A GUIDE TO

SWITCHING ENERGYAND STAYING WARM

‘A Guide to Switching Energy and Staying Warm’ / 3

A message from comparethemarket.com

A message from Friends of the Elderly

The winter season brings with it not only the colder weather but, for many

households, the stress and worry of the cost of staying warm in their homes.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to save

money is to shop around for the best energy

deal. You could save up to £153 by simply

switching provider, however there are also

many things you can do around the house

to reduce your energy consumption. To help

remove any concerns around keeping warm

this winter, we’ve compiled some helpful

tips to manage your energy usage that

should have a big financial impact.

James Padmore, Head of Energy, comparethemarket.com

We know that many older people have difficulty staying warm and well in

the winter. It’s very concerning that so many sacrifice a meal or use their savings to afford to have their heating on.

As well as struggling to cope with escalating

heating and fuel allowance costs, an

alarming number also have no one to talk to

about their concerns about staying well at

this time of year. Our ‘Be a Friend’ campaign

is encouraging everyone to get to know the

people living around them and look out for

each other where they can. If you have an

older neighbour, friend or relative, why not

take a moment out of your day to make sure

they are keeping warm and well.

Steve Allen, Chief Executive,Friends of the Elderly

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Keeping warm and well this winter

We hope you find this guide interesting and informative. The fastest way to

make the biggest savings on your energy is to make sure you’re with the provider and tariff that is offering the best deal. If you’re not familiar with how to compare the energy market or don’t have access to the internet, we recommend that you ask a friend, family member or neighbour for their help.

It’s Friends of the Elderly’s mission to help

older people, especially those in need due to

physical or mental frailty, isolation or poverty.

It provides high quality caring services,

personalised to the needs of the individual and

integrated with local communities.

For more tips and ideas about how you can

help make sure older relatives, friends and

neighbours are keeping warm and well, visit

Friends of the Elderly’s Be a Friend website:

www.beafriendtoday.org.uk

‘A Guide to Switching Energy and Staying Warm’ / 5

Which tariff is best for you?

Some variations include:Green: Customers can choose to switch to green tariffs for electricity if they are concerned about

reducing carbon emissions.

Online: This requires customers to manage their entire account online. Because these tariffs

reduce billing costs for the energy supplier, they are usually offered at a discounted price.

Social: A social tariff is available to vulnerable customers, taking into account low income, age,

illness or disability.

Economy 7 Electricity: Most tariffs are available with Economy 7, but not all. These are ideal for

consumers who use the majority of their energy at night.

Fixed or Variable? One of the most common questions around energy is whether fixed or variable tariffs offer the

best deal. There is not a hard and fast rule about which tariff you should opt for, we recommend

you review the key considerations below and speak to your energy provider if you’re still unsure.

Fixed: Prices remain the same for a defined period of time, regardless of any price changes

announced by the energy supplier.

Variable: The standard and default tariff offered by energy companies will be variable. This type

of tariff is available on most payment options.

6 \ ‘A Guide to Switching Energy and Staying Warm’

Whether it’s quarterly, half-yearly or annually, understanding your energy

usage and knowing what to look out for is essential for those looking to save on energy bills.

YOUR ENERGY BILLBill/Statement

Period: The period for which you are being charged gas and/or electricity

usage

Customer Reference Number: A number unique to you that allows energy companies to track your usage and history

How to understand your energy bill

Gas/ Electricity Consumption: This

shows how much gas and/or electricity has been used within the billing period and is

measured in kilowatt-hours – listed on your

bill as kWh.

‘A Guide to Switching Energy and Staying Warm’ / 7

Tariffs: This will often be shown in two-tiers. The first will show a small amount of your energy use being charged at a higher rate –

this is for the first units of energy used within your household.

Comparison: How this will be displayed will vary depending on which supplier you are

with. Each bill you receive will compare your kWh usage for the specific period, with the

same period the year previous.

Projected Cost: An estimate of future costs based on your current energy usage. This is a key figure to keep in mind if you’re looking to

switch suppliers.

Make sure you shop around for the best energy deal if your fixed energy tariff is due to expire. If you do not contact your supplier, you will

automatically be rolled onto the lowest variable tariff which could end up costing more than your previous fixed energy deal.

8 \ ‘A Guide to Switching Energy and Staying Warm’

Top tips for saving energy

Loft insulation and cavity wall insulation makes a huge difference to heat

retention. The cost on average can beoffset in four years.

Use draft excluders to stop cold air coming through exterior doors,

windows and skirting boards.

Turn off lights, appliances, technology and battery chargers at the socket when not

in use. Energy wasted by leaving electrical items on standby costs UK households an

average of £50-£90 per year.

Reduce the watertemperature on

your boiler by a fewdegrees. Chances

are you won’t noticeany difference but

will save cash.

Replace oldboilers with new,

more efficientmodels.

Invest in curtainswith thermal

linings, especiallyif you have

single glazedwindows.

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Save energy by runningyour washing machine at

30°C rather than 40°C. Use a washing line or clothes airer

instead of a tumble dryer.

Close interior doors to prevent warmth escaping.

Change your light bulbs to low-energy/LED versions which can cut your energyconsumption by up to 90 per cent. This

could save you up to £240 a year.

Cook double batches offood and freeze half for

another day ratherthan running the oven

or hob twice.

Don’t boil a fullkettle of water when

you only need to makeone cup – only fill for

the number ofcups needed.

Fit insulating jacketson your hot water

tank to reduce heatloss. Use an eco

shower head, whichcan reduce your hot

water usage and yourwater consumption.

10 \ ‘A Guide to Switching Energy and Staying Warm’

In addition to taking steps within your home to make it more energy efficient,

don’t forget one of the fastest ways to save on your energy bill is to shop around for the best deal. The average household could save £153 a year on energy bills by simply comparing the market and switching to the best energy tariff.*

Save on your energy bill with these 3 easy ways to switch:

Visit online

Call 0800 093 6831

Download our Snapt™ app

* 50% of customers who used comparethemarket.com to switch their gas and electricity between 1st July -31st August 2014 could have achieved this saving on their annual energy bill.

Switch and save

‘A Guide to Switching Energy and Staying Warm’ / 11

Friends of the Elderlywww.beafriendtoday.org.ukT. 020 7730 8263 F. 020 7259 0154

Visit www.comparethemarket.comfor more infomation