With rising energy prices affecting many households and the internet making it easier than ever to compare prices and find more affordable deals, more people are switching their electricity suppliers than ever before. If you’ve never switched your provider before, or you’ve been on the same energy tariff for a number of years, there’s a good chance you could find significant savings by moving to a new contract once your current one expires.
One commonly asked question people have about switching their electricity provider is whether they need to make any physical changes in their premises, such as removing old grid connections and installing new ones. This is usually not required, though you should inform your current supplier about your intention to cancel your service and ensure the connection is disconnected before you switch to a new company.
If you are moving into a previously occupied home, making sure the electricity connection is in your name is important for legal reasons. If you know the previous occupant personally, you may be able to save time and reduce problems with changing the connection by sending the relevant application forms to energy companies simultaneously, making sure to include the meter number of your premises.
There are some types of electricity services that may involve replacing meters and other components, especially if you desire to check your meter readings online rather than having to read them off the meter itself, or in the case of older and damaged meters. If you’re installing solar panels and other power systems, these will also need to be professionally connected to your home’s energy grid and could involve a number of replacements and upgrades.
If you’re thinking about switching your electricity plan, the first step is to carry out independent research into the prices charged by different providers, which is easiest to accomplish online. Using price comparison websites can be a good starting point as they allow you to compare different tariffs side by side, but you should also visit the websites of energy companies themselves, as there may be better priced deals or tariffs better suited to your situation.
Most people switch their energy supply to save money, but there can also be other incentives offered by companies to attract more customers, such as improving the convenience of the service or offering combined discounts when signing up to dual fuel tariffs for electricity and gas. Some tariffs may also offer fixed costs, which can improve financial security by protecting you from changes in the energy markets.
Dave MacKinder writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.