Compare & Switch in Minutes

Where did we get those numbers from?

Energy prices vary depending on three things:

1. Region

Though usage and property size are the main factors affecting the size of your bill, your postcode also plays a part.

For our table we used a London postcode. London is pretty cheap for electricity prices, and pretty expensive for gas prices. It works out at being roughly in the middle for UK energy prices. 

2. Property Size

Ofgem, energy suppliers, and energy comparison engines assume the average property size in the UK to home three or four people. If you’re living in a one bedroom flat or a large house with five or more bedrooms, you’ll need to adjust your details accordingly entering them into the suppliers website.

Further down this page you can find some more information regarding average usage statistics for different property sizes.

3. Usage

Linked to average property size is average energy usage. These figures are again used as a standard by Ofgem, energy suppliers and comparison sites. The average UK energy usage is as follows:

• Gas: 12,500 kWh
• Electricity: 3,100 kWh

= Average Energy Bill

Based on the above criteria, Ofgem calculates the average UK energy bill at being around £1,066.

We used the average bill of £1,066, and subtracted the projected cost of each supplier based on our London postcode, property size, and usage.

These figures are an indication, but to find out exactly how much you could save, enter your details on the various supplier’s websites by following the links in our table.

Energy

Electricity

See which electricity suppliers are top performers in their industry.

Gas

Compare gas plans offered by the UK’s leading gas suppliers.

Dual Fuel

Combining your electricity and gas could be cheaper.

Renewable

Take a look at environmentally friendly energy suppliers.

Solar Power

Generate your own source of renewable energy using green energy sources.

Business

Reduce business expenses and save money on your energy bill.

Switch and save

Switching tariff is a great way to make some big savings. Energy companies lead with great deals in the hope of securing you as a long term customer who never gets round to switching. As energy prices continue to rise, these costs are then passed onto us.

After the introductory offer, energy bills get much more expensive. UK customers overpay £1.7billion a year on energy bills.

Don’t be an inert customer, be a savvy switcher!

Who are the ‘Big Six’?

The ‘Big Six’ dominate the UK with 80-90% of the market share. British Gas alone, owned by a company called Centrica, commands nearly 25% of the market. The ‘Big Six’ are:

Energy tariffs explained

Tariffs can be pretty confusing, so we’ve explained the most common ones below. Once you’ve got to grips with that, we can begin comparing tariffs and finding the best deal!

Standard tariffs

This is the name given to your supplier’s ‘default’ tariff. The prices of standard tariffs go up and down with the energy market. Some supplier’s refer to this as an ‘evergreen’ tariff.

Fixed energy tariffs

These tariffs offer guaranteed charges and rates. A fixed energy tariff normally lasts until a defined date set by the supplier.

Dual fuel tariffs

A dual fuel tariff is a tariff which provides electricity and gas from the same supplier. Sometimes referred to as ‘bundling’, dual fuel energy tariffs are often easier to manage for customers. Similarly, dual fuel tariffs are often cheaper for customers, as suppliers offer deals to try and stop you switching to competitors.

Online energy tariffs

Increasingly, suppliers offer online energy tariffs which are manageable on the internet. You’re likely to see the phrase ‘paperless bills’ or ‘paperless contract’ with online energy tariffs. In exchange for you sending meter readings to your supplier, you’ll likely get a small discount.

Rather than through the post, your bills will be sent as emails – or available through a supplier’s website or app.

Pre-Payment tariffs

These tariffs are 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.

‘Green’ energy tariffs

When suppliers refer to ‘green’ energy tariffs, they’ll mean one of three things. One, they’ll match whatever energy you use with a generation of energy from renewable resources. Two, they’ll be contributing towards environmental programmes on your behalf. Three,

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.

Feed in tariffs

This is where you’ve installed solar panels or wind turbines at your property, and the energy suppliers pay you for the energy produce.

What does an average UK energy bill look like?

As we explained briefly above, this can change depending on a lot of things. House size, usage, and location in the UK can all affect the size of your bill. But this isn’t very helpful if you’re trying to get a picture of how much you should be paying.

Here’s a breakdown of what you might expect to pay, based on the size of your property and average usage statistics taken from Ofgem (the UK Government’s regulator for gas and electricity markets.)