricity comparison sites take away all the hassle, and can have you switched to a new deal in a matter of minutes.

How to compare electricity prices

Comparing electricity prices with UKPower couldn’t be simpler – find the best electricity prices, just enter your postcode in the box at the top of the page and this will take you to our comparison tool.

You then need to enter a few details about your current electricity supplier and usage – if you can tell us how much electricity you use, or how much you spend on electricity, this will help us return more accurate quotes, no problem if not though, we can give you an estimate based on the size of your house.

Our energy comparison tool will then instantly return a list of quotes from a the best electricity suppliers in your area, ordered by how much we estimate each deal will save you per year. You then just have to choose the deal that offers the best electricity rates, and we’ll take care of the rest.

If you pay your energy bills by Direct Debit, you’ll need to enter your bank details on the final, secure switching screen – and that’s really all there is to it, you’ll soon be enjoying cheaper electricity bills.

Average electrcity prices

What information do you need to compare electricity tariffs?

To compare the best electricity deals with UKPower, you simply need to give us your address and a few details about your current energy deal.

The more information you can give us, the more accurately we can quote you, so try to have the following information to hand:

• the name of your current electricity supplier
• the name of the electricity tariff you’re on
• how you want to pay for your energy (Direct Debit, upon recepit of bill, etc.)
• your usage (per month or year/ in pounds or kWh)
• the date your existing tariff will expire

Pretty much all the information you need to compare and switch electricity suppliers can be found on your last bill or in your online account. If you're still unsure what to look for, our guide to gas and electricity bills explains it all.

Ideally, we'd like to know how much energy you use each year, or how much you spend on energy each month, quarter or year, but if you don't have this information to hand, we can estimate your usage based upon the size of your property.

What happens when you switch electricity providers?

Once you’ve agreed to switch supplier with us, we’ll let your old and new electricity providers that you’re switching, and your new supplier will then be in touch to provide you with more information on your new tariff and date when they expect the switch to go through.

The switch should take no more than 17 days, which includes at 14-day cooling off period, when you can back out of the deal without incurring a penalty.

There’ll be no interruption to your supply, not even on the switching day, and no need for any work at your property as your power will be provided through the existing cables.

Can you trust smaller electricity suppliers?

When you compare electricity prices, you might find that the results pages shows deals from a number of smaller suppliers, some of which you might never have heard of.

There’s a good chance these smaller suppliers will be offer lower prices than the more established players, this is because these suppliers feel they have to offer cheaper rates to compete with the Big Six energy suppliers.

Switching to a smaller supplier can save you a significant amount of money on your annual electricity bills, but you might be worried that they can’t offer a reliable supply, or might even go out of business, and what happens to your supply then?

Before you switch, particularly to a smaller supplier, it’s always worth checking customer reviews, and if you’re worried about your supply being cut off if your supplier goes bust, there’s nothing to worry about.

Ofgem, the energy regulator, has provisions in place to make sure your energy supply isn’t cut off if your supplier goes bust. Ofgem’s ‘safety net’ means you’ll automatically be moved to a new supplier, with no disruption to your service, and no need for you to do anything.

Once you’ve been allocated a new supplier, it’s worth comparing rates and switching if you can get a better deal elsewhere.

Why compare electricity prices?

Electricity prices are always fluctuating, and more often than not will increase year-on-year – although prices can fall, this rarely happens.

There are any number of reasons why electricity rates can vary, from a change in wholesale coal, gas and oil prices to an increase in distribution costs to unexpected weather conditions – a particularly cold winter can increase demand and push prices up.

Comparing the latest electricity prices is the only way to ensure you’re paying the cheapest rates - it often makes sense to tie these rates into a long term fixed rate deal, as this is the only way to protect against price rises.

Comparing electricity providers isn’t all about getting the best price though, and you might want to switch because you’re fed up with your current supplier’s poor customer service, in which case you should always check out any customer reviews before you switch.

You may want a supplier that allows you to check your usage and latest bills online or via a smartphone app, or you may want to do your bit for the planet and go with a provider that offers 100% green electricity.

Whatever your reason, whether you want the best electricity rates or you’re looking for the best electricity suppliers, comparing and switching with UKPower is the simplest way to a better electricity deal.

To start your electricity comparison, enter your postcode at the top of the page, or give our switching team a call on 0800 320 2000.