| | | We make it EASY & SIMPLE - takes circa 10mins, incl Ovo 2yr fix and 25,000 EDF cut-price tariffs. Yet go quick.
MSE Big Energy Switch Event 8
 The clock's ticking. Last week we launched our 8th collective energy switch, and so far a whopping 50,000+ have switched. This isn't just to our own blagged cut-rate EDF 1yr fix (for many the cheapest big 6 deal); we've been highlighting the market's stand-out deals too.
For me the top pick of those is Ovo's 2yr fix. That's both on price - as it's a big saving for most and not too much more than the cheapest one-winter deal, so you get peace of mind for longer - and on our customer service rating as it always finishes high. Last time 89% said it was 'great'. Yet so many of you have opted for it, we panicked that it'd be pulled, but it's promised us "the deadline's Friday".
To prove why you should act, here are just two of the many messages we've had this week. Michael (@Mcabannes) tweeted: "@martinslewis just saved over £500 on gas and electric by changing to Ovo - great advice on your website." Yet Marc (@marcmccolgan) topped even that: "Thanks @MartinSLewis and @MoneySavingExp - you've saved me £1,132 this evening on my fuel supplier."
At a glance - your energy switch and save options Prices based on Ofgem typical DIRECT DEBIT use. If you use more or less your costs move roughly in proportion to that - do a comparison for exact info. 66% OF YOU ARE ON STANDARD TARIFFS: With the Big 6 - EDF, British Gas, Npower, SSE, Scottish Power or E.on - you pay on average £1,151/yr
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The market's cheapest: £824/yr - so save about £330. -
Cheap small firm with decent feedback: £838/yr (a) - so save £310. -
Ends Fri. Cheap longer fix and top service Ovo 2yr fix: £883/yr (a) - so save £270/yr (so £500+ over 2yrs). -
Cheapest Big 6: MSE EDF tariff: £890/yr (a) - so save £260. -
Cheapest 'don't wanna switch firm' Big 6 deals: £890/yr - £1,082/yr (a) FULL HELP ON EACH OF THESE BELOW (a) Our Cheap Energy Club gives £25 dual-fuel cashback on these tariffs, so we've included that in the saving. |
How to pick the right deal for YOU The explosion of new, often small energy firms has made picking a new deal daunting. So during this Big Switch event I want to try to help you through that.
To do a comparison, it's best if you have a bill to hand. Yet if not, Cheap Energy Club will estimate for you. Switching itself isn't a biggie. No one visits your home. It's the same gas, same elec, same safety - the only change is price and service. The following don't apply if you're on prepay or in N. Ireland. More on that below...
| • | The cheapest deals are from small firms with no or poor feedback.
- Cheapest avg cost for typical usage: £824/yr
- How to find YOUR cheapest of 'em: Your winner depends on location and usage so use our Energy Club comparison of the whole of the market.
The energy market's swamped with new, small firms with super-cheap tariffs designed to bring in new customers. In our recent poll, you told us small firms you've not heard of was your biggest energy switching turn-off.
And sadly we often have seen tiddler firms launch with low prices, which see huge numbers stream in that they can't cope with. There's currently a raft of cheapest tariffs starting at £824/yr, but all are so new we've almost no feedback, or if we do, what we have isn't great.
If that worries you, why not scroll a little down your results list to find ones where we show better service ratings? Or use our special TOP PICKS comparison where we list only the very cheap small firms that've been around a bit longer and have decent feedback. These include Toto Energy, Avro Energy and Bulb all at around £840/yr on typical use. | | | | • | Ending Friday. Cheap TWO-YEAR Ovo fix with TOP rated service.
- Avg cost for typical usage: £883/yr (incl £25 MSE cashback split over 2yrs)
- How to find if it's YOUR cheapest: Do a normal comparison, or for ease, use our special TOP PICKS comparison which shows only our selected top picks.
This, rightly, has been the biggest tariff people have switched to over the last week. It's especially good for those who find switching a hassle, as the rate is both cheap and fixed for the next two winters, so there's unlikely to be a need to act again until then. If prices rise, it could look very nifty indeed.
Ovo is a mid-sized firm with 700,000 customers. It's constantly near the top of our customer service poll. Last time 89% rated it 'great', 3% 'poor' (569 votes).
We've been worried Ovo would pull this deal, but after discussions it's told us: "We're happy if you say the deadline for our 2 year fix at this price is Friday". We don't know when on Friday but I'd just go ASAP to be sure. Here's key info:
- The fix lasts exactly two years from the date it starts supplying you.
- You pay exit fees of £30/fuel if you leave early.
- It's available for dual-fuel & elec-only, incl Eco 7.
- Switchers to Ovo get £25 (£12.50 elec-only) Cheap Energy Club cashback.
- Existing Ovo custs can get it but must switch directly with Ovo.
- A fix means the rate is locked in (not the cost, that depends on use).
- You must pay by monthly direct debit.
- If you move home you CAN'T take it with you.
- The Warm Home Discount is available with it. | | | | • | Cheapest Big 6 good service deal - the MSE Big Switch Winner.
- Avg cost for typical usage: £890/yr (incl £25 MSE cashback)
- How to find if it's YOUR cheapest: Do a Cheap Energy Club comparison then, in the results, use the BIG-NAMES FILTER.
When I show people how to switch on my TV roadshows, again & again many say: "I only want a firm I've heard of" and our recent site poll backs that up. So when EDF bid to give us a reduced deal, even though small firms beat it, I thought we'd still give it as an option - and indeed 17,500 have gone for it so far.
 The EDF MSE Simply Fixed Sept 2018 deal for new and existing EDF customers is on average the cheapest Big 6 tariff, saving someone on a typical standard tariff £260/yr incl cashback, with no price hikes for a year.
Sadly we couldn't get EDF to provide boosted customer service for this deal, but it usually does well in our polls. It's the best of the Big 6 - 64% voted its service 'great' and only 10% said 'poor' (445 votes).
Whether it's cheaper than other Big 6 tariffs depends on your region and use. The good news this week is that (in response?) a new Eon 1 year fix has launched at only on average a few pounds more, so it may well beat EDF for you. This is why we send you through our comparison to get it so you can be sure if it's your winner (use the filter to see only big-name tariffs). Here's key EDF info:
- Originally we had 25,000 dual-fuel switches (50,000 single-fuel) till Thu 21 Sep, a number now boosted to 42,500 - but 17,500 have gone already.
- It's for new AND existing EDF customers.
- It's available for dual-fuel & elec-only, incl Eco 7.
- You get £25 dual-fuel (£12.50 elec-only) MSE Cheap Energy Club cashback.
- The rate (not cost, that depends on use) is fixed until 30 Sep 2018.
- You can pay by direct debit, or quarterly cash or cheque.
- If you move home you can take it with you.
- You pay exit fees of £35/fuel if you leave early.
- The Warm Home Discount is available with it.
Ps, this is the cheapest EDF tariff for virtually all. But for a few on another site's EDF collective from last year it's launched a special retention deal - though that's still beaten by our collective for most. If you still see cheaper rates on that retention deal, check, as our cashback may yet beat it. | | | | • | Don't want to switch firm? Find YOUR CURRENT PROVIDER'S cheapest.
- Avg cost for Big 6 typical usage: £890 - £1,082/yr (incl £25 MSE cashback)
- How to find YOUR cheapest of these: Use our Cheap Energy Club 'My Current Supplier' comparison to filter out all but your existing provider's tariffs.
I'm often asked questions like: "I'm with Npower - is it cheap?" I can't answer that, as what you pay depends on which of a firm's tariffs you are on. Npower, for example, has one of the most expensive standard tariffs at a typical £1,187/yr, yet it also offers a relatively cheap fix at £948/yr.
In fact EVERY Big 6 provider has a cheaper deal than its standard tariff - so through gritted teeth let me say, if you won't switch as you're loyal to your existing firm, at least ensure you're on its cheapest tariff. You can use our special 'My Supplier' comparison link to find yours (and also sometimes get the £25 MSE cashback - £12.50 single-fuel).
Or if not, just ring your provider and ask if you're on its cheapest deal. Of course, EDF customers can switch to our cheap EDF collective tariff. | | |
Prepay tariffs, green deals and Northern Ireland. The options above cover the majority of energy users, but you may have special requirements or be unable to access them. If so, here are some quick tips...
- Prepay customers can still switch and save: Try our prepay comparison - savings are smaller, typically £70/yr, but it's worth doing. For bigger savings, see if you can switch to a credit meter. Full help in cut the cost of prepay energy. - Want a green tariff? We didn't get any cheap green bidders for our collective this time. Yet do an Energy Club comparison and when the results come up, click '100% renewable' in the filters to see your choices. - Northern Ireland: No UK comparisons, including us, include Northern Ireland, (we're working on something in the background), but you can use the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland's tool.
Key energy switching info...
For more, see the full Cheap Energy Club FAQs Q. What info do I need to switch? It's best if you have a bill, and input kilowatt hours (kWh) into Cheap Energy Club, rather than cost. Yet DON'T WORRY if you don't know your usage; Cheap Energy Club can help you guesstimate. While the answer won't be perfect, it's usually far better than doing nowt. Q. I'm on last Sep's British Gas collective - what should I do? That was a stunning deal - for someone on typical use, it's £70/yr less than today's market cheapest. So when it ends in a few weeks, no matter what you do, your rate will rise: but do nothing and it'll be up nearly 50%. You can reduce that radically by switching to one of the options above (we tried to get British Gas to give us a retention deal but it wouldn't). Q. Does MSE make money from this? Yes. Like all energy comparison sites, we're paid each time you switch through us, but we aim to give you about half in cashback (money you don't get if you go direct). The rest helps cover our costs and hopefully makes us some profit. We've had to drop the cashback from £30 to £25 recently as suppliers give us less. For more see MSE Jason's blog. Q. What happens if my supplier goes bust? New rules that came in last year mean your energy credit is protected and your energy stays on as you'll be transferred to another supplier. However, you could lose any cheap deal you're on.
Q. How does Cheap Energy Club work? It does 3 things:
1) We compare ALL market tariffs to show your exact price and saving.
2) You get £25 dual-fuel cashback (£12.50 single-fuel) if we can switch you. It's sent roughly 90 days later.
3) We check for better deals. You set a 'trigger saving', eg, £150/yr, then we alert you if you can save this by switching again.
Your most common queries answered... - I've a smart meter? You can switch but may lose functions. See Smart switch
- It's put up my price - but I'm fixed? The rate's fixed. Yet your bill also depends on usage. If they estimate you'll use more, it goes up. See Unfair Direct Debits.
- What's the standing charge and kWh cost? They vary by region, so we display YOUR exact cost in the Cheap Energy Club comparison result.
- I don't know my usage split between gas & elec? As a rough rule of thumb, it's 55% gas, 45% elec. It shouldn't be too far out if you do this.
- Can I pick a date for the switch? No. Sadly providers don't allow this.
- I'm in credit? You will get your credit back. See Reclaim credit.
- I'm in energy debt? You can usually still switch. See switching in debt.
- I've solar panels? You can still switch. See Solar & FIT info.
- Is monthly direct debit cheapest? Yes, but do regular meter readings.
- How does switching work? The new supplier does it all. Switching help
- You show diff cost to my supplier? Enter kilowatt hrs and we show the avg each month, yet your direct debit's an estimate so can differ. Direct Debit help.
- Independent Gas Transporter? You can still switch. See IGT help. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | With lenders chasing your custom with a host of hot deals, it's never been cheaper... if you NEED a loan
Only borrow if it's planned, budgeted for and affordable, as debt's like fire - a great tool, yet use it badly and you get burnt. The good news is that for years, we've seen loan rates getting lower, and right now they're at all-time lows. This week, one lender has started offering both low rates AND freebies. Full info in Cheap Loans, but briefly... -
 Will you get a loan? What counts isn't just the rate, but whether you'll get it. So use our free Loans Quick Eligibility Calc before applying. It tells you which loans you've the best chance of getting without hitting your creditworthiness.
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Lowest rates from £1,000-£15,000. We've listed our top picks here. All are for 1-5yrs' borrowing, unless stated. Yet sadly as all loans are representative (rep) APR, they ONLY need to be given to 51% of those accepted. The rest can be charged more (with no limit on how much). - £7.5k-£15k: M&S Bank* (1-7yrs) is 2.8% rep APR, Sainsbury's Bank* 2.8% rep APR (1-3yrs, needs Nectar card)
- £5k-£7,499: TSB* and Tesco Bank (1-7 yrs) are 3.3% rep APR
- £3k-£4,999: Zopa* is 5%-6.9% rep APR, Hitachi* 7.3% rep APR (2-5yrs)
- £2k-£2,999: Zopa* is 6.9%-7.9% rep APR, Hitachi* 7.9% rep APR (2-5yrs) - yet credit card loans are often cheaper
- £1k-£1,999: Hitachi* is 7.9% rep APR (2-5yrs), Zopa* 9.5%-9.9% rep APR - credit card loans are often cheaper PS. Nationwide will beat the rate you get from any bank/building soc (not peer-to-peer lenders, eg, Zopa) by 0.5 percentage points if you've already got, or get accepted for, any of its current accounts. -
New. Cheap loans that give freebies too. Via this link, The AA* offers cheap loans plus a freebie - free MOTs for the life of the loan, or a spa treatment or hotel stay. Its rates are a touch more than those above, eg 3.8% rep APR for £5-£7.5k and 3.3% rep APR up to £15k (dropping to 3% on Wed 9am-ish). On a £10k 5-year loan, that's about £55 more expensive than the cheapest, but the freebies are worth anything from £35 - £275 so it can be a winner. -
The Loan Golden Rules.
a) Only borrow for planned, budgeted-for stuff (eg, a car) - minimise the amount & repay as quickly as you can.
b) Pay on time or you may get a charge & a credit black-mark.
c) If you're applying to pay off credit cards, a balance transfer may be cheaper. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The price war is rekindling. So if your bank's a bad 'un, stop bitching and start switching
We've shouted for years that switching's easy yet fewer than 2% of accounts are switched each year despite many moaning about theirs. It takes just seven working days, and the new bank closes your old account and moves all direct debits, payments and standing orders. And with bribes galore, what are you waiting for? All accounts credit check you, and to get the bonuses you usually must use their switching service, register to bank online and switch 2-4 active direct debits. -
 Starts Wed AM. Free £200 & linked 5% savings. From mid-morning Wed (click the link to check if it's on) new HSBC Advance* switchers get £150 for switching and £50 more if you're still with it after a year. Plus there's access to a linked 5% regular savings account in which you can put up to £250/mth. To get it all, after applying online, call up or go to a branch within 30 days to start the switch, and pay in £1,750+/mth (equiv £26,100/yr salary). -
Free £125 M&S gift card, £5/mth & linked 5% savings. New M&S Bank* switchers get a £125 M&S gift card and access to a 5% linked regular saver in which you can put up to £250/mth. Plus if you pay in £1,000+/mth (equiv £12,850/yr salary), in year one, you get £5/mth extra added to the card. -
Free £125 & £5.50/mth. New switchers to Co-op Bank get £125 and £25 donated to charity Centrepoint. Then, if you join its Everyday Rewards scheme, you can earn up to £5.50/mth more though you'll need to pay in £800/mth+ (equiv £9,800/yr salary), pay out 4+ direct debits each month, make 30 debit card transactions per month, go paperless, use online/mobile banking once a month and stay within your overdraft limit. -
Free £100, no.1 service, £250 0% overdraft & linked 5% savings. First Direct* gives £100 to new switchers, plus it's won every customer service poll we've done, with 90% most recently rating it 'great'. You also get access to its 5% fixed regular saver in which you can put up to £300/mth, and for some, a £250 0% overdraft. Pay in £1,000 within 3mths to get the bonus, then £1,000/mth to keep the account free; if not, it's £10/mth. For full info, eligibility and more options, see Best Bank Accounts. | | | | | | | | | They can get this email free every week | | | | | | | | | With the university year looming large, we've loads of tips to help you avoid living off cold baked beans
If you - or your kids - are starting at or heading back to uni this autumn, you'll be swamped with tales of student debt and money misery. Yet we've loads of help, support & tricks in our 60+ Student MoneySaving Tips - here are just a few... -
 5 things EVERY student and their parents should know. Student finance myths 'n' misunderstandings are everywhere. Read Martin's 5 student must-knows guide.
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Top student bank accounts 2017/18. Whether you're a newbie or continuing student, you can usually switch at any time; see our full Top Student Accounts 2017/18 review. -
FREE Microsoft Office and 1TB free online storage. A must-have for many. See Student software freebies. -
Free 6mths' Amazon Prime, half-price Spotify, 10% off at Asos, Co-op, Topshop. Many shout about their student discounts - we've these but also more hidden offers in our student freebies and discounts round-up. -
Apple student deals, eg, up to 10% off AND 'free' £116-£224 Beats headphones when buying a Mac/iPad Pro. It ain't cheap but if you'll buy anyway get a discount. Teachers and parents can get these too. See Apple discount. -
Students and council tax is... complex. Those in all-student homes don't pay, but if sharing with non-students there is a charge. For how it works, what you're liable for & crucially how to fairly split the bill, see Student council tax discounts. | | | | | Rare Wetherspoon pubs one day discount. 7.5% off food & drink (excl alcohol in Scot). Wetherspoon. Pls be Drinkaware.
Cheapest Xbox One S and Nintendo Switch consoles we've seen, via Tesco Direct codes. Also cheapest current PS4 console bundles. Get £5-£25 off gaming products with Tesco codes.
SUCCESS OF THE WEEK: (Send us yours on this or any topic)
"Huge thanks for your guide on checking council tax banding. I got my band lowered and also got £4,710 back. Would not have checked this if I hadn't seen it in your email - thanks again."
Magazine freebies incl £11 Nails Inc polish, 25% off River Island. On the cover of £2.50-£4 mags. Magazine freebies | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Thu 14 Sep - Good Morning Britain, ITV, Deals of the Week, 7.40am. See previous
Fri 15 Sep - This Morning, ITV, Martin’s Quick Deals, time TBC
Mon 18 Sep - This Morning, ITV, time TBC
Mon 18 Sep - BBC Radio 5 Live, Lunch Money Martin, noon. Subscribe to podcast | | | | Wed 13 Sep - BBC Cumbria, Money Talks with Adam Powell, from 6pm
Fri 15 Sep - BBC South West stations, Good Morning with Joe Lemer, from 5am, student tips
Tue 19 Sep - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire with Jeremy Sallis, 2.20pm | | | | | | | Q: I got a balance transfer credit card to transfer debt from another card to 0% interest. A couple of months later we bought some family portraits which we put on that new card, so I'm paying interest again. Can I switch credit cards again to another 0% balance transfer card? Tammy, via email.  MSE Rosie's A: You can switch credit cards and transfer balances as many times as you like, but the big question is whether you'll be accepted - and that's mainly about your credit score and whether you can afford it.
You can check your credit report and whether you’ll likely get the card via our FREE Credit Club. However, it's best to avoid an application for a new card if you've another big credit application, such as a mortgage, coming up soon. It's also worth pointing out that it's a bad idea to spend on a 0% balance transfer card as the spending is rarely at 0%. And only borrow if it's planned & budgeted for. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). | | | | | | | That's it for this week, but before we go... ever bought something assuming you can use it for the obvious - and then found you can't? MoneySavers have been sharing examples - including the bikini you can't go swimming in, the shower curtain that's not waterproof and the swimwear you can't dry in direct sunlight. (One also bought a Superman costume with the helpful warning: "This does not allow wearer to fly".) Let us know what you've spotted in our bizarre bikini Facebook post. We hope you save some money,
The MSE team | | | | | | |
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