Don’t pay more than you have to for energy this year
Wales’ Consumer champion is calling on people in North Wales to save money in 2010 by switching to a cheaper energy deal.
Consumer Focus Wales’ quarterly Domestic Energy Report shows that the typical North Wales energy customer[1] could save more than £350 a year by changing their energy suppliers and the way they pay for gas and electricity.
Consumer Focus Wales has found that by changing to paying by direct debit with their existing suppliers, some consumers could save a total of £104 a year.
If the average customer were to switch to a dual fuel tariff with one of their current suppliers, and paid by direct debit, they could save around £171 a year.
But the greatest savings could be made by switching to a dual fuel tariff managed online, where the typical energy customer could save as much as £369 a year, which is 28 per cent of their total bill.
Figures show 47 per cent of of standard credit electricity customers in North Wales have remained with the original supplier for their area[2] since 1999, when they were first able to switch suppliers.
Although this compares favourably with South Wales, where 70 per cent of consumers remain with the original supplier, many people could still be missing out on a cheaper deal.
Ceri Williams, Senior Policy Advocate for Consumer Focus Wales, said: “Switching energy tariffs is a straightforward process and can save consumers hundreds of pounds over the course of a year.
“Energy costs are still at historically high levels, so it is important that consumers shop around for the best tariff.”
A number of price comparison sites and phone lines are available to help consumers switch. The Consumer Focus Confidence Code ensures that these price comparison websites are independent and impartial. Consumers using an accredited site can be confident they are seeing all available tariffs and that the results are completely unbiased.
Notes:
Consumer Focus Wales publishes quarterly information on the domestic energy market in Wales. The report can be viewed at:
North Wales refers to the area formerly supplied by Manweb.
The report can be viewed by clicking here
[1] The typical North Wales customer is supplied by British Gas for their gas and by Scottish Power for their electricity, and pays quarterly by cash or cheque, paying on average £1,294 a year for both fuels.
[2] DECC, Quarterly Energy Prices, December 2009. Percentage of domestic electricity customers by region by supplier type.
