How Can I Switch My Energy Bills & Save Money?

How Can I Switch My Energy Bills & Save Money?

When it comes to managing your household bills, it’s easy to sleep at the wheel. But if you switch your energy bills, you can enjoy a lot of benefits from being proactive.

Switching your bills to a new supplier could save you money. It can make your bills easier to manage. It can prevent you from having to waste money on inaccurate bills. And it can even help you to save the environment, too.

Best of all, it only takes a few minutes to switch your bills once the papernest team has found the perfect energy plan for your needs.

Sounds too good to be true? Don’t worry, we can explain...

How do I switch my bills?

The unfortunate truth is that many UK energy consumers are spending too much on the energy they use. The good news, however, is that there are lots of ways to drive down your energy bills.

Switching suppliers is not only one of the most effective, it’s also the easiest. Especially with the papernest team by your side.

Switching bills can help you to reduce your energy costs by hundreds of pounds per year. Even if you’re using the same amount of energy. If you choose a 100% renewable energy plan, it can reduce your household’s carbon footprint by around a tonne every year.

We can also recommend a supplier who can install a smart meter to make it easier to manage your bills.

Best of all, you won’t have to lift a finger!

We can scour the market to find the perfect energy plan for your needs and even help you to switch your bills so that you can enjoy cheaper energy faster.

We can also help you to switch providers if you're moving out !

Want to switch energy suppliers? Switching with us has never been simpler.

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Let Papernest help you with your electricity and gas needs.

What information do I need to switch my energy bills?

In order to switch your energy bills to something that will better suit your needs and usage, we need you to supply us with some information :

• Because energy costs vary by region, we’ll need to know your address and postcode.
• We’ll also need to know roughly how much energy you use. This can be in monetary terms or (better still) in terms of kilowatt hours (kWh) for gas and electricity.

This is extremely important in ensuring that the costs of the plans we find for you accurately represent your usage.

If you don’t have this information to hand, you can retrieve energy quotes based on estimated usage for the size of your home. However, this may result in less accurate bills if your usage is significantly lower or higher.

Finally, it’s helpful if you can provide the details of your current energy supplier and tariff. This will help to illustrate how much you could save by switching your bills against what you currently pay.

What happens after I switch bills?

After you choose a new supplier and tariff that suit you, we can begin the process of switching your bills. The papernest team manage your switch for you, so you won’t need to do anything else to cancel your previous contract.

Your new supplier will send you a letter to let you know when they’ll be taking over your supply. They’ll also include information about your tariff, how to access your customer portal and how to contact the customer service team.

After your switch is complete, you should receive a final bill from your old supplier within 6 weeks. If there is any credit left on your account, this will be usually be refunded to you within 14 days.

Will my energy supply be interrupted when I switch supplier?

Absolutely not! Energy companies work with one another behind the scenes to ensure a smooth transition for you when you switch.

What’s more, the energy regulator Ofgem monitors energy suppliers closely to make sure they’re facilitating a quick and easy switch for customers.

For extra reassurance, many energy suppliers opt into the Energy Switch Guarantee scheme, to ensure that you benefit from a fast and seamless switch.

How long does it take to switch energy supplier?

Often states that your energy switch should take no longer than 15 days. If your new supplier takes longer than this, you will be entitled to £30 in compensation from your new supplier according to Ofgem guidelines.

If you’re switching both gas and electricity, please note that these may be switched over at different dates.

When will I hear from my new energy supplier?

Yes, your new supplier will contact you within a few days of your switch and send you a welcome pack with all the information you need about your switch.

This may be sent in the post or, if you’ve opted for a paperless tariff, it may be sent to your email address. So keep an eye on your spam folder, as it may have accidentally wound up in there.

How to pay less for the gas and electricity you use ?

There are lots of ways to pay less for the energy you use, from installing energy saving technologies in your home to changing your meter and, of course, switching your bills to a better energy tariff. A smart meter can also help you to reduce your energy bills.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at how you can pay less for the energy you use.

How will a smart meter help you save energy?

A smart meter won’t make your energy any cheaper. But it will help you to gain better visibility over how much you’re spending and ensure that you are billed more accurately.

When you have a smart meter, your energy usage data is transmitted directly to your energy supplier. So your bills will never be based on inaccurate estimates.

You will also be given an In-Home Display Unit (IDHU) that allows you to see your usage in real-time in both kWh and monetary terms. So you can see the impact of energy-saving measures you make at home as you make them.

Want to switch energy suppliers? Switching with us has never been simpler.

Find out more

Free Service

Let Papernest help you with your electricity and gas needs.

Fixed rate or variable tariff?

A fixed rate tariff locks in your energy rates for a fixed period - usually 12 or 24 months. So you’re insulated from potential rises in energy costs in the future. Rates are also (usually) lower for these kinds of energy tariffs.

However, most (but not all) fixed rate tariffs come with an early exit fee if you switch plans before the tariff expires. This can be anywhere between £5 to over £50.

Variable energy tariffs, on the other hand, rise and fall in line with the cost of wholesale energy. However, suppliers need to provide at least 30 days’ notice before they change your energy prices.

What is the energy price cap?

The energy price cap is a limit on how much energy companies can charge you for the gas and electricity that you use. This is revisited every 6 months in April and October.

However, this is expected to rise in April 2021 to £1,138 (£1,156 for customers with prepayment meters).

What is a dual fuel discount?

Many fixed rate energy plans carry a dual fuel discount. This is an incentive that suppliers provide when you buy both fuels through them. This is usually somewhere between £15 and £30. This is deducted from your annual energy spend and spread throughout the year.

The papernest team will go over all your options with you for maximum savings.

When can I switch energy suppliers without penalty?

Although many fixed rate tariffs have an early exit fee attached, you can still switch suppliers without incurring a penalty under certain conditions.

You have 60 days before your contract’s end within which you can switch at any time, and you won’t be charged a penny in early exit fees. So make sure you mark your calendar and contact the papernest team when this period starts.

It is worth noting that being in debt can prevent you from switching energy suppliers.

How to compare energy suppliers?

There are lots of price-comparison services out there. But while these can be useful, there’s more to comparing energy suppliers than looking through a list of tariffs and prices. Your choice in energy supplier is a very personal thing.

You need to ask yourself...

What are you looking for in an energy supplier?

Are you only looking to save money? Or do you want more than just savings from your energy supplier?

For instance, you might want to think about:

• Do they offer 100% renewable energy as standard?
• Do they offer green biomethane gas or carbon-offset natural gas?
• How do customers rate their standard of service?
• Do they have a wide range of tariffs to choose from?
• Do they offer call centre support or are they an online-only supplier?

Getting a cheaper energy plan is great. But it’s by no means the only thing a supplier can offer you when you switch your bills. The papernest team will keep all of the above in mind, and get to know your needs and preferences when matching you with the perfect tariff.

What if I change my mind about my energy switch?

If you switch your bills to a new supplier, but then see a better energy deal elsewhere, don’t worry. You still have options. All suppliers are obliged to give you a 14 day "cooling-off" period after you switch.

This means that you can switch back to your old supplier (or any other supplier of your choosing) within this period without incurring any fees. Even if you switched to a fixed rate tariff.

How can I use less energy?

Taking steps to use less energy around the home can augment the savings you make by switching your bills.

There are all kinds of ways in which you can reduce your energy usage from little things like switching off a light when you leave the room to unplugging "electricity vampires" like TVs and games consoles when they’re not in use.

Some devices can use up to 80% as much energy on standby as they use in active use.

Even something as tiny as turning down your thermostat by just one degree could save up to £80 per year on your energy bill. If you have a dual-rate meter (i.e. economy 7 or economy 10) using more energy during off-peak hours could also drive down your bills considerably.

Switch your bills with papernest today

If you’re ready to switch your bills and save money, get in touch with the papernest team today.

We can search through tariffs from dozens of suppliers to find the perfect deal for your needs. We’ll even manage your switch from end-to-end so you can start saving money faster.

Call us today on 0330 818 6225 to find out more.

We’re available from 8am to 6pm.

FAQ

How do I switch my bills online?

There are lots of price comparison services out there. However, at papernest, we believe in the personal touch. Give us a call, and we’ll take the time to get to know your circumstances, needs and priorities before matching you to the perfect energy deals.

Will I be billed twice?

No, don’t worry! Your suppliers will communicate with one another to ensure that there is no overlap. You will, however, receive a final bill from your old supplier to cover any usage since you were last billed after your new supplier has taken over.

How often can I switch my bills?

In theory, you can switch suppliers every 28 days. But this would be unmanageable for most.

Ofgem recommends switching every 12-18 months to keep the market competitive and ensure that you’re always getting the very best prices.

What do I do if I change my mind?

If you change your mind after switching, don’t worry! You have a 14-day “cooling-off period” within which you can change your mind without needing to worry about exit fees or other charges.