Summer may have graced many of us with a last hurrah over recent days, but a definite nip in the evening air heralds colder times ahead.
Ongoing coronavirus restrictions mean most of us are still spending lots of time at home, and the temptation to turn on our heating sooner – and for longer periods – than usual may be hard to resist.
This will in turn bump up energy bills, but you can mitigate the extent of this impact by switching to a cheaper energy deal.
Already on a great deal? Discover more ways to keep your gas and electricity costs down with our guide on how to save on energy bills.
Top five cheapest gas and electricity deals
In the table below we show the five cheapest dual-fuel energy tariffs on the market for a medium user, based on the amount a household could expect to pay for gas and electricity over a year.
Prices and available tariffs vary by region, so you could pay more or less, depending on where you live and how much energy you use.
We’ve also calculated how much you’d save compared with the current price cap, which limits how much suppliers can charge per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity and gas. Until October, this is set at £1,127 per year for a medium user.
| Company | Tariff | Price (for a medium user) | Fixed/Variable | Exit Fees | Savings compared with price cap | |
| 1 | Green | Palm Tree – paperless | £794 | Variable | n/a | £333 |
| 2 | Igloo Energy | Igloo Pioneer – paperless | £805 | Variable | n/a | £322 |
| 3 | Green | Woods – paperless | £817 | Fixed | £36 per fuel | £310 |
| 4 | Simplicity Energy | 2020 Cabbage – paperless | £823 | Fixed | £35 per fuel | £304 |
| 5 | Avro Energy | Simple and SuperConnect – paperless | £832 | Fixed | n/a | £295 |
| Prices are from Energylinx based on tariffs available in all regions* in England, Scotland and Wales for a medium user (using Ofgem averages of 12,000kWh of gas and 2,900kWh electricity per year), paying by fixed monthly direct debit, with paperless bills. Prices are averages across regions, are rounded to the nearest whole pound and correct on 14 September 2020. We haven’t included tariffs from Ebico and Robin Hood, as their customers will shortly move to British Gas. *Igloo Energy and Simplicity Energy are available in 13 of the 14 supply regions. | ||||||
For the first time in months, Outfox the Market doesn’t top the table for cheapest energy deals; in fact it’s not even in the top five. This month, Green (not to be confused with ‘Green Energy UK’ and other suppliers with similar names) offers the cheapest deal on the market, followed by Igloo Energy.
Three of the five cheapest energy tariffs available this month are fixed for a year. This means your energy costs will stay the same, regardless of what happens with the energy market.
However, two of these tariffs have quite substantial exit fees if you leave mid-contract (around £70 if you use them for both gas and electricity), so make sure you’re willing to stick with them before signing up.
The two cheapest deals on the market this month are variable, meaning that the price could change after you sign up. Your energy company is required to give you 30 days’ notice so you can switch and avoid paying a higher price than you signed up for.
Compare gas and electricity prices now using Which? Switch, our independent energy comparison website.
You can also phone us on 0800 410 1149 or 01259 220235.
Cheapest energy deals from Which? Recommended Providers
This table shows the cheapest deals from each of our Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs) for energy. All of these companies are well regarded by their customers, and performed well in our assessment of their policies and procedures.
These deals aren’t the cheapest on the market, but make up for it with high-quality customer service – and you’ll still be saving compared with the price cap.
| Company | Tariff | Price (for a medium user) | Fixed/Variable | Exit Fees | Savings compared with price cap | |
| 1 | Pure Planet | 100% Green 12m Fixed Sep20 v1 – paperless | £883 | Fixed | £30 per fuel | £285 |
| 2 | Octopus Energy | Octopus 12M Fixed February 2020 v1 – paperless | £900 | Fixed | n/a | £267 |
| 3 | So Energy | So Birch Essential – Green – Seasonal Payments – paperless | £905 | Fixed | £5 per fuel | £265 |
| Prices are from Energylinx based on tariffs available in all regions in England, Scotland and Wales for a medium user (using Ofgem averages of 12,000kWh of gas and 2,900kWh electricity per year), paying by fixed monthly direct debit, with paperless bills. Prices are averages across regions, are rounded to the nearest whole pound and correct on 14 September 2020. Suppliers included are the current Which? Recommended Providers for energy. | ||||||
This month’s best deal from a WRP comes from Pure Planet, although both So Energy and Octopus Energy are offering tariffs for only around £20 more a year for a medium user.
Energy prices generally have gone up this month, and our WRPs are no exception, but we still recommend picking one of these deals to get great service at a reasonable price.
Discover the best and worst energy companies from this year’s survey and find out why you should pick one of our WRPs.
Which? energy pricing research
Prices are based on a dual-fuel tariff available in the regions stated, paying by fixed monthly direct debit, with paperless bills. Energy use is based on Ofgem’s annual average figures for a medium user (12,000kWh gas and 2,900kWh electricity per year).
Data is from Energylinx. Prices given are averages across regions, rounded to the nearest whole pound and correct on 14 September 2020.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/09/top-five-energy-deals-for-september-keep-your-bills-down-as-the-days-get-chilly/