Cheap Gas & Electricity
Compare now to save £100s

Standard energy prices are now capped by the regulator, but don't be fooled. The cheapest deals are still for switchers – do a five-minute comparison via our Cheap Energy Club. Many can save £100s/year.
Top energy tips, including
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The biggest savings come from switching – the cheapest deals are still £300+/yr LESS than the price cap
Energy regulator Ofgem introduced a price cap on 1 January 2019 which places a limit on the amount providers can charge for each unit of energy on all standard and default tariffs – usually the most expensive deals.
On Tuesday 1 October, the cap fell by £75/yr for a typical dual-fuel household. But while bills should have dropped accordingly, most of the 11 million on standard tariffs are still massively overpaying (see what the price cap means below).
Avoid being ripped off by switching to a cheaper deal NOW. Even compared with the lower price cap level, a typical household could save over £300/yr by switching. See our Cheap Energy Club to find the best deal for you.
Compare to find YOUR cheapest price (plus possible cashback)
The cheapest tariff for you depends on where you live and your usage, so use our Cheap Energy Club top picks comparison to find YOUR exact winner (plus get £25 switchers' dual-fuel cashback) – it only take five minutes. Here's an example of savings...
Cheapest dual-fuel deals (based on typical use)
Find YOUR cheapest & YOUR SAVING via Cheap Energy ClubTARIFF
SUPPLIER COST/YEAR (1) EXIT FEE CASHBACK VIA CHEAP ENERGY CLUB Typical big six standard tariff - £1,178 - - Cheapest deal
(12 months)Utility Point (2) £835 £36/fuel
- Cheapest big six fix
(12 months)British Gas £877 £30/fuel £25 dual-fuel cashback. Cheapest long fix
(24 months)
Yorkshire Energy £916 £30/fuel - Tariffs correct as of 6 Dec 2019. Based on calculations from Ofgem for medium usage. All tariffs assume monthly direct debit payment. Varies by region. (1) Includes cashback and any bill credit. (2) Not available in the Scottish Hydro region (North Scotland).
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Get CONSTANTLY cheap energy with MSE's free Cheap Energy Club
Our Cheap Energy Club is designed to keep you constantly on the cheapest tariff – fighting the fact most cheap deals only last one to two years before their rates rise. It does this by...
Finding you the cheapest deal. If you're already on it, great. If not, it'll help you switch. You usually get £25 cashback on top for a dual-fuel switch or £12.50 cashback for switching just gas or electricity.
Then monitoring your tariff constantly. Each month, without you doing anything, we do a background comparison to check yours is still cheapest.
Alerting you when it's time to switch (again). If you can save money switching either because your rate's changed, or others have, we'll tell you.
We've been swamped with positive feedback, such as:
Got to say thanks. I'll be saving a whopping £800 per year on my dual-fuel bill after using your Cheap Energy Club. A tad annoyed with myself that I didn't do it sooner!
Consider myself money-savvy, but just done your energy supplier swap and saved £548 a year.
We've also added some improvements to Cheap Energy Club, including filters that let you search for tariffs from good service providers, your current supplier or by big-name suppliers only, among others.
Other comparison sites don't always show all tariffs by default
It's also possible to get cashback for switching from comparison sites. Bear in mind though that some comparison sites by default only show you tariffs you can switch to via them (ie, where they're paid commission). This filters out some results – Cheap Energy Club shows you ALL those available by default.
What about automatic switching?
There are a number of auto-switching companies – such as Flipper, Labrador, Lookaftermybills and Weflip – which promise to continuously switch you to cheap deals, without you having to do anything.
Automatic switching is something we've been looking at and lobbying regulators about for a couple of years now, and we hope to offer it ourselves some point soon.
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What does the price cap mean for my bill – and why should I still think about switching?
The cap on standard variable and default tariffs is set by regulator Ofgem and came into force on 1 January 2019. On Tuesday 1 October, the price cap fell by £75/yr to £1,179/yr for a typical user – from the previous level of £1,254/yr, set in April. Despite the recent cut, it's still higher than the initial level of £1,137/yr when it was introduced.
For clarity, this doesn't mean £1,179/yr will be the most anyone will pay. It's the rates that are capped, so if you use more you'll pay more, use less and you'll pay less. However, your provider may not necessarily cut your direct debit payment – particularly as providers like you to be in credit leading into the higher-use winter period.
Most on standard tariffs will still be hugely overpaying. A typical household on a capped tariff could save £300+/yr by moving to the cheapest deals.
So the real savings are still to be made from switching.
Price cap FAQs
We've seen lots of confusion over how the price cap works – so here we answer some of the key questions we've seen and take you through some of the quirks of the new rules.
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Switch to monthly direct debit to save £85/yr
Paying by monthly direct debit can cut bills by up to £85 each year, as companies are sure you won't default and they earn interest on any overpayments. So if you can do this, go for it.
Yet direct debits are usually based on an estimate of your usage. If that's wrong, you can end up over (or under) paying each month. Remember, even if you're on a fixed tariff, your direct debit can go up if your supplier thinks you'll use more energy.
Some find they've switched to a cheaper tariff, but their direct debit rises. This can be the new firm overestimating or the old one underestimating. If it means you overpay, you'll get the money back later. Since we've been lobbying on direct debits, rules have changed. Suppliers' licences now say they must ensure direct debits are reasonable. If yours isn't, see the Energy Direct Debits guide for full help.
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FREE insulation & boiler grants
Energy efficiency can seriously cut bills. There are wads of freebies on offer from energy providers, from new boilers to loft and cavity wall insulation. It's all part of their efficiency obligations to people in certain groups. The full Free Insulation & Boilers guide has more, but below's a taster of what you can get and what it'll save you:
Boiler replacement or repair. Heating accounts for around 60% of what you spend in a year on energy bills. Depending on your boiler's age, a shiny new efficient one could save you up to £300/yr.
Cavity wall insulation. Most homes built since 1920 have a gap between internal and external walls. Filling the cavity with insulating mineral wool and foam means cold air's kept out, and warm air stays in, which can save an average three-bedroom home up to £255/yr.
Loft insulation. Up to a quarter of your home's heat escapes via the roof, but you can solve this by laying mineral wool under the rafters, saving up to £225/yr.
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Got electricity only? You can still save
If you don't have a gas supply, don't think the rules are different. If you only have electricity, you can still save serious cash using the comparisons. Use Cheap Energy Club or the other comparison sites listed above to compare electricity prices.
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How to save if you have a prepayment meter
While new regulatory caps on how much prepay customers can be charged mean prices are generally lower, those on prepayment meters are still pretty hard done by, certainly compared to those on standard billed meters. If possible, switch to one of these. You may have to pay, but the savings are usually worth it.
Often they won't let you though, due to credit score or income difficulties. For full info on how to ditch a prepayment meter for a billed meter, or if you can't, how to save on prepay, see the full Cheap Prepaid Gas & Elec guide.
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Want renewable energy? You can go green and still save £100s/yr
If you want to do your bit for the environment, there are plenty of 'green' tariffs available and you can still save £100s/yr over big six standard rates.
These tariffs come in 'different shades of green'. Some suppliers promise to match your usage with energy generated from renewable sources – such as solar, wind or hydroelectric – while others will put money into renewable energy developments to boost the amount of green energy in the UK's national network.
Typically, it's only the electricity that's fully renewable. A few suppliers have started to offer 100% renewable gas, but it's rare. For more on renewable energy, see our Cheap Green Energy guide.
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Save £100s/year without switching supplier
If you think switching is too much hassle (it isn't, but hey ho), just move to your current provider's cheapest deal. Yes, that's right. Bizarrely, even though it's the same gas and the same electricity, each energy firm charges a range of rates for using it. And no surprise Sherlock, it's the 'standard tariffs' that most people are on which are by far the most costly.
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On a fix? You can switch again penalty-free in the last 49 days of your deal
To protect people on fixed-tariff deals, Ofgem's rules mean suppliers can't charge exit fees in the last seven weeks of fixed-term deals.
So if you're near the end of a fix, you won't have to pay a fee to leave it and move to a new tariff – provided your switch completes within the last 49 days of your current deal.
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Renters can switch too
If you rent your home you can save by switching, providing you pay the energy supplier directly (rather than paying your landlord). You don't need to own the property to do it, so don't just stick with the previous tenant's gas or electricity firm.
Tenants can print out our factsheet to give to landlords. It explains the rights that renters have to switch energy supplier. It also helps landlords understand that allowing tenants to switch won't cause them any problems.
You should also check your tenancy agreement – but even if your contract bans switching, Ofgem's guidance states if you pay the energy bill, you're still entitled to change supplier any time. You can still compare on Cheap Energy Club if you don't have the former occupants' bills, just hit the "don't know" button when you enter your usage.
It's also worth pointing out that some tariffs require you to have smart meters installed. If you want to change the meter, you should check with your landlord first and get written permission.
More switching info for renters:
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Check if you're owed a refund
If you switch energy firms and you're in credit, you're due the cash back. Your previous supplier should pay this automatically following your final bill, yet for years many energy firms pocketed the cash.
Back in 2014, energy regulator Ofgem revealed that about three million people were owed a refund by an old supplier. Ofgem challenged suppliers, saying it "expects suppliers to do more" to return the cash when people switch away from them. While it has improved since then, it could be worth checking if you're owed anything, especially if you switched energy firms before 2014.
We're not aware of a time limit for claims. Having said that, it's easier within the last six years as many companies might not keep records going back any further. So it could be your last chance to check.
Energy UK has set up the website My Energy Credit, which aims to help people claim money back from their old energy companies, though it's mainly focused on the big six.
Plus for switches since 1 May 2019, your credit must be refunded within 10 days of you receiving this final bill or you will be owed compensation on top. Frustratingly, there's still no set time frame for this bill to be produced.
Quick questions
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What happens if my energy company goes bust?
Several energy suppliers have stopped trading in the last year, though you're never at risk of losing your supply. Under regulator Ofgem's safety net rules, a new provider will be appointed to take over, and you'll likely be moved across to a standard tariff. However, you're free to switch away without exit fees if the price isn't good enough, so make sure you do a comparison.
If your account is in credit when the supplier goes bust, you'll get this back too – the new supplier will pay it to you or add it to your new account to pay for future energy use once it takes over your supply.
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Use less energy to save on your bills
It's not just which energy tariff you're on that can cut costs, using less can really pay off and is simple to do. Turn down the thermostat and wear jumpers, turn lights off when you leave a room, defrost the fridge and check it's not on too high, use energy saving light bulbs and don't leave electrical goods on standby. For more info, read the MSE Forum's Energy Saving Hunt and see the Energy Saving Trust website.
Smart thermostats can also help some save on their energy bills. These gadgets give you greater control over your home's heating, letting you adjust it on the move via a mobile app or online, and set more complicated heating schedules than your traditional thermostat. They can be pricey though, so see the Smart Thermostats guide to check if they're right for you.
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Some suppliers run credit checks
Some firms do a credit check when you apply to switch, as if you pay by direct debit, bills are estimated – if they under-assess you, you could owe them cash, so they want to know you're good for it. There are two types of credit check done...
- Soft search. This is the best type, as you can see it on your file, but lenders can't so it DOESN'T have any impact on your ability to get future credit products (like mortgages).
- Hard search. This DOES leave a mark on credit files lenders can see and can have a minor negative impact on future credit applications. This isn't a big deal usually, but if you're planning to apply for a mortgage within the next couple of months you may want to miss it.
If you don't pass the credit check, suppliers may ask you to pay a security deposit or suggest a prepayment meter in order to take on your supply. You can stop the switch if this happens though.
If you're worried about your credit score, our Credit Scores guide has tips on how to boost it.
- Soft search. This is the best type, as you can see it on your file, but lenders can't so it DOESN'T have any impact on your ability to get future credit products (like mortgages).
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Do a meter reading every time you get a bill
Don't rely on your energy provider's estimate, these are often way out. If they're underbilling, you'll have a big whack to pay when your supplier receives your actual meter reading. If they're overbilling, then they've unfairly got your cash.
If your direct debit is way off kilter, call up and ask for it to be changed. You have a range of rights to ensure it's correct. See the full Energy Direct Debits guide for template letters.
Smart meters can help stop this as they send meter readings automatically to your supplier, so you only pay for what you use. See the Smart Meters guide for more.
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