.png){kind=logo}
Automatic energy switching companies trawl the whole energy market to find the best tariff for you and switch you to it automatically. These sites will help you save money on utilities with little or no effort. This post compares the best automatic energy switching services in the UK.
.png){kind=small}
Contents:
Automatic energy switching means the energy switching process is managed for you by an auto-switching energy company. These companies trawl the whole energy market to find the best tariff for you and switch you to it automatically.
These sites will help you save money on utilities with little or no effort.
Did you know that most energy suppliers increase your tariff after your first year of joining them? According to Ofgem, the energy regulator, switching away from a default tariff to a cheaper deal could save a typical household up to £305 a year. Ofgem encourages households to shop around for the best energy deals to access these savings.
The problem, however, is that not many people, and you might be one of them, want to deal with the hassle of switching providers regularly. It also doesn't help that there are around 70 energy suppliers in the UK.
Some companies like Switchd, MSE Autoswitch and Switchcraft, identified a gap in the market and have built technology solutions to help you automatically change energy suppliers regularly.
These companies are called automatic energy switching companies, and their job is to automatically compare and switch energy tariffs to keep you on the best deal.
And if things go well, you will never have to worry about switching energy providers again.
Below, we compare some of the best automatic energy switching companies in the UK.
Our comparison criteria include cost, switch frequency, Trustpilot rating, whether or not they compare the whole energy market, and whether or not they have an energy switching app.
To fully appreciate how energy auto-switching works, including its advantages and disadvantages, scroll down to read our FAQs.
Please note: Look After My Bills and Flipper have shut down operations following the recent spike in energy prices.
The energy switching process is pretty simple. All you need to do is visit the website you like from the choices above, enter a few details about yourself and your property and leave it to the auto-switching company's algorithm to trawl tens of thousands of tariffs to find the best value deal for you.
When it finds the best deal, it will automatically switch your energy tariff or send you a notification about your upcoming switch. Once you've been switched, you'll have a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel your switch if you do not like the supplier, tariff, etc.
Then after a few months, when it's likely that your tariff is no longer the best deal, the algorithm repeats the process all over again, so you never have to worry about switching energy providers.
With auto-switching, you will still have control over the type of tariff you want, e.g., green energy tariff, fixed or variable rate tariffs, etc.
For most services, you need your email address, postcode, latest energy bill, and direct debit details.
To find the cheapest energy suppliers, use the energy price comparison tool on the Citizens Advice website.
To find the best energy supplier, use the energy price comparison tool on the Citizens Advice website.
With auto-switching companies, the maximum you can switch energy suppliers is four times a year. Most of them switch providers only annually or semi-annually. Visit our comparison table above to see how often auto-switching companies switch your energy suppliers.
If you are on a standard variable tariff, you can switch to a new energy supplier at any time without penalty. But if you are on a fixed tariff, you can only change energy supplier without penalty in the final 49 calendar days of your fixed-term contract. Ofgem, the energy regulator, states that your energy supplier cannot charge you fees for switching suppliers if you are in the final 49 calendar days of a fixed-term contract.
Every month, we’ll send you The Plug - a curation of the best personal finance content in the UK. We share real-life stories, how-to guides, top personal finance news, popular community questions, and tips to help you stay on top of your money.
