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Cheapest electricity supplier: compare prices & save

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min reading
Calculator next to coins and electricity bills

With so many different options, it can be quite difficult to distinguish which is actually the cheapest electricity supplier in the UK. We’ve analysed electricity providers across the country to help you find the best deal and cheapest electricity supplier for your home.

There are currently around 38 electricity suppliers in the UK, this is down significantly as many of the cheap electricity suppliers went bust in the last quarter of 2021 when the energy crisis saw gas and electricity prices increase astronomically. You can read our article to find out why so many energy providers went bust in 2021.

Since many energy providers claim to offer the best rates, it can be difficult to know which is actually the cheapest energy provider for your home.

Whether you're looking to renew your tariff or change energy supplier, we've broken down how to calculate your electricity bill so that you can compare different tariffs and find the best electricity deals in your area.

We also list the cheapest energy suppliers and their best offers that are currently on the market and look at how suppliers rank for customer satisfaction.

You might also be interested to compare gas tariffs to find the cheapest gas supplier for your home. Remember, when you choose an energy deal for your home, our dual fuel tariff guide will help you find the best dual fuel deals in your area.

Understanding your electricity bill

Understanding your electricity bill

We know it can be intimidating trying to understand how your electricity bill is calculated, but it’s actually not as complicated as some energy providers would like you to think it is.

There are just a few components that make up your electricity bill. Let’s first take a look at the different types of tariffs, then we will explain the factors that make up the price.

Types of electricity tariffs

We break down the main types of electricity tariffs. It’s important to understand the different types of tariffs so that you can select the type that best suits your electricity needs.

Variable tariffs

Variable tariffs do not have fixed rates. The rates can fluctuate with the wholesale price of energy. This means that the cheapest variable tariff today may not be the cheapest one tomorrow if the price increases.

In general, variable tariffs do not have exit fees. Customers are able to change to a different tariff if they find a cheaper option without being penalised for terminating the agreement.

At the time of writing, many of the cheapest electricity prices are with variable tariffs. This is because the energy price cap has limited how much suppliers can charge.

Fixed tariffs

If your electricity is on a fixed-rate tariff, it is guaranteed that the rates will not change for the length of the agreement. We recommend going on a fixed tariff in order to ensure that the price you pay does not increase.

Most fixed-rate tariffs have exit fees. This fee is usually around £30-£100 per fuel, but can also be more or less expensive, with some electricity suppliers even offering no exit fees on their fixed-rate tariffs. If you decide to cancel your tariff agreement and move to a cheaper electricity supplier, you may have to pay a fee.

Whilst some suppliers offer a £0 exit fee for early termination of your contract, all suppliers are obliged to waive the exit fee 49 days before your contract comes to an end. You can use this time to compare tariffs and find a new deal before you are automatically transferred to your suppliers more expensive variable tariff.

Economy 7 tariffs

This type of tariff has different rates for on and off-peak hours. In exchange for paying a higher price for electricity during the day, customers can get cheaper rates for seven hours at night.

Economy 7 tariffs can have either a variable or a fixed rate. We only recommend signing up for this type of tariff if you use electric storage heaters to heat your home.

What costs make up my electricity bill?

electricity calculator

Your electricity bill generally consists of three different charges. The type of tariff you are on influences how these prices fluctuate.

  1. Electricity standing charge
  2. The standing charge is the price you pay per day just to be connected to the electricity supply. Some energy companies do not charge this fee. However, these are unlikely to be among the cheapest electricity tariffs overall because you’ll usually be charged a more expensive unit rate in exchange for not having to pay a standing charge.

  3. Electricity unit rate
  4. The unit rate is what you pay for the electricity that you actually use. It is measured in pence per kilowatt-hour (kWh). For Economy 7 tariffs, consumers have two different unit rates - one for the day and one for the night.

  5. VAT
  6. Electricity is taxed at a rate of 5% for domestic customers and 20% for business customers, though certain businesses may qualify for a reduced rate of VAT. Remember to always check if the VAT has been included in the offer when comparing electricity tariffs.

Other electricity bill charges

Aside from the main three charges, you might have other items on your bill for additional services such as boiler cover or home emergency cover.

Depending on your tariff, you might have these included as part of your fixed-rate contract, or they may be additional charges. If they aren't included in your tariff, you should shop around to see if you can get equivilant or better cover at a cheaper price.

How do I calculate my electricity bill?

Now that you understand what makes up your electricity bill, let’s see how to calculate the total cost of the bill. This will allow you to compare offers so that you can determine which is actually the cheapest electricity supplier.

Take a look at your latest electricity bill to find out your individual household’s yearly electricity usage, this is often found on the second page of your paper bill and will read as annual consumption/annual usage/etc. If you have an online account, you should be able to find it easily by logging in to your account. If you don’t know how much electricity your home consumes, try using our consumption calculator.

Multiply the tariff’s unit rate by the amount of kWh of electricity that you consume annually. Then multiply the daily standing charge by 365 days in a year. Add these two products together to find the projected electricity spend per year.

Calculating your electricity bill: an example If your household consumes 3,100 kWh of electricity annually, how much will you spend per year if your tariff's unit rate is 20p per kWh and your standing charge is 23p per day? The VAT is already included.
Answer: (0.20 x 3,100) + (0.23 x 365) = £703.95 per year

If the rates do not include the VAT, remember to multiply the total by 1.05 to find the price you will actually have to pay.

Who is the cheapest electricity supplier?

Unfortunately, determining the cheapest electricity supplier is not so simple. Not only does your location influence what you pay for electricity, but with constantly changing variable tariffs, as well as the introduction of new tariffs, the cheapest electricity supplier today may not be the cheapest one next month.

In the table below, you can see which energy suppliers offer the best value for money.

Suppliers' Value for Money Ranked by Which? Score
Energy Supplier Which? Value for Money score
Octopus Energy ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ovo Energy ⭐⭐⭐⭐
So Energy ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Utility Warehouse ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Outfox The Market ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Boost ⭐⭐⭐
Utilita ⭐⭐⭐
Sainsbury's Energy ⭐⭐⭐
Shell Energy ⭐⭐⭐
British Gas ⭐⭐
EDF Energy ⭐⭐
SSE (Takeover by Ovo Energy in June 2019) ⭐⭐
E.ON ⭐⭐
Scottish Power ⭐⭐
E.ON Next

*For illustrative purposes only. Figures taken from Which?'s September 2021 survey.

 
 

The easiest way to find the cheapest energy supplier for your home is by doing an energy comparison. Be sure to use your actual consumption from your electricity bill. You can visit each electricity supplier's website and enter your details, or you can give Selectra a call on 020 3936 0059 and our expert energy consultants will compare gas and electric at your home to provide you with a hassle-free quote. If you prefer, you can also arrange a free callback.

If your home is connected to the national gas distribution network, we recommend comparing dual-fuel tariffs. It’s not only convenient to have your gas and electricity supplied by the same provider, but some suppliers even give customers an additional discount for registering both fuels.

Direct Debit or billing: Can I change to the cheapest electricity supplier if I am in debt? If you have been in debit for 28 days or less you may still be able to change to a different supplier. The debt will be added to your final bill that you will recieve shortly after the switch has been completed. If you've been in debt for more than 28 days because your supplier has billed you incorrectly, the supplier cannot block the switch.

Cheapest deal for prepayment customers

prepayment top-up cards

Unfortunately, prepayment customers almost always end up spending more money on electricity than customers who pay via direct debit or on receipt of a bill.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter and want to switch to direct debit payments or continue with prepayment on a smart meter to be able to top-up via an app, you may need to have a new meter installed. You should contact your energy provider and request to book an appointment to have this done.

If you are a pay-as-you-go customer with a smart meter, you just need to contact your current provider and ask to have your meter put in credit mode to switch your payment method to direct debit. This can be done quickly and easily without an engineer having to come out to your home.

Some suppliers may request that you have been with them for a minimum period, or pass a credit-check to switch from prepayment to direct debit.

Prepayment: Can I change to the cheapest electricity supplier if I am in debt? If you are currently in less than £500 debt per fuel with your prepayment electricity provider, you may still be able to change to a different supplier. Contact your provider and ask to set up a repayment plan for the debt. You will then be able to switch to another supplier.

Is the cheapest the best option?

Choosing an electricity provider should not just be about which one offers the cheapest price. It’s also about the quality of the company and its service. Having your electricity supplied by the cheapest electricity supplier may not be worth the hassle of dealing with an unstable company or low-quality customer service.

When it comes to choosing the best electricity supplier for your home, here at Selectra we recommend considering all aspects of the service, rather than just focusing on which company offers the cheapest price.

When you compare gas and electric on supplier websites, be sure to use the same consumption. Suppliers often use different calculations to estimate the average consumption. If you don't have your actual consumption handy, then use our consumption estimation tool and use the kWh it shows when you make an energy comparison. This means the final figures in pounds and pence will be the same, making it easy to find the cheapest energy supplier for your home.

green energy lightbulb

In addition, you should also consider the green credentials of the supplier to see where they get their energy from. Most suppliers are now predominantly green but some still use a large percentage of fossil fuel energy as part of their energy mix. In fact, choosing a renewable source energy deal can be cheaper than a traditionally sourced supply. Our guide to the best green energy supplier will help you choose.

Who is the cheapest business electricity supplier?

Small businesses also need to save money wherever is possible, especially with the various lockdowns that have led to less turnover. Business energy customers can also change energy supplier when a contract ends. You can see what options you have for your business on our business energy page.

The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.

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