Compare Electricity Prices on the Web

If you’re getting ready to move to a new location or are thinking about switching electricity providers, one of the first things you should do is compare the prices that each service is offering in your area. In years past you would need to make a large number of phone calls to find the information necessary to perform such a comparison. Thanks to the power of the Internet, you can get all the information you need without ever getting up from your chair. A large number of resources exist that will make the process of comparing electricity prices easier than it has ever been. You’ll walk away knowing exactly where your hard earned money is going each month.

 

Depending on where you live, you may find a site that does a large number of comparisons for you with regards to energy providers that operate in your area. The United Kingdom has a number of sites that compile charges and other types of data from local providers. Once you load the site’s main page into your Web browser of choice, type your address into the “Search” box. Not only will the site show you energy companies that can provide service to your address, but it will also tell you how much each company charges per kilowatt-hour of electricity. If you’re lucky enough to find one of these sites that works for the area where you live, a large part of the research is already done for you. All you have to do is go through the results in the window on screen and find out which company is cheaper than all the rest when all things are considered.

 

If you cannot find a website that will compile charge information for energy providers for you, you can still find out how much money each company charges by going to its official website. When you load the website of an energy provider, type your address into the box that displays on screen. Doing so will confirm that the company in question can actually provide service to the area where you live. Sometimes companies don’t provide coverage to an entire city, for example. Just because your neighbor who lives two blocks over has service from one particular company doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be able to get the same service.

 

On the “Terms and Conditions” page for each provider, look for two key pieces of information. The first relevant total to locate is the amount of money the provider charges per kilowatt-hour of electricity. The second total to locate is the amount of money in surcharges, tariffs, taxes and other charges that all bills are assessed. Some of these taxes will be based on a percentage of the bill in question. If you used 10,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity during a month and are charged a tax at 15%, for example, the tax will be more expensive than if you only used 8,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity during the same period. While these taxes make it difficult to estimate your bill to the nearest pound, they still make it possible to get a reasonable idea of how much you can expect each bill to be.

 

When comparing electricity prices on the Web, another factor to consider is what happens if you pay a bill late or accidentally miss a payment for personal reasons. All companies have different rules with regards to late payments. While some may charge a late fee that does not change, others may assess a percentage of the total bill as a penalty. Even if you don’t plan on making any late payments, it is always a good idea to find out what will happen in the event that you need to so you don’t get caught off guard. Late payment information will be on the provider’s website.

Kevin Campbell, the author, thinks everyone should compare electricity prices to try and get a better deal given the recent price increases.
 

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