Guidance would be appreciated: first-time as named bill payer for energy

pollenpath

I've just taken the tenancy on a 2-bedroom flat which I'll be occupying as a single person. I won't be heating the 2nd bedroom at all and won't be heating the living room much of the time. The previous tenant didn't leave any info regarding who their supplier was and isn't contactable. I've taken meter readings and neither of them are pre-payment meters, which suits me fine. On the other hand, I've been lodging for years and don't have any utility accounts to move or switch and have no idea how to go about doing this. I wouldn't really know where to start identifying the best tariff and I also want to pay regularly calculated bills based on my readings rather than be on direct debit, I've heard far too many horror stories about abusive practices by energy companies and people having money taken off them willy nilly and having to fight to get it back.

It's very important I get these meter readings to a new supplier asap so I can relax! Any advice on who's offering the best tariffs at the moment would be really welcome, and how possible it is to get monthly or quarterly bills as opposed to DD. My mum doesn't even use the internet and pays quarterly bills still and she gets by pretty well, doesn't get horrendous bills, although she only has electric whereas my flat is dual fuel (water, heating and cooking are gas).

Cheers everyone

GwylimT

The estate agent or landlord will be able to tell you who the current providers are, you will firstly need to register with the current providers and explain you are the new tenant and give meter readings. After this if you wish to change to a different provider you can do.

victor2

You'll find the best tariffs require that you pay by monthly DD, as many suppliers offer an extra discount for that payment method.
Also, as you don't know what your annual usage is likely to be, the comparison sites are going to involve a bit of guesswork. uSwitch, for example, does let you specify the type of property and heating, cooking appliances to estimate a typical level of energy usage though.
Once you find who the current supplier is, see what tariff you are on and what the billing setup is.
Use a comparison site to point you in the right direction, then look at the companies suggested own websites and see what their tariffs would be without monthly DD.
With your set up, the electricity usage is likely to be pretty constant throughout the year, especially if you've got energy efficient lighting. Gas usage will of course vary tremendously with the seasons though.
If you do look for a new tariff, consider one with no exit penalty, so it wil cost you nothing to change later on if you find it isn't suitable for you.