Energy alert: E.on backdoor price hike
British Gas & Ovo cheap deals
The market's rapidly changing - sort now to typically save £300+/yr

Energy giant E.on sneakily took advantage of last week's big freeze to become the first Big 6 provider to announce price hikes in 2018. It's a backdoor hike, because while its rates won't change, from April it'll ditch some 'dual fuel' (ie, gas & elec) discounts and up some standing charges - a rise of £22/yr on average.

The big question is WILL OTHERS FOLLOW? Every E.on customer - and anyone else who's not checked their bill in the last six months - should sort their energy now, especially as for switchers there's hot competition out there.

The best thing to do is a whole of market comparison through our Cheap Energy Club to find the cheapest deals on the market - your winners will depend on where you live and what you use. Benchmark against the average Big 6 standard tariff, costing £1,136/yr for typical use, then use the filters to narrow your search.

Two top cheap deals that may be easier...

• Special British Gas £260/yr cheaper 1-year deal, and even existing customers can get it. £876/yr with typical use incl MSE cashback.
  
  This special tariff is not available direct from British Gas, by phone or online. To get it you have to go via a comparison site such as our Cheap Energy Club. Use our special 'Big name suppliers' comparison to see how it compares against other names you've likely heard of (and then use the filters to see whole of market).
  
  - It's dual fuel only, fixed till 31 Mar 19.
  - You'll need to get a smart meter fitted by 31 Jul 18 (if you can and you've not already got one), which helps ensure you only pay for what you use. They can go 'dumb' if you switch again, but it just means you'll need to do meter readings yourself.
  - You'll need to pay by monthly direct debit, have paperless billing and sign up for the free British Gas Rewards scheme.
  - It has £60 early exit fees (but you can take it with you if you move).
  - Existing British Gas customers can also switch, and any exit fees will be waived, plus you'll get cashback.
  
  
• New. Or Ovo, mid-sized firm with TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE for the same price (on average). £875/yr with typical use incl MSE cashback.
  
  Ovo was a top scorer in our latest customer service poll with 80% rating it 'great' (from 511 votes). It's launched a new tariff competing with British Gas. Use our special 'Top customer service' comparison to see how it compares against others with a superb rating (and then use the filters to see whole of market).
  
  - It's for dual-fuel and elec-only custs, incl Eco 7 (go for the online-only version, otherwise it's £60 more).
  - Early exit fees are £30/fuel and it's NOT portable (ie, you can't take it with you if you move - if you do move though, you won't be charged exit fees).
  - Existing Ovo custs can switch to it, but you'll need to go direct to Ovo (so won't get MSE cashback).
  
  You'll likely see a few other smaller firms we've had decent feedback on that could save you even more, including...
  - Avro 1yr fix: £840/yr - it scored 73% 'great' (176 votes)
  - Tonik 1yr fix: £842/yr - it scored 86% 'great' (154 votes)
  
  
• Switching's easy - it takes just 5 mins. It's the same gas, same electricity, same pipes - but at a better price.
  
  No one visits your home, and you don't need to contact your old supplier. The only things that change are price (for the better) and service. You don't even need a bill (we'll guesstimate it for you), but it's more accurate if you have one.
  
  
• Don't want to switch firm? Find YOUR PROVIDER'S cheapest. 
  EVERY Big 6 firm and many other providers have a much cheaper deal than their standard tariff. So while you SHOULD be switching for the best deals, if you won't, at the very least switch tariff with your current provider.
  
  Use our Cheap Energy Club 'My Current Supplier' comparison which filters out all but your existing provider's best tariffs.
  
  
• Want prepay, green tariffs or live in Northern Ireland? You could still switch and save.
  
  

  - Prepay customers: Try our prepay comparison. Savings are smaller, typically £100/yr, but it's still worth doing. For bigger savings see if you can switch to a credit meter. Full help in Cut the cost of prepay energy.

  - Want a green tariff? There are some cheap green tariffs. Do a full Energy Club comparison and from the results, click '100% renewable energy' in the filters.

  - Northern Ireland: No UK comparisons include NI, but see Cheap NI Electricity or the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland's tool.

  Key energy switching info...
  For more, see full Cheap Energy Club FAQs
  
  Q. What info do I need to switch? It's best if you have a bill, and input kilowatt hours (kWh) into Cheap Energy Club, rather than cost. But DON'T WORRY if you don't know your usage - the tool can guesstimate for you. While the answer won't be perfect, it's usually far better than doing nowt.
  
  Q. How does Cheap Energy Club work? It does 3 things:
  1) We compare ALL market tariffs to show your price and saving.
  2) You get £25 dual-fuel cashback (£12.50 single fuel) if we can switch you. It's paid roughly 90 days later.
  3) We check for better deals. You set a 'trigger saving', eg, £150/yr, then we alert you if you can save this by switching again.
  
  Q. Can I still switch with a smart meter? Yes, though it may go 'dumb'. However, there are plans to upgrade the software in these meters to make them smart again. See Smart Meters for more.
  
  Q. Does MSE make money from this? Yes. Like all energy comparison sites, we're paid each time you switch through us, and we give you about half in cashback (money you don't get if you go direct). The rest helps cover our costs and hopefully makes us some profit.
  
  Q. What happens if my supplier goes bust? New rules mean any credit is protected and your energy stays on as you'll be transferred to another supplier. But you could lose any cheap deal you're on.
  
  
  Your most common queries answered...
   
  Q. How come it's put my price up when I'm fixed? The rate's fixed, but your bill depends on usage. See Unfair direct debits.
  Q. How do I find the standing charge and kWh cost? They vary by region, so we display yours in the comparison result.
  Q. Can I pick a date for the switch? No. Providers don't allow this.
  Q. I'm in credit. You'll get your credit back if you switch. See Reclaim credit.
  Q. I'm in energy debt. You can usually switch while in energy debt.
  Q. I've solar panels. You can still switch. See Solar info.
  Q. Is monthly direct debit cheapest? Yes, but do regular meter readings.
  Q. Why do you show a different cost from my bill? Enter kWh and we show the avg each month, yet your direct debit's an estimate so can differ. Direct debit help
  Q. I have an independent gas transporter. You can still switch. See IGT help.