Electricity

Concerns about energy provider SSE's approach to switching its customers – and particularly those in vulnerable situations – onto prepay meter tariffs has sparked an investigation by the energy regulator.

The super-cheap energy tariffs we've seen over the last few months are starting to disappear, exclusive MoneySavingExpert.com research has revealed. So while winter energy bills may seem a distant prospect amid soaring summer temperatures, now could be your last chance to lock in a cheap price for when the cold comes.

British Gas has rolled out a tariff offering customers eight hours of free electricity over weekends if they have one of the company's smart meters installed in their home. But while it will cut costs for existing customers, it's still considerably more expensive than the cheapest energy deals available on the market.

If you're switching between many of the big energy providers you'll now benefit from 10 'commitments' guaranteeing a smooth and hassle-free transition – but if suppliers fail to deliver, you may still need to get the Ombudsman involved.

Regulator Ofgem is proposing to introduce a small levy on all energy bills to ensure customers don't lose out if their energy firm becomes insolvent.

Some energy customers with prepay meters could save an average of almost £120/year by switching to one of the two cheapest new fixed-term tariffs.

The energy firm Co-operative Energy has been wrongly charging customers who want to switch to another provider up to £60 to leave, even though they're in the last 49 days of their contract and should be able to switch penalty-free, MoneySavingExpert.com has learned.

MoneySavingExpert.com is warning people across the UK that we are in no way associated with energy cold-callers representing a company called Money Expert.

As many as 2.1 million households have been hit by large late bills in the last year because energy suppliers initially undercharged them, according to estimates from Citizens Advice.