Cheapest gas and electricity tariffs

British Gas is hiking energy bills for 3.1 million customers from Friday 15 September. Here are the best gas and electricity deals to switch to.

Energy giant, British Gas, is putting the cost of electricity up on its standard variable tariff by 12.5% from Friday 15 September.

The change will mean a typical household on a dual fuel tariff will pay £76 a year more for their energy, taking the average bill to £1,120.

Anyone sitting on their provider’s standard variable tariff is not only vulnerable to price hikes but is also almost certainly paying far too much for their energy. But there's no need to overpay.

If you want to save money and beat the hike you should switch to a new deal. Here’s where to find the cheapest gas and electricity tariffs on the market.

Compare gas and electricity prices. See if you could save big money

The cheapest energy deals

Here’s a round-up of the cheapest tariffs right now if you opt for both fuels from one supplier (known as dual fuel), pay by monthly direct debit and manage your account online.

The price includes both the unit rate and any standing charge.

Energy supplier	Tariff name	Type of tariff	Average UK price*
OneSelect	OneSelect Secure one-year Fixed August 17	Fixed for 12 months	£824
Green Network Energy	GNE Italian Touch 12-month Fixed V8	Fixed for 12 months	£831
Iresa Energy	Flex4 12-month Fixed Direct Debit	Fixed for 12 months	£834
Iresa Energy	Flex4 Standard Direct Debit	Variable	£834
Economy Energy	Online Saver	Fixed for 12 months	£843
Breeze Energy Supply	UK Fixed 1 Year v1	Fixed for 12 months	£848
Tonik Energy	Tonik Energy Positively Green	Fixed for 12 months	£854
Avro Energy	Simple and Value	Fixed for 12 months	£857
Bulb Energy	Vari-Fair	Variable	£867
Engie	ENGIE Fixed Sept 18 v4 Paperless Billing	Fixed until 30 September 2018	£873

Source: UK Power

*Prices based on average consumption as measured by Ofgem of 12,500kWh of gas and 3,100kWh of electricity and a customer paying by monthly direct debit including VAT.

Bear in mind the price of your energy will be based on your postcode and so may be more expensive, or even cheaper, than the ones listed.

Compare gas and electricity prices: you could save hundreds!

Other things to consider

Fixing your energy bills is a bit of a gamble, in much the same way as fixing your mortgage or savings.

That’s because prices could come down, which means you end up paying more than you would have done if you were on a variable or even a shorter-term fix.

Having said that, the general trend for gas and electricity prices is to only go one way and that’s upwards, certainly over the long term, although they may fluctuate within a year.

If there’s not much difference between companies, you might want to also consider how good each is when it comes to customer service.

The energy sector isn’t renowned for being brilliant when it comes to dealing with its customers.

To find out who’s receiving the most complaints right now, take a look at this analysis of the UK's worst energy providers.

Compare gas and electricity prices and see if you could save big money

More on energy:

How to switch energy supplier

Who owns the UK's big energy companies?

How to complain about your energy supplier