Automated payments

Many people pay by cheque or in cash when they receive their bill every quarter. However, if you switch to an automated payment you could receive a considerable discount. The biggest saving is for those who pay by monthly direct debit. But, even if you want to pay in arrears at the end of the quarter, you will often still pay less if you pay by direct debit than if you pay by cheque.

If you don’t have a bank account and want to pay in cash, or you still prefer to pay in arrears by cheque, many fuel suppliers offer a “Prompt pay” discount, if you pay your bill within 10 days.

Dual fuel

You can often pay less for your heating and lighting if you buy your gas and electricity from the same supplier. It’s not always the case – the calculator will help you find out about this.

Economy 7

If you are able to use 20 per cent of your electricity at night – between about 1am and 8 am, you might be able to benefit from the Economy 7 tariff. This tariff charges less for electricity used outside peak demand times, and is useful for people with electric storage heaters, or those who can use dishwashers and washing machines at night. Economy 7 needs a separate meter and your supplier may make a charge for installing it, so take this into account when you are assessing if it could save you money.