Looking to switch from Utility Warehouse but finding it so confusing...

CrarftyCrikey

We currently are on the Double Gold Tariff for energy (Gas and Electricity), Value1800 Pay Monthly for Mobile and then broadband and landline (with a 10% discount because of the Gold Tariff). Our bills vary monthly between £150 and £170 mostly depending on the amount of cashback I manage to get, the landline calls and broadband bill vary also. 
We are not tied to UW anymore, as our initial 2 years contract has now expired. 
Anyways... Whilst we switched because having everything bundled in one bill was so much easier, switching to other suppliers now seems too daunting and confusing and I just cannot tell if I'll be saving money or not! 
If any of you have switched recently could you please let me know how your experience went? 
I'd also would like to know,... where do I start with the switch, or how can I compare tariffs? I don't find the UW bill particularly clear, between the actual tariff, the budget, the discounts, etc,... The part that eludes me the most is the broadband and landline phone bit... So where do I start?
Thanks!  

Robin9

Do one thing at a time - I did the gas, then electric then the phone/broadband.   The bills will quote a unit rate for gas and electric and you know the number of units involved (hoping you've been taking monthly meter readings)  

Gerry1

You need to establish your annual usage in kWh from actual meter readings (never estimates) and then start comparing the annual costs of those kWh starting with Citizens Advice and 'Switch with Which?'.  Separate suppliers are often cheaper.

For electricity, usage is just the difference in the meter readings.  For gas, add up the kWh amounts from a year's worth of bills or convert the difference in meter reading volumes to kWh here.

Citizens Advice lists many suppliers' customer service ratings, and there are feedback thread on this forum.

Never compare DD amounts because they only represent a top up of a kitty that may or may not prove to be sufficient to pay the bills.  It's never an All You Can Eat tariff, so make sure you send monthly meter readings and check the bills.

Never use a service that switches you automatically, always do it yourself.  Ignore all projections and claims about savings, just compare total annual costs.

CrarftyCrikey

@Robin9 Thank you for that. Unfortunately no meter readings taken - I guess I have what's on my bills (I think). The reason for that is because since the smart meter was install both the electric and gas meters displays have been blank - I am talking about the ones on the wall. The smart meter only wants to display the gas consumption... I have kind of given up on it to be fair on trying to get it sorted...  

Gerry1

CrarftyCrikey said:

both the electric and gas meters displays have been blank - I am talking about the ones on the wall. The smart meter only wants to display the gas consumption... I have kind of given up on it to be fair on trying to get it sorted...  

Yes, smart meters are unfriendly things and will be blank until you've woken them up by pressing the relevant buttons.  Just post photos of them or tell us the model numbers and someone will tell you how to read them.  For gas, the figure you want is m3 not kWh because the supplier will do the conversion to kWh.