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Tips and tricks for avoiding energy price hikes

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Nothing feels bad like being exploited. Some energy suppliers don’t inform their customers about price hikes, and therefore end up leaving them on expensive tariffs. And you really don’t want to fall prey to such tricks, right? Well, keep reading to discover unique tips for avoiding such high costs.

Stick to Your Budget

Don’t overspend- instead, consider switching to a better deal. Besides, there should be no penalty or exit charges for turning away from them. All you need is to inform your current energy provider that you wish to leave by the time the higher prices start taking effect.

Provide Regular Meter Readings

It’s extremely important that you provide regular meter readings. This will ensure that the energy company doesn’t do generic estimates and therefore allowing you to only pay for what you actually use.

And this is particularly important where energy suppliers do increase prices. For instance, if your estimates were quite low, the new meter reading might be higher, and you could actually end up paying the new, hiked prices for the energy you utilized before they rose up. And this commonly referred to as a “catch-up” bill. In the event that your supplier changes the costs on your tariff during the period you were receiving estimated energy bills, contact them to ensure they conveniently spread the extra units over the whole billing period.

Keep Records

Unless your energy provides happens to read the meter at the time your prices change, suppliers often tend to estimate the number of units you have utilized until the day the prices increase.  As a result, you could end up paying too much for the period before the hiked energy price comes into force.

Therefore, consider submitting a gas or electricity meter reading to the energy company immediately the price change occurs, so it has an exact figure of how many units you’ve utilized before and after the price increase.

Launch Your Complaint

If you are not contented with your supplier’s service, or if they’re being sluggish about dealing with your request to terminate a contract where the tariff has increased, then launch a complaint.

For instance, if your energy provider doesn’t provide you with a satisfactory response within 8 weeks then you have the right to make a complaint to the Energy Regulator.

Switch to a Better Deal

Don’t stick to a brand that’s breaking your bank- compare and switch. Look at what you’re currently paying and compare it with what other suppliers charge. Switching energy deal online is super easy. So, if you get stuck, call a reputable site and talk to their customer representatives for instant help. This way, you’ll be able to land a better deal without suffering any interruptions to your energy supply.

The Bottom Line

Don’t allow yourself to pay more for your heating and electricity bills. Certain energy suppliers might not actually inform you about price hikes, something which could end up costing you lots of money. But with the above tips, you can easily overcome such issues.

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