Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Ends 5pm Fri. MSE Big Energy Switch 16 
Our super-cheap 14mth fixed gas & electricity deals may have sparked a price war. Save typically £300 over that time  

Lock in for longer - and for less

The story so far... a fortnight ago we launched our 16th Big Energy Switch event, where we lever our huge user base to get super-cheap deals, with fixes from Shell and British Gas (newbies only) lasting until the end of January 2022.

Yet as sometimes happens (coincidentally?), other suppliers started cutting their prices, to bring in more switchers. In the last week Utility Point, Scottish Power and E.on came in with new best-in-category deals, so Shell and British Gas reacted by shaving their prices down a smidge (the links above go to these).

And savings from switching are often huge, as John emailed: "We finally took the plunge and followed your excellent tips. Within 10mins we'd switched gas & elec, saving about £360/yr. Thanks so much, MSE."  With little time left, at least for two of our deals, if you haven't sorted it yet, it's time now.

If you want help, rather than the links to tariffs further below, which take you via our standard comparison, you can access these deals via our new whole-of-market tools.

• Recommended: Pick Me A Tariff every year (MSE Autoswitch). For those unsure or nervous about switching, this is the best option. Tell us your energy preferences (fixed, name you know, top service, green etc) or just select Martin's default choice.
  
  We then do it all for you - finding your top-pick tariff from the whole of the market, including the deals below, based on those priorities. Then each year, when your deal ends, we'll autoswitch you to your new winner based on your preferences (providing you agree, with one click).
  
  
• Pick Me A Tariff for now. Tell us your preferences the same way, but with no autoswitch after a year, just a reminder. 

Tariff prices vary by your use and location, so links go via our Cheap Energy Club full market comparison to ensure they're personalised for you, and up to date if the market changes. Use our Pick Me A Tariff or MSE Autoswitch comparisons if you need help choosing your winner.

These deals are not available in N. Ireland (more help below).

• Ends 5pm Fri. BIG SWITCH WINNER: SHELL ENERGY. Cheap 14mth fix + MSE enhanced service + 100% renewable elec. Price: £831/yr on typical use. Green: 100% elec, not gas. Service rating: 3.3/5 (OK). Save: £253/yr (see note below).
  
  The Shell Energy Jan 22 v4 is a version of its already cheap standard fix, now with £35 bill credit and the usual £25 MSE cashback (£17.50 bill credit and £12.50 cashback for single elec). We include these in the price above.
  
  It increased the bill credit to £35 (from an initial £25) to compete with Utility Point, which had come in and undercut it. Though Utility Point is only fixed for a year, whereas Shell is for 14mths, until the end of Jan 2022, so you're price-protected this winter and some of next. Both will likely show in your comparison, as may a cheaper 1yr fix from a small firm we've no feedback on.
  
  As Shell's service rating is middling, we've arranged 'MSE enhanced service' for this deal, which means if it isn't helping you, contact us so our energy team can escalate issues (pls talk to it first though).
  
  Who can get it? New and existing custs on dual fuel (ie, gas & elec) and elec-only. Though you need to have signed up to this email (ensure you log in using the same email address) or have been a Cheap Energy Club member by 11.59pm on Mon 2 Nov.
  Smart meters? Not required - though it'll contact you about them.
  Renewable? 100% renewable elec, but gas isn't green.
  Early exit fees? £30/fuel (unless within 49 days of the fix ending).
  Payment? Monthly direct debit only.
  Comparison link above: Filtered to show fixed rates with decent (or better) service (you can undo the filters).
  
  
• BRITISH GAS (newbies). Cheap Big 6 fix, lasts 14mths, 100% renewable elec + 1yr's free heating insurance. Price: £852/yr on typical use. Green: 100% elec, not gas. Service rating: 3.9/5 (decent). Save: £232/yr (see note below). No end date specified.
  
  Many of you tell us you want the safety of a big name. Originally we had a Big Switch British Gas winner to cover that, but it was undercut by E.on, and in response this British Gas Energy Plus Protection Jan 2022v4 tariff was launched (available on other comparison sites, not just us, but not direct).
  
  It's a soupcon cheaper than our original deal in most but not all regions (but both show in your comparison so you can see), plus you get the normal £25 MSE cashback. It's a dual-fuel only deal, available to those who aren't currently British Gas customers.
  
  Again, the fixed rate (not the price, that varies by use) lasts until the end of Jan 2022, and you also get a year's 'free' heating, plumbing and electrical insurance if you don't already have its cover, which will auto-renew at £12/mth after a year.
  
  You MUST agree to get free smart meters (one for gas, one for elec) installed if you don't have 'em already (unless it's impossible to fit them) within 3mths of switching.
  
  Who can get it? New dual-fuel custs.
  Smart meters? Required if possible, but they're free.
  Renewable? 100% renewable elec, but gas isn't green.
  Early exit fees? £40 (unless within 49 days of the fix ending).
  Payment? Monthly direct debit.
  Comparison link above: Filtered to exclude all but big name deals (you can undo the filters).
  
  
• Want a big name other than British Gas (eg, already a British Gas customer)? E.on and Scottish Power have launched fixes within a quid per year on average of British Gas on typical use. We've led on British Gas, as it's fixed for slightly longer. Use our big name comparison to find which wins where you are.
  
  
• Ends 5pm Fri. BIG SWITCH TARIFF: GREEN NETWORK ENERGY. Cheapest TWO WINTER fix - great for those who don't want to switch a lot, with 100% renewable elec. Price: £913/yr on typical use. Green: 100% elec, not gas. Service rating: 3.6/5 (decent) - not MSE-enhanced. Save: £342 over 2yrs (see note below).
  
  This Green Network Energy 2 Year Green Fix dual-fuel and elec-only deal, available to new customers only, is the cheapest 2yr fix on the market, including the £25 MSE cashback (£12.50 elec-only). The fixed rate (not the price, that varies by use) lasts for 24mths from the day you switch.
   
  This is the best deal for those who don't like switching often or are worried about future prices and want certainty now. It's about £85/yr more expensive on typical use than the market's cheapest, but you get this price locked in for two winters.
  
  Who can get it? New dual-fuel and elec-only custs, though you need to have signed up to this email (ensure you log in using the same email address) or have been a Cheap Energy Club member by 11.59pm on Mon 2 Nov.
  Smart meters? Not required.
  Renewable? 100% renewable elec, but gas isn't green.
  Early exit fees? £25/fuel (unless within 49 days of the fix ending).
  Payment? Monthly direct debit.
  Comparison link above: Filtered to exclude all but longer fixed deals (you can undo the filters).

We try to get non-direct-debit deals but providers aren't usually keen to offer them. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't act.

• Not on direct debit? If you're not on a prepay meter, the best thing to do is to switch to monthly direct debit, as the top deals are only via this payment method. If you're not happy to do that, you can still do a comparison based on your payment method.
  
  
• Prepay customers: Try our prepay comparison - savings are smaller, typically £85/yr, but it could still be worth doing. For bigger savings, see if you can switch to a credit meter. See Cut prepay energy costs.
  
  
• Northern Ireland: Our Cheap Energy Club, like all UK comparisons, doesn't include NI, but you can do a comparison via Cheap NI Electricity or the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland's tool.
  

When we show your annual savings, we do it for someone who uses a typical amount of energy, according to regulator Ofgem, and who is currently paying the energy price cap rate, which millions do.

Yet right now, in some ways that's misleading, as the current energy price cap, which started in Oct and lasts 6mths, is low because of the lockdown. While that's good news, it artificially reduces annual savings, as next March's cap is likely to jump.

As we're already in the period where data is collected to set the price cap, energy analysts at Cornwall Insight say it's currently predicted to rise by about 6% - £63/yr higher.

So when we note savings above, we've factored that in and compared the price you get with the estimated typical price cap over the next year (ie, 4mths at current cap, 8mths at future). 

However, when you do a comparison via Cheap Energy Club, it's based on the current, lower price cap - so your real savings are likely to be bigger than it tells you.

Q. Is switching risky? Could I be cut off? No, as no one visits your home (unless you want a smart meter) and it's the same gas, same electricity and same safety. The only things that change are price and service. See our 'Switching is no biggie' FAQs.

Q. Do you compare the whole of the market? Yes, we show every available open tariff. We can't always include other comparison sites' exclusives, and very rarely small firms don't provide their rates (or have them on beta test tariffs such as Agile Octopus), so until they do, we can't include them.

Q. Does MSE make money from Big Switches? Yes, as like all energy comparison sites, we're paid each time you switch through us, yet we give you roughly half as cashback (that's £25 dual fuel, £12.50 single fuel). This is money you wouldn't get if you went direct (not that the deals above are available directly anyway). So it's a win-win. The rest helps cover our costs and hopefully makes us some profit.

More switching and energy help in the links below...

Switching with smart meters | Why's my price risen when I'm fixed? | Reclaim credit | Switching-in-debt help | Switching if I've solar panels | How direct debits are set | Can I pick a switch date? | How do you compare my rates?

Busy weeks for Martin. This Thu, his lead topic of the regular weekly show is a council tax cost-cutting masterclass - many are due £1,000s back. Then next Tue, a 75min Christmas/Black Friday live (virtual) audience special - including the much-anticipated festive forecaster.

And of course, as they're live you can tweet suggested questions to @MartinSLewis, but you must use the show's hashtag #MartinLewis. Do tune in to both or set the Betamax.