Gas & Electricity - big 6 or small supplier?

madpiano

I have been looking at my bills and something needs to be done as they are getting too high. So I have been having a look on the comparison sites, but they only seem to cover the Big6? I don't see any of the smaller suppliers on there. So it is going to be quite a slog comparing prices.

Has anyone here got a list of all the smaller suppliers and are they worth it? I did find some, but saved the links on my PC and my PC is broken...so if anyone could help out with a list that would be great.
At the moment I pay £55/month electric and £80/month Gas, which seems rather a lot for a mid terrace 2 bed house with 2 people who are at work/school most of the day. I am in the South East though and have figured out that for some reason that's the most expensive region for electricity. Seeboard seems to charge a fortune to the suppliers.

Farway

No links, but before using comparison sites get away from cost per month & use Kilowatts per year, that way you will get a more accurate comparison

madpiano

I am comparing kw per year. But considering I don't get paid annually, I do need to see how that breaks down monthly. But I would really like to see how the smaller companies compare. Especially as there are quite a couple which don't have standing charges or different unit prices.

WhiteHorse

It's not just about price. The standard of service is very important too. It may be cheaper, but if they keep screwing up and the telephones are never answered, is it worth it?

Premier_2

madpiano wrote: »

... So I have been having a look on the comparison sites, but they only seem to cover the Big6? I don't see any of the smaller suppliers on there. ...

Keep looking. All the suppliers, big or small, are on the approved comparison sites.

madpiano

I am with EDF at the moment. Doesn't sound much different? Well at least the phones never being answered (love their web chat though).

Does using a small supplier automatically mean bad service? I can't believe that. But if there is one specifically you had bad experience with, could you let me know?

Online Price Checkers say my cheapest supplier (electricity only) would British Gas. But it works out about £2 cheaper a month as the best EDF traiff, which would make me reluctant to switch.

Premier_2

WhiteHorse wrote: »

It's not just about price. The standard of service is very important too. It may be cheaper, but if they keep screwing up and the telephones are never answered, is it worth it?

Most/all of the comparison sites offer advice on customer service levels.
Take a look, you may be pleasently surprised
The smaller companies may not be able to compete with the big boys on price, so they need to compete on something. Often it's easier for a small company to offer higher levels of customer service that the big companies.