British Gas leading the race to be cheapest energy supplier for 2011
New research shows that British Gas are currently leading the way when it comes to offering UK consumers the opportunity to dramatically decrease their energy bills.
By simply switching to Websaver 11, British Gas' cheapest energy tariff, households could be as much as £291 better off each year, according to findings by leading price comparison website moneysupermarket.com.
The survey has highlighted that Websaver 11 is the best value dual fuel tariff available in 13 of the UK's 14 regions, with East Midlands the exception.
The staggering disparity between energy costs as uncovered by the survey has led experts at moneysupermarket.com to advise customers to compare energy prices online in order to take advantage of the huge savings available.
Signing up to those cheaper online energy tariffs is not only convenient and straightforward, but it also removes the practice of estimated billing, with customers given the facility to easily provide details of precise meter readings on a regular basis.
The main benefit, though, is undoubtedly that of cutting costs, and Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com, believes that it's the right time for more consumers to sever ties with their region's traditional energy provider and to start reaping the rewards of cheaper energy supplies.
"In the days before the energy market opened up to competition, British Gas provided gas to all energy regions while electricity was provided by one regional supplier, for example London Energy in London which now falls under EDF Energy," said Byrom.
"Despite the greater choice available to consumers for both gas and electricity, the majority of UK households remain with the providers who traditionally provide their gas and electricity. Anyone still loyal to their incumbent supplier is over paying for their gas and electricity.
"At a time when all UK households are feeling the pinch from the rising cost of living, people are still burning money by not shopping around, using comparison sites and switching to a much cheaper deal. Finding the right tariff for your consumption level and region means bill payers could save on average £265 per year.
"The best value deals available are the energy companies' online tariffs. They enable consumers to pay monthly installments, record actual meter readings with an online account and cut out the need for estimated billing. Paying by monthly direct debit allows consumers to spread the cost of their energy evenly throughout the year and avoid the 'bill shocks' that come after the costly winter months when energy usage is at a peak.
"If households aren't on this kind of deal they really need to act now. Times are still tough and even though the warmer months are on the way, there is never a bad time to start saving money on your energy bills."