Energy - Frequently Asked Questions

This page will assist in finding answers to questions you have about switching suppliers. It also provides information about items on this site..

We do the comparison calculations for you for free, and we simply request that you use the links on our website if you decide to switch suppliers.

Date of last update

FAQ's about SwitchWise.com

Who is SwitchWise.com?
How does the calculator work?
SwitchWise.com Service Standards
SwitchWise.com charges
SwitchWise.com referral fees received
SwitchWise.com website security
Customer comments

FAQ's about Suppliers and Tariffs

Tariffs used in Databases
Tariff Details - In pop up box for each supplier
Late Payment Penalty Charges
British Gas Discounts
VAT
Supplier Ratings
Non cash incentives for signing up with new suppliers
Telecom Plus tariffs
How to compare STAYWARM prices
How to compare SAINSBURYS ENERGY prices

FAQ's about Meters and Numbers

What does the Electricity MPAN or Supply Number mean?
How can I tell what Region my meter is in?
How can I find out who supplies the gas and electricity to my home?
How can I find out what my meter numbers are?
Equipment maintenance contracts.
PRIVATE GAS PIPELINES
Converting Units to Kilowatt Hours

FAQ's about the Gas and Electricity Industry

What happened in the Gas and Electricity Markets?
Who is OFGEM?
Who is Consumer Focus?
What is the National Audit Office?
Energy Efficiency
Northern Ireland Postcodes

FAQ's about Changing Supplier

Why change?
Is it easy to change?
How do I change suppliers?
What information do I need to change?
Do I need to tell my existing supplier?
Transfers to your new supplier
Multi site application form
Just moved in to new property
Moving House
Differences between price comparison websites

About Different Green Suppliers & Tariffs

Ecotricity
Good Energy
Green Energy Plc
npower Juice
Scottish & Southern Energy Group RSPB

What happened in the Gas and Electricity Markets?

In May 1998 the Government brought in new regulations to fully open the Gas market to competition. In May 1999, the same happened for Electricity. Since then people can change suppliers if they want to, and over 7 million people have switched in gas and over 7 million in electricity supply according to Ofgem.

Since then, companies have been jostling for market share, and new companies have joined in to offer services are lower costs. In general, the market competition has created opportunities for people to save money on gas and electricity bills.

One difficulty that people face is the complications of collecting each suppliers tariff data and making precise comparisons between the different pricing structures. This is where the SwitchWise.com Price Comparison Service helps. We do all the work to collect the data, and we have developed the website calculator to make it easy for customers to make straightforward comparisons between suppliers prices.

We are funded by referral fees when you switch suppliers, so please use the links available on this site.

Who is SwitchWise.com?

SwitchWise.com is an independent private limited company that has been set up by an accountant and web designer to make it easy for people to compare gas, electricity and dual fuel prices between suppliers, and to make this information freely available to you, the consumer and our valued customer.

We gather all the data from all suppliers and other sources and we have developed the calculator to make it easy to extract the figures relevant to your needs and to show comparisons between all suppliers in order of best cost. Basically, we do all the hard work of collecting the details and doing the calculations, so it's easy for you to see the real comparisons between suppliers prices.

We have also made this service as quick and easy as possible to enter your details and to get your results. Data entry is on one page, and all the results are on the next page. Full tariff details are available by clicking on the cost result for each supplier.

We earn our income from a small referral fee if you switch to a new supplier using the links on our website. This is paid by the new supplier, it does not affect the price you pay, and this comparison service is provided to you for free.

We provide this service for free and we simply request that you use the links on our website if you decide to switch to a different supplier. We thank all customers who do this.

If you are committed to another organisation for switching, then we fully understand this, and you may also like to ask them to do their comparison calculations for you as well.

We go to great lengths to abide by all regulations and requirements, especially those of Ofgem and Consumer Focus (previously Energywatch) who have reviewed this site and provided approval in November 2001.

We encourage and welcome your feedback which all helps to identify areas for improvement.

Thank you for using our services. We hope you have found some good savings and information on this site.

The SwitchWise.com Team.

Who is OFGEM?

Ofgem is the OFfice of Gas and Electricity Markets, which was formed in June 1999. It promotes competition in the gas and electricity markets to ensure the consumers get genuine value and choice.

We highly recommend a visit to the Ofgem website which is full of interesting information about the UK Gas and Electricity markets.

Who is Consumer Focus?

Consumer Focus is the independent consumer organisation created by Parliament to protect the interests of gas and electricity consumers. Consumer Focus is a good place to go for detailed information, or if you need help.

Consumer Focus us dedicated to Winning a Better Deal for Consumers, and SwitchWise.com is dedicated to helping with their objectives. The Consumer Focus goals include Making Competition work for all consumers and the SwitchWise.com price comparison services makes it easy to obtain accurate and independent price comparison information.

The Consumer Focus website contains a wealth of information helpful to the consumer. Their site is well worth a visit.

What is the NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE?

The National Audit Office scrutinises public spending on behalf of Parliament. They are totally independent of Government and they audit the accounts of all government departments and agencies as well as a wide range of other public bodies. They report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which government bodies have used public money. Their work saves the taxpayer millions of pounds every year.

Their report on 9th May 2003 (PDF Link) says domestic electricity prices have not fallen much since March 2001 (Para 8).

Why would I want to change Supplier?

As with anything else you buy, there are choices on prices available. By looking around you may be able to save money buying you Electricity and/or Gas from another Supplier.

Is it easy to change?

Changing suppliers is easy to do. There are over 20 different suppliers to select from. In choosing a new supplier you need to check the price comparisons and this is where the SwitchWise.com Saving Calculators can help.

The SwitchWise.com Service Standards

We welcome feedback and suggestions on how to improve our service and will consider all suggestions carefully. We aim for high standards of customer service and will respond to any complaints or enquiries within 2 working days. Complaints will be handled quickly, effectively, fairly, and confidentially. In case of disputes, we will keep you informed about progress. In the event of a complaint or difficulty, please use our complaints form to contact SwitchWise.com via e-mail. Alternatively, please use our contact details below.

We have developed our standards of operation in line with Which? Webtrader guidelines, and have received their suggestions which have all been implemented.

How do I change suppliers?

1. First, carry out a price comparison to see how your existing tariff compares. Use the SwitchWise.com Price Comparison Service by entering your postcode, existing suppliers, and amounts paid, to obtain a complete list of prices available in your region.

2. Review the list and see how your existing suppliers compare with the others.

3. If you are still with your original separate suppliers you may find that you can save by switching to dual fuel with either one of them. You may be able to save more by switching to a another supplier.

4. When you are ready to switch, use the links from the comparison results pages, or the links listed on the Suppliers page.

At this stage you may need to have your existing meter identification numbers available - MPAN for electricity, and MPR for gas. (See FAQ about Meter Numbers). These numbers need to be exact and accurate.

5. When you arrive at the application form, complete all information requested and submit the form.

The application forms which are linked to the results pages can, in most cases, automatically validate your address and gas and electricity meter numbers. On occasion it will request that you manual enter the required information.

The suppliers application forms that are listed on the Suppliers page will require full name, address and meter reference numbers to be entered manually.

6. Contact your existing suppliers by telephone or letter to let them know you have activated a transfer.

7. Wait until you receive communications from the new supplier and the existing supplier, with further instructions. At some stage you will be asked to provide meter readings which will be used by both suppliers to prepare final and opening bills.

What information do I need to change?

Apart from your name, address and contact details, you need to know the names of your existing suppliers (See "How do I find out who supplies") and you need to have the meter reference numbers to hand. (See "How to find my meter reference numbers")

SwitchWise.com Charges

Please note that, our service to you is free of charge. We do not actually collect any payments through our web site, nor do we enter into any direct contracts for the supply of electricity or gas. These items are handled directly with your new supplier who will provide you with details of direct contacts.

SwitchWise.com Referral fees received

Some, but not all, suppliers pay a referral fee to SwitchWise.com for new customers. This does not affect the presentation of results in any way as we show results with complete impartiality as required by the Consumer Focus code of practice. See suppliers marked with an * on the Suppliers List. All suppliers and tariffs are listed immediately on this website regardless of commercial arrangements.

We appreciate your custom and encourage you to switch to your new supplier through the links on our web site. We depend on your support by using our links to apply to new suppliers, and this helps to finance the operation of this free service.

Transfers to your new supplier.

Delivery of new services will be advised directly by your new supplier. Your new supplier will provide full details as well as their own Terms and Conditions which you should read carefully.

Do I need to tell my existing supplier?

The official answer to this is Yes. However, in practice, the new transfer applications go through a process which includes checking with the existing supplier if there are any objections to the change. This is usually sufficient to act as notice that a change is being requested and arranged. It is best to telephone or write to the existing supplier and let them know.

Once you have told the new supplier, you should find they are completely understanding but they may ask why you would like to move, so they have a reason on file. Domestic prices are usually fixed so there is very rarely any room for changes to advertised tariffs.

You should receive correspondence from the existing supplier asking that you consider them again in the future, and you will also receive a welcome letter from the new supplier, once the transfer has been activated.

Generally speaking, the entire transfer process has been designed to operate as smoothly as possible and both Ofgem and Consumer Focus (previously Energywatch) keep an eye on the marketplace to ensure this happens.

SwitchWise.com Website Security.

This site is "Secure" and we have been extensivley audited by an external security consultant. We are able to collect bank details with complete security in place. Some suppliers ask us to collect direct debit details but not all but these are in progress as well. In other cases, new suppliers will send you direct debit forms for your completion and return.

Site security on the SwitchWise.com website is handled by our IT Manager itmanager@ukpower.co.uk.

Tariffs Used in Databases.

All tariffs we use are current tariffs. We assume that you are on a current tariff and not a historic tariff no longer available from the supplier. Please bear in mind that this may impact upon the calculations given.

In order to compare prices, it's best to enter the number of kilowatt hours that you use. If you do not have the kWh's, then you can enter the amounts you pay monthly, quarterly or annually. When you do this, the calculator works out how many kWh's you use, but it uses the latest available tariffs to do this. It will then use the calculated number of kWh's to work out what each supplier will charge for the next 12 months based on existing tariffs. The results page shows how the suppliers compare to each other for that number of kWh's.

We rely on receiving price updates from all suppliers as soon as they are available. We appreciate their assistance with keeping our database up to date. In the event that price changes have escaped our attention, we aim to make corrections within 24 hours of notification. All prices on the SwitchWise.com databases have been updated to .

Late Payment Penalty Charges

- Some suppliers will charge extra penalty charges for late payments. These extra penalty charges are not included in these price comparisons.
- Some suppliers will charge for cheque payments. Where this applies, an extra charge is included in the prices and this is noted in the suppliers information box.
- the calculations on this website assume that customers are taking advantage of the best options available, and that no extra charges are included for late payments or payments by means which cause surcharges.

British Gas Discounts

These calculators do not assume that you are taking advantage of the British Gas discounts for prompt payment on standard credit accounts.

Some websites include this prompt payment discount (on credit accounts) as extra savings. We take the view that if you are already saving this money then you cannot save it again, so we do not include this in the savings shown on the results table.

VAT

All prices used on this site include VAT at the prevailing rate.

Energy Efficiency
Customers are urged to consider ways of saving energy. There are various ways of doing this and many details can be found on the Energy savings Trust website.

Supplier Ratings

One factor to consider is the levels of supplier service and customer satisfaction. SwitchWise.com, Ofgem and Consumer Focus (previously Energywatch), are all keen to promote the needs for high standards of customer service.

The ratings given on this website are taken from customer surveys carried out by J.D. Power.

Non cash incentives for signing up with new suppliers

Some suppliers offer non cash incentives for signing up. These are not included in these price comparisons.

How can I find out who supplies the gas and electricity to my home?

GAS SUPPLY - Call the Transco Meter Helpline on 0870 608 1524. They will tell you the supplier and give you your MPRN number.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY - Call your local electricity distribution company. You should ask for their Meter Point Administration Service (MPAS).

How can I find out what my meter numbers are?

Note: A new validation system has been installed so that, in most cases, your address and meter reference numbers are automatically validated by using your postcode. If the validation system does not find your meter reference numbers, then the following information will help you locate them.

If you have previous bills - see the next FAQ after this one.

If you do not have previous bills, read on:

Electricity:
Where to get your "MPAN" or "Supply Number" if you do not have a bill.

If you do not have a previous bill, you can get this by contacting your regional electricity company (who may well be different from your current supplier, but they are still responsible for “transporting” your electricity). If you call them and ask for the Metering Point Administration department, they will tell you what your Supply Number is. You will need to obtain the local suppliers telephone number either from the local telephone directory or from directory enquiries.

If you do not know who the local supplier is, you can contact National Grid on 01926 653 000 and ask who the local supplier is so you can find your MPAN Number. They will give you the local supplier telephone number to call. When you call that number, ask for the Full MPAN Number including the top row and bottom row numbers, but sometimes they only give the bottom row numbers (13 digits) which will be sufficient.

Gas:
Where to get your MPR meter Number if you do not have a previous bill?

If you do not have a bill and you require your M Number you can call the TRANSCO M Number Enquiries telephone number which is 0870 608 1524. They are very helpful and will provide your MPR number when you give your address and postcode. The M Number is also called the MPR number

What does the Electricity MPAN or Supply Number mean?

MPAN stands for Metering Point Administration Number. This number is located on your electricity bill (and not on the meter). It provides a unique identity reference number for the meter and provides other information as follows:

How can I tell what Region my meter is in?

If you look at the grid above, you can see the first box on the second line is called "Distributor Identifier". The numbers in this box identify the Region you are in as follows:

Note that when your postcode is on the edge of a region, it is important to check that you are using the correct region for the comparison calculations as the prices vary from region to region and some postcode areas straddle regions.

Equipment maintenance contracts

Certain companies also provide separate contracts for equipment maintenance. The cost of these contracts is excluded from these calculations. Usually, these maintenance contracts are separate from the supply contract, so if the supply contract is changed, this does not affect the maintenance contract which continues. This must be checked to make sure it applies in each case.

Multi-site applications

If you have more than 4 sites, we can send you a spreadsheet to enter your data rather than make individual entries for each meter. To request a multi-site sheet, please click here and send us your contact details, the supplier you would like to apply to, and the number of sites involved.

Telecom Plus tariffs

Telecom Plus is a membership organisation which has very good prices for members.

For further information about joining Telecom Plus, and all the rates and benefits available on telephones, Mobile Phones, Freephones as well as Gas and Electricity, please click here.

Who operates PRIVATE GAS PIPELINES?

Private gas pipelines are operated by Independent Gas Transporters (IGT's) and you can find details about these on the Ofgem website at www.ofgem.gov.uk under the Licensed Company Details tab.

It should be noted that daily or annual standing charges for gas supplied via IGT's will be charged at higher prices than the standard tariffs available on Transco pipelines.

IMPORTANT NOTE. It should be noted that any additional charges levied by IGT's are NOT included in the comparison results and should be excluded from the input data. IGT charges will apply regardless of which supplier is used.

SAINSBURYS ENERGY

The Sainsbury's Energy service is a dual-fuel and direct debit only offer - and the pricing is identical to that for their marketing partner, Scottish Power's own dual-fuel and direct debit only service. Use the Scottish Power prices to see how the Sainsburys prices compare.

Just moved in to a new property?

TO SEE WHICH SUPPLIERS MAY HAVE THE BEST PRICES:

To use the calculators, you need an estimated cost of current usage and the name of the current suppliers. This can be difficult if you have not lived there before. Previous bills can help, otherwise you could use estimates. An example might be - a 3 bedroom semi-detached house with 3 adults could cost about £450 a year on gas and £450 a year on electricity. It depends on the size of the house, the type of equipment being used, and the number of people.

If you don't know the current suppliers, you can use British Gas for gas, and the regional electricity supplier for electricity. By doing this, you will be able to get to the list of suppliers prices.

Once you have this, the SwitchWise.com website will help you identify the best priced supplier in your area. You just enter the region you are in, the current supplier, payment method, and annual consumption, and you get a full supplier listing showing comparisons. Tariff details can be seen by clicking on the cost figure for each supplier.

TO SWITCH:

To make an actual switch to another supplier, you may need the meter numbers from the last gas and electricity bills. These are the numbers on the last bills, and not the numbers from the meters. If you have moved into a new house, have you had any bills yet? You need to get a hold of the details, either by asking for a copy of the last gas and electricity bills, or by phoning up, and asking for the supplier and meter numbers.

You may be able to do the switch by entering your postcode and house details, followed by your name, and other information required for your household.

If you don't have previous bills, and you need your reference numbers, the telephone numbers to call to get this information are:

GAS SUPPLY - Call the Transco Meter Helpline on 0870 608 1524. Tell them your address and they tell you the supplier and give you your MPRN number. Make a note of these.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY - Call your local electricity distribution company. You should ask for their Meter Point Administration Service (MPAS).

Once you know the existing suppliers and you have the correct meter numbers, then you can go back to the SwitchWise.com website to switch to the selected supplier.

Moving House

When you move in to a new property, you need to contact the existing suppliers and get the account changed in to your own name. If you need to find out who the existing suppliers are see "Who Supplies?" above.

After this, you can start looking for a cheaper supplier by running your details through the SwitchWise.com Price Comparison Service. Enter your postcode, then you can use the default suppliers and estimated usage amounts to see a list of all suppliers ranked in order of price savings. At this stage you can start a transfer and this process takes between 3 to 6 weeks to complete.

Converting Units to Kilowatt Hours

Electricity consumption is usually already stated in kilowatt-hours on previous bills, so the electricity kWh's figure is ready to use.

Gas units need to be multiplied by 31.3 to convert from the units used according to the meter or bill, to kilowatt-hours. Then the gas kWh's are ready to use. This is a rough estimate and the exact conversion details are below. (Or, for rough figures, multiply by 100, then divide by 3).

(To convert gas units to kilowatt hours: gas units used x imperial to metric conversion factor (2.83) x volume conversion factor (1.022640) x calorific value (39.7) divided by kilowatt hour conversion factor (3.6) = kilowatt hours used.)( This is the same as: gas units used x 31.3 = kilowatt hours used).

If you have a metric meter, you do not need to use the imperial to metric conversion factor (2.83). In this case, the rough estimate is to multiply the metric units by 11 instead of 31.3.

Note that exact precision is not necessary because the objective is to use an amount which is close to what you used last year, and which will be the basis for what you estimate to use for the next 12 months.

Any comments on this conversion are welcome. Please click here to email.

Northern Ireland Postcodes

Unfortunately, there are no competitive supplier options available at present in NI so postcodes within this regions do not show any results.

Ecotricity

When you sign up to an ecotricity tariff your money goes towards building new sources of renewable energy. The main focus is wind energy, setting up wind parks around the country.

The Old Matched Energy tariff uses 100% renewable energy while the New Wind Energy tariff uses a minimum of 10% green energy but contributes a higher percentage of funding towards new wind parks. Ecotricity will also plant a tree for you.

Good Energy

Good Energy supplies 100% renewable electricity. Good Energy is the only company to supply ALL of its electricity from renewable sources; generated entirely from wind, small-scale hydro, wave and solar power. They believe in getting people involved at all levels in a solution to Climate Change and a secure energy future, and already support over 250 small to medium renewable generators. Good Energy is the only company to score full marks in the Ethical Company Organisation’s Good Shopping Guide 2006 and is recommended by Ethical Consumer magazine.

Green Energy UK

Green Energy UK have two tariffs: Green Energy +10 and Green Energy 100.

Green energy +10 delivers 10 percentage points more green electricity than the statutory requirements (for 2005 this equates to 15%).

Green energy 100 is 100% pure green electricity - available at a small premium over your regional electricity supplier.

Green Energy UK plan to re-invest up to 50% of their profits back into UK renewable electricity generation projects. So whilst Green Energy UK 's green electricity is supplied on the same principles as the other green tariffs there is a crucial difference: Green Energy UK founders' intention is that the Company should be 50% owned (and controlled) by its Customers within the next 5 years.

npower Juice

Juice has been developed through a partnership between npower and Greenpeace.

Juice is generated from a number of renewable energy sources, primarily at North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm. As a Juice customer, npower matches ever unit of normal electricity that you use and feeds the same amount, generated from renewable sources, into the electricity network*. It's as simple as that.

Scottish & Southern Energy Group RSPB

RSPB Energy is the only 'green' energy scheme that directly helps wildlife now and in the future through electricity generated from renewable sources.

Switching to RSPB Energy supports the growth of renewable electricity generation and you'll be helping to raise funds to protect the environment too.

When you switch to RSPB Energy they will make the following contribution to the RSPB:

• £10 when you switch your electricity supply
• £10 when you switch your gas supply
• £5 per fuel for each additional year you remain on the scheme

In other words, if you switch both your gas and electricity to RSPB Energy the Scottish and Southern Energy Group will contribute £30 to the RSPB in the first year. Just think how much that total would grow if your friends and family were to switch too.