How To Compare Electricity Rates

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLQfykJ1X_oOBWgATV_XK2RxSf_nCkm7QbA54NDOlrIkKQCSYGSv0c2QzRBdUHegu7R4vqPp0eBCaD3s21yTNnZbrcmKjj957dALrlsmXQTxZ_FQUoYX4fpuyWldec20_h6L6jKroS7s/s1600/Compare+Electric+Rates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLQfykJ1X_oOBWgATV_XK2RxSf_nCkm7QbA54NDOlrIkKQCSYGSv0c2QzRBdUHegu7R4vqPp0eBCaD3s21yTNnZbrcmKjj957dALrlsmXQTxZ_FQUoYX4fpuyWldec20_h6L6jKroS7s/s320/Compare+Electric+Rates.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <b>How To Compare Electricity Rates</b><br /> <br /> <b>Electricity pricing </b>(sometimes referred to as electricity tariff or the price of electricity) varies widely from country to country, and may vary significantly from locality to locality within a particular country. There are many reasons that account for these differences in price. The price of power generation depends largely on the type and market price of the fuel used, government subsidies, government and industry regulation, and even local weather patterns.<br /> <br /> <b>Basis of electricity rates</b><br /> Electricity prices vary between countries and can even vary within a single region or distribution network of the same country. In standard regulated monopoly markets, electricity rates typically vary for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Prices for any single class of electricity customer can also vary by time-of-day or by the capacity or nature of the supply circuit (e.g., 5 kW, 12 kW, 18 kW, 24 kW are typical in some of the large developed countries); for industrial customers, single-phase vs. 3-phase, etc. If a specific market allows real-time dynamic pricing, a more recent option in limited markets to date typically following the introduction of electronic metering, prices can even vary between times of low and high electricity network demand.<br /> <br /> The actual electricity rate (cost per unit of electricity) that a customer pays can often be heavily dependent on customer charges, particularly for small customers (e.g. residential users).<br /> <br /> <b>Price comparison</b><br /> <br /> <b>Electricity price statistics Europe</b> 2014<br /> The table below shows simple comparison of current electricity tariffs in industrialised countries and territories around the world, expressed in US dollars. Whilst useful for comparing world electricity prices at a glance it does not take into account a number of significant factors including fluctuating international exchange rates, a country's individual purchasing power parity, government electricity subsidies or retail discounts that are often available in deregulated electricity markets.[3]<br /> <br /> A comparative list of June 2009 prices for Europe may be found in the European Household<br /> <br /> The price also differs from the source of the electricity. In the U.S. in 2002, the cost of electricity by different sources is listed below: Coal: 1-4 cents; Gas: 2.3-5.0 cents; Oil: 6-8 cents; Wind: 5-7 cents; Nuclear: 6-7 cents; Solar: 25-50 cents. However, electricity costs from renewable sources depend highly on the source availability, reaching the so-called grid parity in parts of the world where even conventional power plants based on fossil fuel are costly enough (i.e. transportation costs of diesel to isolated communities). The varying costs involved in producing electricity leads to great variance in average electricity rates for residents of different states in the U.S. For example, in 2012, Hawaii residents had the highest average residential electricity rate in the United States (37.34¢/kWh), while Louisiana residents had the lowest average residential electricity costs (8.37¢/kWh). Even in the contiguous United States the gap is significant, with New York residents having the highest average residential electricity rates in the lower 48 U.S. states (17.62¢/kWh).<br /> <br /> It is worth noting that the high cost of electricity in the Solomon Islands, as shown in the table below, is primarily a result of the use of imported diesel fuel as the main source of fuel for electricity generators.<br /> <br /> In many countries the tariff is considerably lower for high electricity users compared to electricity savers. In Finland the low electricity users in househouilds may pay ca 30% fixed price.<br /> <br /> <b>Global electricity price comparison</b><br /> <br /> <b><i>For comparison:</i></b><br /> 1 cubic metre of methane contains about 38 MJ LHV of energy or about 10.5 kWh<br /> 1 litre of gasoline/petrol contains 33 megajoules or about 9,2 kWh<br /> 1 US gallon of gasoline contains 120 megajoules or about 33,3 kWh<br /> 65 standard alkaline AA batteries contain 1 megajoule or about 270 Wh<br /> <br /> <b>Compare Electricity Rates</b><br /> <br /> <b>Find and Go with a Reputable Supplier</b><br /> We hear ya. We know picking an energy plan should not be this hard. Unfortunately it often is. So what’s next?<br /> <br /> Make sure you choose a reputable supplier. Why does this matter? It’s not like the electricity you get delivered to your home is better or worse when it comes from different suppliers.<br /> <br /> The reason you want a reputable supplier usually comes down to billing issues. The most common complaint the Public Utility Commission receives relates to billing issues. Very new, low-cost suppliers are usually start-ups with very little back-office personnel. They also often have poor technology systems. What is the result? Incorrect billing.<br /> <br /> "Very new, start-up suppliers often have poor technology and billing systems.<br /> <br /> And if the supplier is not very established or reputable, it is a total pain to call and dispute your energy bill. These less-established suppliers often don’t have the man power or the technology to accurately bill and/or manage billing mistakes once they’ve been made.<br /> <br /> <b>Know Your Usage and Check for Gotchas</b><br /> Ok, so this is the hardest part.<br /> <br /> Energy suppliers often make it very difficult to figure out what price per kWh you will actually pay for energy. The price you are quoted is often not the price you will pay.<br /> <br /> Considering base charges, fees or credits for using a certain amount of energy, and transmission and distribution costs, it is nearly impossible to figure out exactly what price you will actually pay per kWh. We vet every single plan on our site. We know how these plans work - and even we have trouble figuring it out sometimes!<br /> <br /> <b>Compare Plans - Check the Price and Term</b><br /> The second step to finding a good energy plan is to compare both prices and the plan term. Typical plan terms are: Variable, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, or 36 months.<br /> <br /> Clearly you want a low-priced energy plan. But make sure you check both the price and the term. You should almost never choose a variable priced energy plan. These plans are difficult to manage and usually result in very high rates after just one month.<br /> <br /> Other than our specialized pay-as-you-go (prepaid) plans for our credit challenged customers, we do not offer variable rate plans on www.SearchForEnergy.com. Why? If you prepay for electricity, you know what you are paying and for how much.<br /> <br /> On the other hand, if you post-pay for electricity, your chance of getting a shocker of a bill in the mail is very high with a variable rate plan. No one likes to stress out over an unexpectedly large bill. Avoid it where possible by avoiding variable rate plans.<br /> <br /> Many suppliers also offer low priced, short-term “teaser-rate” plans. Teaser-rate plans appear very cheap and are only for a term of 1, 2, or 3 months in length. Suppliers hope that you will sign up for this very cheap “teaser-rate” plan and then forget to renew your plan. When you forget to renew your plan, the energy supplier will almost always jack up your rate. Any money you may have saved over those few months will be wiped out in just one, high energy bill. And it will be your fault because you forgot to renew at a lower rate.<br /> <br /> For years my job was to evaluate the business plans of energy suppliers. It is pretty much industry standard for suppliers to consider a large part of their profits to be collected when consumers like you fall out of plan and forget to renew at a lower rate. Energy suppliers love to be able to charge you two or three times the standard advertised rate simply because you forgot to renew your plan. Again, this is often how energy suppliers make the most money.<br /> <br /> Text Referred From - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/">en.wikipedia.org</a> and <a href="https://www.searchforenergy.com/">searchforenergy.com</a></div>

How To Compare Electricity Rates

Unknown 0 03:03

How To Compare Electricity Rates Electricity pricing (sometimes referred to as electricity tariff or the price of electricity) varies widely from country to country, and may vary significantly from locality to locality within a particular country. T… Read more »

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How To Save Home Gas

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEiIoKQIEUmfTo6LV3H3dCaDgaGoo3MnMWjeY5Pf-OGMgNAkVoIQXO9t4yGG47O47fe9d1atekpF1Q66NUpHuRc-7pEjtZaZh_n8rmOhbLxH01MjyAfViw3hHsTj2QXzqLOF2dCSo7a8/s1600/Save+Home+gas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEiIoKQIEUmfTo6LV3H3dCaDgaGoo3MnMWjeY5Pf-OGMgNAkVoIQXO9t4yGG47O47fe9d1atekpF1Q66NUpHuRc-7pEjtZaZh_n8rmOhbLxH01MjyAfViw3hHsTj2QXzqLOF2dCSo7a8/s320/Save+Home+gas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <b><u>How To Save Home Gas</u></b><br /> <br /> <b>During Winter</b><br /> Lowering the temperature by one degree during any 24-hour period decreases your heating bill by up to 3%, but do not turn off your furnace - it will use more gas to return to a warmer temperature. Instead, try setting your thermostat to these temperatures:<br /> When you're home: 68 degrees<br /> When you're away: 60 degrees<br /> Let in the Sunshine. Keep draperies and shades open during the day but remember to close them at night to reduce chill from cold windows.<br /> <br /> <b>General</b><br /> Install a programmable thermostat. This allows you to save energy by setting your home to a lower temperature during the evening and when you're away.<br /> I<br /> nsulate pipes, walls, attic, crawl spaces, basement and floors, as well as ventilator ducts and water pipes that pass through unheated areas such as the garage, basement, and attic. Note: When purchasing insulation, higher 'R-values' represent better insulation.<br /> <br /> Inspect heating and air ducts. Ensure ducts in conditioned areas are as clean as possible. In unconditioned areas, such as an attic or vented crawl space, seal your ducts to prevent leaks.<br /> <br /> Seal cracks and leaks on doors and windows. Caulk and weather-strip around doors and windows to reduce air flow and energy loss.<br /> <br /> Lower water temperature. Save between 3%-5% in energy costs for each 10ºF reduction of your water heater temperature. Consider setting water heater to 120º, and switching to "vacation" when you're away.<br /> <br /> Replace older appliances with ones that have high energy-efficiency ratings. Note: these may be eligible for federal tax credits or rebates.<br /> <br /> Run full laundry loads on a cold or warm water setting. Minimize unnecessary loads and save on heating costs.<br /> <br /> Install a low-flow showerhead. Traditional showerheads deliver between 5-8 gallons of water per minute (gpm). The current standard for low flow showerheads is 2.5 (gpm) at the same water pressure, so an investment of as little as $5 can cut the cost of a hot shower by 50%.<br /> <br /> Repair leaks in showers and faucets. A single faucet that drips just once every second wastes 8.6 gallons per day, or almost 260 gallons per month.<br /> <br /> Adjust dishwasher settings. Use the "energy saver" switch on your dishwasher; set it on the low temperature setting when feasible.<br /> <br /> Rearrange furniture or shorten draperies to unblock registers and air returns.<br /> <br /> Change furnace and A/C unit filters a minimum of three times a year or more to ensure maximum air flow and cooling efficiency.<br /> <br /> When it's hot outside, set your thermostat to 78 degrees or warmer with the fan switched to auto. For additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82 degrees or warmer when you're away.<br /> <br /> <b><u>Reduce your natural gas bill</u></b><br /> <b><u><br /></u></b> <b>Save money by saving energy </b><br /> The best way to reduce your household gas bill and save money is by understanding how to reduce your energy usage. Take a look below at some simple and effective ways you can save energy and save money!<br /> <br /> <b>Hot Water</b><br /> Regardless of the type of hot water heater you have, everyone can save energy and water by following these tips:<br /> <br /> <b>Taking shorter showers.</b><br /> Installing a water saving shower head (AAA rated) can reduce the water used from 22L per minute to just 9L per minute.  Less water used means less gas to heat the water.<br /> Immediately repair dripping hot water taps.<br /> When doing the dishes, fill the sink with just the water you need instead of leaving hot taps running.<br /> Ensure that the temperature on your hot water storage tank is set at 60 degrees Celsius.  Higher than this will use gas unnecessarily, but lower may allow bacteria to thrive.  The temperature on an instantaneous system should be no more than 50 degrees Celsius.<br /> If you have a hot water storage tank system, turn it off when you go on holiday.<br /> Maintain your hot water system every five years. <br /> Heating<br /> You may not realise, but you can save money on your heating costs too by:<br /> <br /> Lowering the temperature on the thermostat,  a couple of degrees will make all the difference.<br /> In winter buy some thicker curtains.  These will help keep the heat in, limiting the amount of time the heating needs to be on for.<br /> <br /> Thicker duvets and blankets on your bed will also limit the need for heating.<br /> Consider putting the heating on a timer so it automatically switches off.  It can be easy to leave the heating on and forget about it using more gas than required.<br /> <br /> <b>Washing Machine </b><br /> Some washing machines use hot water via a hot water inlet, whereas others take in cold water and heat it within the washing machine.<br /> <br /> Washing your clothes on a cold water cycle will generally save energy.  If your washing machine takes in hot water it will save on power.  If your washing machine takes in cold water and heats within, it will save gas.<br /> <br /> <b>Fun fact</b>: Washing in cold water will effectively clean clothes and remove stains. Consider using warmer water only for heavily soiled clothes or bedclothes.<br /> <br /> <b>Energy-efficient appliances</b><br /> <br /> By choosing energy-efficient appliances, you can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on your gas bill.<br /> <br /> Text Referred from <a href="http://www.gas-south.com/">gas-south.com</a> and <a href="http://www.kleenheatng.com.au/">kleenheatng.com.au</a></div>

How To Save Home Gas

Unknown 0 02:26

How To Save Home Gas During Winter Lowering the temperature by one degree during any 24-hour period decreases your heating bill by up to 3%, but do not turn off your furnace - it will use more gas to return to a warmer temperature. Instead, try sett… Read more »

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How To Lower Air Conditioner Bills

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8lk-V0xOJfxVxQ1L-zqfHVOkRUTaxWDGASvhlMb0a9XMqPt8v40rdq8AvQFB_vlmyr8gR4h8qnm8AVQPJlSFeQnOfwDUj3H6n0aqxF9AIqRxqcoSP7JOxZ1cXxn1twl8U8u56wKHAMo/s1600/reduce+ac+bill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8lk-V0xOJfxVxQ1L-zqfHVOkRUTaxWDGASvhlMb0a9XMqPt8v40rdq8AvQFB_vlmyr8gR4h8qnm8AVQPJlSFeQnOfwDUj3H6n0aqxF9AIqRxqcoSP7JOxZ1cXxn1twl8U8u56wKHAMo/s320/reduce+ac+bill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <b>How To Lower Air Conditioner Bills</b><br /> In the typical home, air conditioning uses more electricity than anything else—16% of total electricity used.  In warmer regions AC can be 60-70% of your summer electric bill, according to Austin Energy.  This is where the savings are folks, not in worrying that you left your cell phone charger plugged in too long.<br /> <br /> The easiest way to save is to run the AC less often, and to dial the temperature up a degree or two when you do run it.  My tips below show you how to be comfortable at warmer temperatures.  I use these tips myself, and as a result I save hundreds of dollars every summer.  I could take a trip to Las Vegas every year from what I save by not using AC.  Even if you're determined to not use your AC any less, we'll cover ways to keep the heat out of your home, and more efficient air conditioners, which can still save you money.<br /> <br /> Central AC is simply an energy hog.  A window unit AC uses 500 to 1440 watts, while a 2.5-ton central system uses about 3500 watts. That's a lot of power.  A floor fan uses only 100 watts on the highest speed, and ceiling fans use only 15 to 90 watts depending on speed and size.<br /> <br /> <b><u>Making do with less air conditioning</u></b><br /> <b><br /></b> <b>1. Raise the temperature</b><br /> Is raising the thermostat a degree or two really gonna kill ya?  I don't turn on my AC unless it's more than 96 degrees outside, and then only if my computer is running.  Each degree below 78°F will increase your energy use by 3-4%.  Follow the other ideas in this section, and you'll feel cooler at warmer temperatures.  Remember, only losers set their AC below 80.<br /> <br /> <b>2. Install ceiling fans if you don't have them.</b><br /> Fans can make you feel 3 to 8 degrees cooler, allowing you to dial your AC to a higher temperature and still feel just as cool. (NY Times)  Put the wind-chill factor to work for you!  And ceiling fans are cheaper than you might expect: they start out around $40 at your local home improvement store, and usually cost less than a penny an hour to run. (A typical 36" / 48" / 52" ceiling fan uses about 55 / 75 / 90 watts of electricity respectively at the top speed.) Central AC costs seventy times more to run than a fan.<br /> Most people are even able to install the fans themselves using the instructions provided.  Don't underestimate the importance of ceiling fans!<br /> <br /> <b>3. Make sure your ceiling fan is spinning the right way.</b><br /> Make sure your fan is blowing DOWN, to send air past your body, removing the hot air that surrounds your body. If your fan is blowing up, it won't do any good.  In fact, it's worse than no fan, because it moves the warm air at the ceiling back down towards the living area.<br /> <br /> (It's true that a fan that blows down also pushes the warmer air down from the ceiling into the living area, but it's blowing even warmer air away from your body, so the overall effect is to cool you down.)<br /> <br /> Almost all fans have a switch to change the fan direction.  It's an up/down or left/right switch on the side of the fan (between the light and the fan blades), and it's usually unlabeled.  Make sure the fan is off (not spinning) before you flip the switch or you can damage the motor.  Once you've turned the fan off, it's fine to physically stop the blades with your hand, just be gentle so you don't bend the blades, otherwise the fan will wobble when you turn it back on.  With the blades stopped, flip the direction (summer/winter) switch, then turn the fan back on.<br /> <br /> So how do you know which direction is up and which is down? For most fans, when you're standing under the fan looking up, counter-clockwise blows down and clockwise blows up.  Check by standing under the fan when it's on full-speed.  If you can feel the wind hitting you hard, then it's blowing down. To verify, stop the fan, change the direction switch, then turn the fan on full-blast again and compare the difference.<br /> <br /> <b>4. Use a Bed Fan</b><br /> Why pay to cool the whole house while you're sleeping when you really need to cool only yourself?  The Bed Fan solves that problem, running a gentle breeze under the sheets to keep you cool, so you don't have to run expensive AC (or so you can dial up the temperature, which still saves money).  Why didn't someone think of this before? This could be also great for people who experience night sweats or hot flashes. And you won't have to run an expensive AC all night long.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>5. Use a "Chillow" pillow</b><br /> The Chillow is a water-filled pillow that keeps your head cool while you sleep. You can either sleep directly on it or put it inside a pillow case. I bought one as soon as it came out and it really works.<br /> <br /> <b>6. Use cold packs</b><br /> Put these pads in the fridge or freezer, and then wear them or sit on them (or use as pillows when you're sleeping).  The cost to chill them in the fridge is a fraction of what you'll save by being able to dial your thermostat up a degree or two.  Remember, it's cheaper to cool yourself than the whole house.<br /> <br /> <b>7. Wear a wrung-out shirt</b><br /> You'll probably be surprised at how well this works.  Afterwards you might wonder why you didn't try it sooner.  It works even better if you combine it with a fan.<br /> <br /> <b>8. Run around naked</b><br /> Okay, you probably don't want to run around naked, but wearing lighter clothes will make you cooler.  Why wear long sleeves and long pants inside the house?  Wear a t-shirt and shorts and then you can dial up the thermostat a degree or two.  But if you do go naked then you'll also save money on laundry.<br /> <br /> <b>9. Rinse off in the shower</b><br /> A quick, cool shower can keep you cool for quite a while afterward.  And the water cost is trivial compared to the electric cost.<br /> <br /> <b>10. Use an AC timer or smart thermostat.</b><br /> For central AC, your thermostat might already have a timer built-in.  If not, you can replace your thermostat with a programmable one.<br /> <br /> For window unit AC's, many modern units have a timer built in.  If not, you can use a simple plug-in timer if your AC has a mechanical On/Off switch (i.e., you physically move it into a different position when you turn the AC on).  But plug-in timers usually don't work if the On/Off switch is electronic (i.e., you push a soft button on a panel to turn the AC on or off).<br /> Set your timer or thermostat to turn off about the time you leave for the day, and to turn back on a half hour before you get home. Contrary to popular belief, this does NOT use more electricity than having the AC constantly maintain a cool temperature; it uses less.<br /> <br /> You can get programmable thermostats and plug-in timers from your local home improvement store. Programmable thermostats come with instructions, but it's a quick job for an electrician if you're not comfortable doing the installation yourself. Plug-in timers for window units start out at $5, and there are more expensive models with more features.<br /> <br /> It's a myth that it takes less energy to run the AC all day, rather than leaving it off and turning it on when you get home.  Running the AC all day when you're away definitely uses more energy, no question.<br /> The reason is that with the AC constantly running, it's constantly cooling your home, making it a heat magnet.  Heat goes to where it's not, so when your house is cooler, more heat will try to enter.  So more heat gets into your house, and the AC has to remove that heat, over and over again.<br /> <br /> But if you leave the AC off, then the house will heat up during the day and then stop heating up. It's already hot so it's no longer a heat magnet.  When you get home and turn on the AC, the AC has less total heat to remove than if it had been running all day.<br /> Yes, I've tested this, of course.  In my test, running the AC all day used 317% as much electricity as waiting until after work to turn it on.  It was a pretty crude test and I won't be surprised if the typical penalty is actually much lower, but the point is, there's definitely a penalty by running the AC all day.  I hope readers will run their own tests and let me know the results.<br /> <br /> Text Refereed From <a href="http://michaelbluejay.com/">michaelbluejay.com</a><br /> <br /> <br /></div>

How To Lower Air Conditioner Bills

Unknown 0 02:04

How To Lower Air Conditioner Bills In the typical home, air conditioning uses more electricity than anything else—16% of total electricity used.  In warmer regions AC can be 60-70% of your summer electric bill, according to Austin Energy.  This is w… Read more »

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Energy Tariffs Explained

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wNoBggipqsVS3Y7ZDH2bluWGF6zNosV3vkbc8iSPDfXVbpi_APRfjGoBPV6v5FxzByZfjAJo5pk5X-cMzf42xKu6xCWQTTF-isPO26TywuRK4t0CoZ0ORi5ToYB63lVZ-httuPCC6tw/s1600/ENERGY+TARIFFS+EXPLAINED.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wNoBggipqsVS3Y7ZDH2bluWGF6zNosV3vkbc8iSPDfXVbpi_APRfjGoBPV6v5FxzByZfjAJo5pk5X-cMzf42xKu6xCWQTTF-isPO26TywuRK4t0CoZ0ORi5ToYB63lVZ-httuPCC6tw/s320/ENERGY+TARIFFS+EXPLAINED.png" width="320" /></a><b>Energy tariffs explained</b><br /> Don't know where to start when it comes to energy tariffs? We've explained some of the popular ones below - when you're ready, you can start comparing energy tariffs with us.<br /> Standard tariffs<br /> <br /> <b>What is it?</b><br /> This is your supplier's 'default' tariff. It will have variable prices that can go up and down with the market. You may also see it referred to as your supplier's 'evergreen' tariff.<br /> Will I be charged a fee for leaving?<br /> No. Standard tariffs do not have exit fees for leaving and your contract will have no fixed end date.<br /> This tariff is a good option if... you want flexibility and don't want to be tied down to a contract.<br /> You should watch out for...standard prices are not usually the supplier's cheapest and can increase or decrease.<br /> <br /> <b>Fixed energy tariffs</b><br /> <br /> This is a tariff which offers guaranteed standing charges and unit rates, usually until a defined end date.<br /> Will I be charged a fee for leaving?<br /> Some fixed tariffs will have an exit fee if you leave before your contract end date. However, with many you are free to leave at any time. Under new Ofgem rules, if you switch 42-49 days before the end of your tariff your supplier cannot charge exit fees.<br /> This tariff is a good option if... you want peace of mind. Many suppliers now offer fixed prices which are much cheaper than their Standard variable tariffs.<br /> You should watch out for... you will not benefit from any price cuts whilst you are on a fixed tariff. If you increase the amount of energy you use, the amount you pay will go up; fixed tariffs only guarantee the cost of the standing charge and the pence per kilowatt hour cost of gas or electricity. Compare prices with Which? Switch to see if you could make a saving and get peace of mind.<br /> <br /> <b>Dual fuel tariffs</b><br /> <br /> A dual fuel energy tariff provides gas and electricity from the same energy supplier. Not only can dealing with just one energy company make life easier, but often cheaper plans are only open to dual fuel customers.<br /> Will I be charged a fee for leaving?<br /> Maybe, it will depend on the terms of your tariff contract. Almost all fixed, online and standard tariffs will offer a dual fuel option.<br /> This tariff is a good option if... you want the convenience of just dealing with one supplier. Many dual fuel tariffs also offer a discount for taking both gas and electricity from the same company. You should watch out for... the amount of discount dual fuel offers does not always outweigh the potential savings of going with two separate suppliers for gas and electricity.<br /> Which? Switch allows you to see savings for both dual fuel and separate gas and electricity tariffs. Enter your post code to start comparing energy prices now.<br /> <br /> <b>Online energy tariffs</b><br /> <br /> Online energy tariffs require you to manage your account via the internet, usually in return for a discount to your gas or electricity. You will be asked to send meter readings online and will receive 'paperless' bills.<br /> Usually this means your bills will be sent as attachments to emails or will be available to download from your personal account area on the supplier's website.<br /> Will I be charged a fee for leaving?<br /> Maybe, it will depend on the terms of your tariff contract.<br /> This tariff is a good option if... you want the cheapest possible tariff and you prefer managing everything via the internet.<br /> You should watch out for... if you opt for an online tariff, many suppliers will send all important correspondence via email rather than through the post. This includes your welcome pack when you sign up. If you prefer paper bills, an online tariff may not be for you. You could make a significant saving by changing to an online deal- enter your post code and check how much you could save.<br /> <br /> <b>Pre-Payment Tariffs</b><br /> <br /> <br /> These tariffs a<br /> re for people with prepayment meters and enable customers to pay in advance for gas and electricity by 'topping-up' their meter using prepay tokens, cards or a key.<br /> Will I be charged a fee for leaving?<br /> Maybe, it will depend on the terms of your tariff contract. You can switch suppliers to a new prepayment tariff if you have up to £500 of debt on your meter, although some smaller suppliers may have lower debt limits.<br /> If you want to pay by any other method, your supplier may charge you for installing a new meter, and may refuse to allow you to leave prepayment if you are in debt.<br /> This tariff is a good option if... some people find prepayment meters an easier way to manage their finances.<br /> You should watch out for... expensive prices. Prepayment is widely accepted to be one of the most expensive ways to pay for gas and electricity. Also, tariff options are more limited for prepayment customers. Which? Switch displays all the prepayment tariffs currently available on the market.<br /> <br /> <b>Green' energy tariffs</b><br /> <br /> A 'green' tariff can be one of two things. Either the supplier will promise to match your usage with generation from renewable sources of energy, or it will contribute towards environmental schemes on your behalf.<br /> Will I be charged a fee for leaving?<br /> Maybe, it will depend on the terms of your tariff contract.<br /> This tariff is a good option if... you are concerned about the environmental impact of your gas and electricity use. Green tariffs are not always more expensive so you can get a good deal by shopping around.<br /> You should watch out for... many, but not all, green tariffs charge higher than average prices. The Which? Switch results table allows you to compare green energy prices with all other tariffs on the market.<br /> <br /> Text Referred From - <a href="http://switch.which.co.uk/">switch.which.co.uk</a></div>

Energy Tariffs Explained

Unknown 0 01:38

Energy tariffs explained Don't know where to start when it comes to energy tariffs? We've explained some of the popular ones below - when you're ready, you can start comparing energy tariffs with us. Standard tariffs What is it? This is your supplie… Read more »

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