British Gas is the nation's favourite cheap gas and electricity supplier, boiler service provider, and energy efficiency advisor.
One of the quickest and easiest ways in which you can save money on your household fuel bills is to switch energy suppliers. Although it may seem logical to switch to the company that is offering the cheapest deal at the time, a more measured approach may save you more in the long run.
As is the case with comedy, the secret to saving money on your fuel bills is all about the timing.
In January 2009, Britain's largest energy supplier, British Gas, cut their customers gas bills by ten percent, and since then four other leading suppliers have followed suit. You might think that now would be the best time to change your supplier, but if prices fall again, as many predict that they will, then it might be better to play a waiting game.
The price of energy is largely determined by fluctuations in the price of fossil fuels such as crude oil and coal, which are influenced by factors such as fuel shortages, wars, and political tussles between countries which produce, transport, or consume large amounts of fossil fuels.
There is no way of accurately predicting this however, and prices could just as likely rise if the price of oil starts to climb anywhere near the highs of last year. You can save a lot of money by opting to pay your energy bills by direct debit and managing your account online, with a plan such as British Gas' Websaver 3 tariff, although an internet connection is required in order to use these services.
Bear in mind that the process of switching energy supplier can take as long as eight weeks, so be aware that even if you do switch to a cheaper tariff, you will still be paying at the old rate for around two months before the cheaper bills kick in.
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