Lowering bills, cutting carbon
In this article, we look at how the Energy Switch Guarantee makes switching energy provider a cinch – guaranteed.
Switching energy supplier can mean cheaper prices, better service and the chance of greener, cleaner energy… so why do some homes and businesses not take the plunge? A lot of the time, it’s because of worries about the process of switching. This really needn’t be! Switching is normally straightforward, and for added reassurance, the UK has something called the Energy Switch Guarantee, introduced to encourage more people to switch and take advantage of the great savings they could make. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Developed by Energy UK, the UK’s energy trade body, and backed by the government, the Energy Switch Guarantee is designed to give customers the confidence to switch energy suppliers with complete peace of mind.
Signing up to the guarantee is voluntary – but the good news is that four of our most competitive suppliers (Bulb, Goto Energy, Octopus and So Energy) are all members. We check all our suppliers to make sure their service is top notch, but these suppliers have gone the extra mile by putting their commitment to a seamless switch in writing. They’ve signed up to a set of promises, all aimed at making switching simpler and fairer for customers.
The Energy Switch Guarantee should help encourage more people to switch to the best possible deal. But if you’re still not sure, here are some of the biggest concerns we hear about switching – and why you don’t have to worry.
There won’t be any disruption at all. You carry on using your existing energy provider right up until you switch, so you’ll never be without electricity or gas.
We hear you; less paperwork is always a good thing. Don’t worry though, the Guarantee means that the process is simple and streamlined. Your new supplier will do everything for you. We make it easier still – if you hate filling out forms, just email us your most recent bill to mybill@bigcleanswitch.org and we’ll use this to give you a quote, with no obligation and no hassle.
There won’t be any crossover period – you’ll pay your current provider up to the day you switch, and then swap over to your new one. It’s totally seamless and completely free, unless you’re leaving a fixed term contract early. Even then, the savings should mean it’s still worth your while.
That said, direct debits can overlap. If this happens and you have ended up paying twice for the same units of energy your previous supplier is obligated to refund you within 14 days of the final bill. Compensation should happen automatically but if it doesn’t you may be entitled to extra. OFGEM have a handy outline of how this works that you’ll find here.
If all those points weren’t reason enough to consider switching, our Big Clean Switch Guarantee gives you an extra level of assurance. Not only do we keep a close eye on the customer service performance of the suppliers we work with, but we also make a promise: if you have a problem you can’t sort with your supplier, we’ll take it up with them for you.
With this in mind, there’s never been a better time to check for a better deal on your energy. You may well find yourself upgrading to cheaper, greener, cleaner energy and with great customer service.
