Energy comparison

If you've felt a pang of nervousness before opening the latest correspondence from your gas and electricity provider, you're living in fear of a monster energy bill.

It doesn't have to be this way.

According to Ofgem, 66% of all UK households are on standard variable tariffs,^[2] which regularly turn out to be the most expensive option on offer.

Remember, there's no bonus for loyalty when it comes to energy- it really does pay to shop around and switch to the cheapest deal.

It's not just homeowners who can get in on the energy switching action either, tenants could switch and save on their gas and electricity too.

Types of energy tariff

There are a few different tariff options for your gas and electricity needs:

• Standard variable tariff - this is the provider's default tariff, you'll be automatically moved to it when your tariff ends
• Dual fuel tariff - a tariff for both your gas and electricity. You'll only need to deal with one supplier for both, but it's worth shopping around to see if single fuel tariffs work out cheaper
• Fixed rate tariff - yes, you guessed it. Your tariff is fixed for a set period, during this time it will not fluctuate up or down
• Capped rate tariff - this allows the cost of your tariff to decrease and it won't be able to increase above a predetermined amount
• Green tariff - an environment friendly option which can either be 100% renewable or a mix of renewable and non-renewable sources
• Collective tariff - enables people to group together to negotiate a deal on their energy with the supplier. You won't be able to find this option on comparison websites
• Prepayment energy tariff - You'll have a prepaid meter in your home which you can top up to continue your gas and electricity

Small energy suppliers versus the 'big six'

Size doesn't matter, well at least not in the energy industry.

So make sure you check out smaller energy suppliers too, it's worth taking a look at customer service reviews to see their track record and how they deal with customers, in particular complaints.

Switching energy tariffs

You can switch your energy tariff without picking up the phone and talking to anyone. Hoorah!

Just switch online and your new supplier will sort it all out, including contacting your current energy provider, so no awkward goodbyes.

You'll experience no disruption in your energy supply and should seamlessly be hooked up to your new provider. It's as easy as that.

Remember that you have a 14-day cooling off period between completing your application and the switching of your suppliers starting. So if you're going to change your mind - that's the time to do it.

Switching energy providers with GoCompare

We'll automatically show you all the tariffs you can switch to through GoCompare however the option to see all other tariffs is shown clearly on the results page and you can toggle easily between both views.

This is a decision that we believe will help to increase competition in the energy market and ultimately lower prices for customers everywhere. It will also discourage unsustainable deals, whereby suppliers aren't able to cope with high demand or rising wholesale energy prices.

If you decide to switch to a tariff that's available through GoCompare we receive a small fee from the energy supplier once your cooling off period has ended. This fee helps us maintain our website, improve our services and invest in our people.

This fee isn't lumped onto your bill though - you'd get exactly the same price if you went direct. That's a promise.

If you choose a tariff offered through our service, you can purchase online, where we provide on-going support, and/or over the phone.

Want more on energy?

Of course you do, so spend some time in our Gas and electricity library where you can find out everything you've ever wanted to know about identifying your supplier, reading bills and meters.

And we can answer all those burning questions you have on boiler and central heating cover, winter fuel bills, money-saving tips and a checklist for moving home.