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Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Britain's best energy suppliers revealed in industry awards – where does yours rank?
Read on to find out which supplier came out top for customer service GOOD ENERGY Britain's best energy suppliers revealed in industry awards – where does yours rank? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITAIN'S best energy provider has been crowned today - and it's not British Gas or EDF. Comparison website Uswitch has named the energy provider that is the best for overall customer satisfaction, customer service and value for money. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Uswitch has named Britain's best energy provider today in its annual awards Credit: Getty The awards, which are based on a survey of 15,000 energy customers, also reveal the best overall improvement and best small supplier. Octopus Energy came out on top, winning the Uswitch Energy Awards for Overall Customer Satisfaction and Customer Service. Utility Warehouse was named as the second best provider in both categories, while Utilita was the runner-up. Octopus Energy was also crowned the joint winner of the award for Value for Money after tying with Utility Warehouse. Customers praised Utility Warehouse for its money-saving bundles, Cashback Card and competitive prices. British Gas was given the award for Best Overall Improvement for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, 100Green received the award for Best Small Supplier. What is the energy price cap? Will Owen, energy expert at said it has been good to see energy suppliers competing with each other to offer better deals, which has led households to feel they are getting better value for money. He said: 'It's reassuring to see that customers are regaining confidence in their energy providers, with overall satisfaction almost back to the levels we saw before the energy crisis." But he added that it's important to remember that bills are still much more expensive than before the crisis, so there is still a lot of work to be done by providers. He said: 'To stay competitive, suppliers must focus on driving prices down for households, which includes competitive pricing as well as expanding offers such as innovative tariffs and rewarding demand flexibility schemes.' The study also found that household satisfaction with the value for money they have get from their energy provider has risen by 10% in the past year. In part, this is because competition between suppliers has led to more deals that are cheaper than the price cap. There are now 24 fixed energy deals available that are cheaper than July's price cap, which is set at £1,720 a year. This is a 12-fold increase on the same time last year. Meanwhile, overall customer satisfaction with energy suppliers is up 5% in the past year to 75%. This is close to the 77% record seen just before the energy crisis. As a result, more than three quarters of customers would recommend their energy provider, which is the highest level in the past five years. In comparison, during the energy crisis in 2023, less than half of customers would have encouraged others to use their energy supplier. Customer service satisfaction is also 10% higher than last year, while satisfaction with suppliers' mobile apps has soared from 35% before the energy crisis to 83% this year. This shows that suppliers are making progress in offering a convenient, digital customer experience, Uswitch said. Save on your energy bill Switching energy providers may sound like a hassle but it's actually pretty straightforward and could save you lots of cash. Use a comparison website such as or Uswitch to see which deals are available to you and how much they cost. The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals, which means you will pay a fixed amount for a set period, which is usually around 12 months. Once you have found a deal that you like, all you need to do is contact your new supplier. It helps if you have your postcode, name of existing supplier, the name of your existing deal, how much you pay and an up to date meter reading to hand. You can usually find this on your bill. It will then speak to your current supplier and will begin the switch. It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply will not be interrupted during this time. What energy bill help is available? There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by. If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter. This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period. If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal. Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills. But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances. For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000. British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund. You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund. EDF, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too. Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill. Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you're struggling. Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Sun
14-06-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
How much does it cost to run an air conditioning unit and leave it on overnight?
As the weather heats up, you may be tempted to turn your air conditioning unit on overnight to keep cool as you sleep. But if you are thinking about turning your cooling device on, you should be aware of how it can impact your energy bills. How much you will pay will vary depending on whether you are using a built-in or portable unit. Over 1.7 million Brits have built-in units with power ratings up to 2.7kW, according to research by Uswitch. If you turned on your built-in air con unit for nine hours overnight, it would cost £6.64 a day or £46.49 a week. This would add around £201.32 to your bill if you did this every night for a month. Meanwhile, portable air conditioning units use 1kW of power. If you left this running for nine hours over night it would cost you £2.46 a day. This would work out a £17.22 a week or £74.46 a month if you ran the device for nine hours for every night for a month. If you want to keep cool for less using a desk fan might work out cheaper. A desk fan uses 35W of power and costs 60p to run if you left it on for nine hours over night for a week. That works out as £18.26 per month. B&M shopper rushes to buy energy-saving gadget scanning for £1 instead of £35 Natalie Mathie, energy expert at said it easy to build up a "hefty bill, especially during a heatwave". She said: "There are other simple tricks you can use to keep the temperature down inside your home. 'Keeping your curtains closed during the day will stop sunlight from warming up your property, while filling a hot water bottle with cold water can help keep you cool.' CHEAP HACKS TO STAY COOL THIS SUMMER There are plenty of other hacks to stay cool this summer without spending a fortune on air conditioning. Using tin foil to shield your home from the sun's rays can help to keep your home cool without having to turn on a fan or air conditioning. To try this method out all you need to do is cover your windows with the shiny cupboard staple. Be especially sure to cover the windows that are hit with direct sunlight. The Sun previously spoke to window and glass expert Allan Reid from Checkatrade who gave this tip on how to get the best results from this hack "For best results, place the foil on the outside of the window, not the inside," Allan said. You can do this by dampening the shiny side of the foil and sticking it to your windows. Another way to try this method is by cutting out pieces of cardboard that will fit the size of your window and then cover them with a reflective tin foil layer. Another clever hack is to put your bed sheets in the freezer for a few minutes to provide instant relief and lower your body temperature. The idea behind this method is to simply put your bed sheets into an airtight freezer bag- to avoid them getting soaked- and leave them in your freezer for a couple of minutes. 4 ways to keep your energy bills low Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips. 1. Turn your heating down by one degree You probably won't even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70. 2. Switch appliances and lights off It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills 3. Install a smart meter Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used. 4. Consider switching energy supplier No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you've let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven't browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Why are electricity prices going up in Guernsey?
The price of electricity in Guernsey is going up with tariffs rising next month. As prices in the UK are dropping, what is behind the increase in the island? The BBC used information from Guernsey Electricity Ltd's (GEL) tariff calculator and data from Uswitch to estimate annual costs for low-usage and high-usage households in different regions of England, Scotland and the analysis, a typical low-usage household in Guernsey would spend £637 a year on electricity from July. Depending on the region, in Britain they could expect to save between £7 and £123 a year - between 1% and 19% less than Guernsey. However, heavy electricity users are better off in Guernsey, with a high-usage household to spend on average £1,503 a year from July. The analysis showed British households could expect to spend between £42 and £244 more a year - up to 16% said direct comparisons between the UK and Guernsey were "challenging due to the different tariff structures and pricing models" as well as "the relative economies of scale".Note: The figures do not include special tariffs, such as those for heat pumps or selling renewable energy back to the grid. Low-usage household calculations were based on 1,408 units a year and high-usage based on 5,517 units. Figures include discounts for paying with Direct Debit in UK and Standing Order in Guernsey. Why are prices rising in Guernsey? Guernsey's electricity prices stayed the same from 2012 to 2019, but have since risen price rises mean the average Guernsey household will spend between 47% and 117% more on electricity from July compared with electricity companies in the UK, GEL is responsible for all aspects of electricity on the island, including generating or importing it, distributing it and billing of Guernsey's electricity - about 90% - comes from France through a subsea cable to Jersey, supplying the island with low-carbon the island also has 10 generators at its Vale power station, using a combination of natural gas, diesel and price of electricity was kept "artificially low" through most of the 2010s, according to GEL chief executive Alan was good news for consumers at the time as they paid less than they would have in the UK. However, the company said this led to underinvestment in its infrastructure, which is one of the reasons it is having to raise prices now - to play catch also agreed a fixed price for the electricity it buys from France with EDF, France's government-owned power firm said this protected the island against fluctuations in oil and gas prices caused by factors like the Ukraine that agreement ending, it means the company will need to pay more and it is passing that cost on to consumers, with the latest rise being 8%.Other factors such as increased borrowing costs and decarbonisation plans were also playing a part, said said islanders could save money by switching to its "unique Super Economy 12 tariff" - which could save a typical user £270 a company also offers a 2% discount for customers paying by standing order, it said. Alexandra Gelder, a medical secretary from Castel, said her family paid nearly £200 a month for electricity despite being "barely home" and she was "petrified" about paying her bills next Gelder, who has Raynaud's Syndrome, a condition which can cause the fingers and toes to go numb in cold temperatures, said she could not afford to heat her States home any said conditions were "not so bad" in the summer but "winter is awful"."I love this island, it is beautiful - but to afford to live here sucks," she said. Citizens Advice Guernsey said it had not yet observed an increase in islanders asking for help about electricity bills but it was bracing an increased number of calls when tariffs rise."We strongly encourage anyone concerned about these changes to reach out for advice as early as possible," a spokesperson said it had bought wholesale electricity at a fixed price since 2017, which shielded islanders from "the significant price rises seen in the UK" and had saved customers "more than £70m"."To understand the exact impact of upcoming tariff changes on individual bills, we recommend customers use our online tariff calculator," it said. What are standing charges and how have they changed? Standing charges are a fixed daily fee to cover the costs of connecting to gas and electricity standing charge rose more than 380% between 2021 and July 2025 - from just under £18 to £86.75 a July the standing charge is set to go from £68.25 to £ 2022 GEL said 96% of its income came from charging people for using electricity - the unit the increasing use of renewable energy by households, such as solar panels, meant the amount of money the company made would drop.A GEL spokesperson said the company planned to review how it charged for electricity to make it sustainable, including for customers "who place a lower strain on the island's electricity network". However, the spokesperson said more modern electricity meters would need to be installed before changes could be said "there will not be further large standing charge increases" until the review had been said its tariffs "ensure a secure electricity supply for islanders, with minimal interruptions". "Guernsey performs well compared to other jurisdictions on the average number of minutes lost per customer per year through faults and cable damage, with 99.9% availability of supply maintained across the year," the company said. Visualisations by Georgina Barnes and the BBC Shared Data Unit
The Sun
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
How to reclaim over £3,900 ahead of summer from mis-sold car finance to energy bills
GET extra cash in your pocket ahead of summer with our guide to reclaiming cash. You could be in line to get over £2,600 back - and there are some key dates to mark in your diary. 2 Lucy Andrews explains what to do. PRE-PAYMENT METER CLAIM £1,000 Tens of thousands of prepayment meter customers will get compensation and their debts written off by energy suppliers. Ofgem has found that energy suppliers have broken rules when installing prepayment meters to collect debt. Some £18.6 million in compensation will be paid by eight energy suppliers to at least 40,000 customers. They are: Scottish Power, EDF, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity. There is no need to take action - you will be contacted directly by your supplier if you are affected. The amount you could get will vary depending on which rules were broken in your case, ranging from £40 for failures like poor record keeping, to £1,000 if you were forcibly switched. But you should make a complaint now if you think you were treated badly. ENERGY BILLS CLAIM £215 It's normal for customers to build up energy credit during the warmer months, but ask for a refund if you've accrued too much. Consider claiming your money back if you have built up more than two months' worth of bill payments, said comparison site Uswitch. The formula for working out how much to ask back is to look at your credit balance, and minus two months' payments. Energy suppliers are sitting on £3.3 billion of customer's money, while the average customer racked up £215 in surplus credit last year, according to watchdog Ofgem. Each company has its own refund process, so ask yours how to claim. Get an up-to-date meter reading ready, as this will be needed in order for your supplier to process the refund. Claiming credit back is a good idea, otherwise you are losing out on any interest you could make on your cash. Put your refund in a high interest easy access savings account, so you can easily dip back into it when bills go up in the colder months. Atom Bank offers the best rate at 4.75 per cent, according to comparison site Moneyfacts. CAR FINANCE CLAIM £1,100 If you bought a car, van or motorbike on finance between 2008-January 28, 2021, you could be in line for a payout worth £1,100. The Financial Conduct Authority is investigating hidden commissions earned by car dealers who negotiated deals with high interest rates for customers. This week it issued an update on compensation. It said it could be an opt-in or opt-out redress scheme. Opt-in means that you will need to sign up for compensation, so you could miss out if you don't register. Opt-out means you are automatically included, but the downside is that you could have to wait longer for your money. The watchdog has estimated that on average, people paid £1,100 more in interest on a typical £10,000 four-year car finance. The scandal could cost lenders as much as £16 billion, according to the consumer site Which?. You can make a claim now by contacting the lender who you signed the finance agreement with, not the car dealer. Check your paperwork if you don't know how your lender is. You will have to wait for any potential payout. The Supreme Court should decide by next month what the final bill for compensation will be. Then, the FCA will respond in six weeks with a plan of action as to how people can get their payout. 'Consumers should expect compensation early next year,' said Alex Neill from the consumer group Consumer Voice. TAX OVERPAYMENT CLAIM £1,562 IF you are taxed through PAYE, make some important checks to see if you have overpaid. The average tax refund was £1,562 in 2023, according to Rift Refunds. You might be on the wrong tax code if you changed jobs, signed up to employee benefits like a company car, or your HR department has made a mistake. You should have recently received an important slip of paperwork, a P60, from your employer. Check your 'final tax code' on the form. If it's wrong, then you could end up underpaying, or overpaying, tax. The most common tax code is 1257L, which is used for most people with one job. If this code also has W1, M1 or X on the end, you are on an emergency tax code and paying more than you should. If you think you are on the wrong tax code, phone HMRC on 0300 200 3300 for a quick response. If you have overpaid, you will be reimbursed and paid 3.25% interest on top. Depending on your situation, you will either be able to claim a refund online, get a cheque in the post, or the tax will be refunded back to you through your wages. MASTERCARD CLAIM £70 Around 47 million Mastercard customers are in line for a compensation payout of up to £70. Make a claim if you bought anything from a shop or supermarket that accepted Mastercard between 1992 and 2008. The Competition Appeal Tribunal has approved a settlement for Mastercard to pay £200 million to affected customers. It was accused of wrongly slapping fees onto transactions made over a 15-year period. Although retailers paid the fees, shoppers lost out because retailers passed the cost on by hiking prices. You are eligible to make a claim if you bought anything from a shop or supermarket that accepted Mastercard between 1992 and 2008 - even if you didn't use a Mastercard. You can't file a claim yet. An online portal is expected to launch in the next few weeks on the website. Register for updates so you'll be notified when this is live. Payments are expected to be made by the end of this year. The amount you could get will depend on how many people register, although it's estimated each person could get £45 to £70. 2
Metro
30-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
Credit doesn't have to be risky – here's how to use it smartly
Many of us are frightened of borrowing money, whether on a credit card or through a loan or mortgage, with a recent survey from comparison site Uswitch showing that a third of young people view credit cards as 'potential debt traps'. But used correctly, credit can help you to build your credit score, manage your cashflow and even end up with more money at the end of the month. Here's how to make credit a friend, not a foe. All of us need to know how we're doing financially, so if you're making a big purchase or need to borrow money, ask yourself first why you're doing it and if you can afford it. Remember, it's normal to consider finance for big purchases such as houses or cars, with 9 in 10 cars requiring financing and only a third of homeowners not having a mortgage. Many people also use credit for smaller purchases, for many reasons. Just make sure you go through your budget, understand what you can afford and what the payments will be. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Understanding the benefits and rates of different types of credit will help you to be less scared of using it, and to set it up to your advantage. Potential benefits include: Extra time: Credit cards and buy now pay later (BNPL) schemes don't cost you anything in interest as long as you pay on time. Credit cards and buy now pay later (BNPL) schemes don't cost you anything in interest as long as you pay on time. Reward points and cashback: There can be perks such as frequent flyer miles, Nectar points and cash. There can be perks such as frequent flyer miles, Nectar points and cash. Credit score building: All credit card providers, and some BNPL options such as Zilch, report your regular payments of debt to credit rating agencies. This means that if you pay back debt regularly to them, your credit score will increase, not decrease, because lenders can see you are responsible with money. Having a good credit score makes it easier to get mortgages and other deals. All credit card providers, and some BNPL options such as Zilch, report your regular payments of debt to credit rating agencies. This means that if you pay back debt regularly to them, your credit score will increase, not decrease, because lenders can see you are responsible with money. Having a good credit score makes it easier to get mortgages and other deals. Consumer protection: Credit cards and Zilch offer Section 75 protection, which means if you buy something over £100, the provider is also liable if a firm goes bust or goods are faulty. Knowing you have a plan to pay back any credit you've taken out means there should be no fear factor in using it. That means keeping a diary record of when payments need to be made, putting aside money in a separate account or savings pot to make payments on BNPL schemes and setting up direct debits to pay off cards in full every month unless they have an interest-free period. More Trending Always make the minimum payment on any debt, as not doing so will ruin your credit rating and remove any interest-free period you have on a card. If you can get credit for a longer period and use that to spend, then your savings can stay in your account earning money for longer. This is a process known as 'stoozing' and it isn't for everyone, but if you're clever you can make money on your own cash while using credit for free. If you're doing this, make sure your own money is earning the highest interest possible (use Moneyfacts Compare to check the highest rates on cash savings) and always pay back your debt before any interest-free period ends. View More » Credit can be a powerful friend but if you get into trouble with it, debt can cost you dearly. Charities such as StepChange and Citizens Advice can help if you are struggling with debt. MORE: This skincare product completely transformed my skin – I get everyone to use it! MORE: Readers say spitting men can jog on along with racists and dogs on trains MORE: Live jazz, dinner and drinks in Mayfair: 10 unmissable Time Out deals
