Tracking down the cheapest energy supplier is often harder than you'd think. There are many factors that can affect your eventual choice. Many of them are outside your control. In America, for example, your choice will often be limited to the energy companies that operate in your locality. In practice, this means that someone in Los Angeles will have totally different choices to a buyer living in Colorado, Michigan or New Mexico. It will almost certainly end up that all of them will be paying vastly different dollar amounts for their utilities. It may not be fair, but it's the way things are.
In Britain, the situation is not the same. A plethora of energy operators are eager and willing to sell electricity and gas direct to consumers. Even so, most energy consumed in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales is sold by what are called the Big Six Energy Companies. They are: EDF Energy, British Gas, E.ON Energy, npower, Scottish Power and SSE. Between them they supply over 50,000 homes in the UK.
Your best way of getting a great deal for your energy is to make use of the Internet. Aside from the information provided on the energy company's own sites, there are a large number of other sites offering comparisons and background information. You must balance all the information you find and work out which of them are independent and unbiased. Quite a few of these so-called "independent" websites are there to push you towards one supplier or another.
It is now usual in many countries for one utility company to provide your gas and electricity. In some cases, they can give you your land-line telephone and broadband, as well. There are pros and cons with getting everything from the one source. On the plus side is ease of operation and that you get to know one way of doing things. On the negative side, the chances are that there may well be companies out there who can provide part of the package for less money.
Whoever turns out to be your chosen energy provider will almost certainly depend on where you live, and how much research you put into the process. Prices for energy are fluctuating constantly and so a decision made today might not look so good tomorrow. The key thing is not to be driven into making a decision. Do not let yourself be pressed hard by a telephone sales-person or cold caller to your front door. Despite their plausible words, remember that they work for one company, which may well turn out not to be the best one for you. Companies who need to "press-gang" customers by using hard sell tactics are usually not the cheapest or the best.
One trick that often works is to get your current supplier to reduce their tariffs. Once you have found a better deal somewhere else, call or write to your current energy provider and let them know the figures. There's a lot of messing about changing over accounts and energy companies will want to keep you and save the admin costs involved in processing your change. It is very possible that they will offer you a cheaper rate in return for your loyalty.
In Britain, the situation is not the same. A plethora of energy operators are eager and willing to sell electricity and gas direct to consumers. Even so, most energy consumed in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales is sold by what are called the Big Six Energy Companies. They are: EDF Energy, British Gas, E.ON Energy, npower, Scottish Power and SSE. Between them they supply over 50,000 homes in the UK.
Your best way of getting a great deal for your energy is to make use of the Internet. Aside from the information provided on the energy company's own sites, there are a large number of other sites offering comparisons and background information. You must balance all the information you find and work out which of them are independent and unbiased. Quite a few of these so-called "independent" websites are there to push you towards one supplier or another.
It is now usual in many countries for one utility company to provide your gas and electricity. In some cases, they can give you your land-line telephone and broadband, as well. There are pros and cons with getting everything from the one source. On the plus side is ease of operation and that you get to know one way of doing things. On the negative side, the chances are that there may well be companies out there who can provide part of the package for less money.
Whoever turns out to be your chosen energy provider will almost certainly depend on where you live, and how much research you put into the process. Prices for energy are fluctuating constantly and so a decision made today might not look so good tomorrow. The key thing is not to be driven into making a decision. Do not let yourself be pressed hard by a telephone sales-person or cold caller to your front door. Despite their plausible words, remember that they work for one company, which may well turn out not to be the best one for you. Companies who need to "press-gang" customers by using hard sell tactics are usually not the cheapest or the best.
One trick that often works is to get your current supplier to reduce their tariffs. Once you have found a better deal somewhere else, call or write to your current energy provider and let them know the figures. There's a lot of messing about changing over accounts and energy companies will want to keep you and save the admin costs involved in processing your change. It is very possible that they will offer you a cheaper rate in return for your loyalty.
About the Author:
Never sign up to a new energy company without getting all the facts. Here are two sites that helped me: cheapest energy supplier and Power4Home Review.