BG new offers - Any advice Please

firsttimeever

Hi all.

Firstly I know very little about energy costs and am seeking advice. My question. I am currently on a fixed with British Gas on £175 per month. My deal ends at the end of August and I am in credit to around £120.

I have been given two new offers from September 1st 2026. A fixed rate at £ 205 per month or variable at £206.

Am I right in thinking overall engery prices is going up £ 30 per month or £ 360 a year? And would you fix or stay variable?. Is there better deals?.

Many Thanks

debitcardmayhem

Have a look here https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub/

and also uswitchand other comparisons.

WiserMiser

With respect, you're doing it all wrong. Stop thinking in DD ££, start thinking in kWh.

For each fuel, find two recent meter readings 12 months apart (Actual, Customer, Meter reader or Smart, but not Estimated) and work out your annual kWh consumption. Remember to convert the gas volume (ft3 or m3) to kWh depending whether your meter is imperial or metric.

Then use the Cheap Energy Club and a few accredited price comparison sites (scroll down halfway) to get some quotations, ignoring any 'Save £xx' claims. Make sure you select the Whole of the Market, not just the more expensive suppliers that pay commission; the option to show this is often well hidden. Polish your crystal ball, then choose whether you want the certainty of a fixed term contract for a year or two, or prefer to gamble with a variable rate tariff that can rise or fall at any time. Remember to include the standing charges and the 5% VAT, noting that VAT on electricity bills will be zero-rated from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Finally, note that separate suppliers can sometimes be cheaper than Dual Fuel, and try to avoid suppliers with poor ratings.

firsttimeever

With Respect and Thank you WiserMiser. I am not very I. T efficient and wouldn't know were to begin. I suppose I am taking a liberty and expecting people to help me. Last week a mate of mine at to book a bus ride online because I didn't know how to download a app or even register my bank details.

I suppose what I'm seeking is this. Is their an expectation that both variable and fixed rate deals will increase by £200-300 in the next year?. And is there big savings around anymore?. I was told on the building site ' You be lucky to save £50 quid a year with anyone anymore mate! '.

WiserMiser

>"I suppose I am taking a liberty and expecting people to help me." Absolutely not, that's what the forum is for ! People are more than happy to help if they can, always feel free to ask. Incidentally, if you're not very competent with IT you may find an appointment with Citizens Advice can help, e.g. they can probably talk you through a phone or laptop problem. Similarly, there may well also be some IT courses for which you can enrol, often cheap or maybe even free.

There aren't the big energy savings that used to be available. I switched umpteen times, just like everyone else, but they savings were often illusory. Too many small companies such as Avro didn't have sufficient capital and experience, signing up customers at very low prices expecting and hoping to buy energy cheaply as and when they needed it to meet the demand to which they were committed. When wholesale prices rose they were caught out and around 30 went bust.

Now we have mostly just the big boys so prices don't vary so much. This recent article may may make things clearer.

firsttimeever

Wisermiser

Thank you for this reply. I have PM you to seek guidance on this matter. Many Thanks

TroubledTarts

It is such a shame that bill management, specifically energy management ang it's intricacies is not a subject in schools.

Is there someone you know that can help you with this as otherwise it would involve uploading bills, redacting personal information and talking about meter readings and more which from your replies might be a stretch too far?

With your fix offered by British gas can you at least see the price per kWh for electricity and gas if you have itm

Currently the cheapest fixed rates appear to be with fuse energy so look at what BG are offering you compared to the rates with fuse energy.

firsttimeever

It's made difficult by powers and institutions which average people like me don't understand. There are millions of us who don't know what we are doing. I'll give you an example.

I asked various people to give me a list of questions to my energy supplier to access information needed. The advice I was given " don't do that it will complicate things".

I'm making myself vulnerable by admitting I don't understand the process. Millions don't ask for help and enter into contracts unaware or unsure.

I manage all my household bills and various insurances and fully understand the process. When it comes to energy I am totally at a loss!.

I am thankful to this forum and the help and advice offered.

bristolleedsfan

In reply to O/P specific question. -

"Am I right in thinking overall energy prices is going up £ 30 per month or £ 360 a year? And would you fix or stay variable."

If you scroll down to "Our price cap predictions" you will see EDF current price cap prediction

https://www.edfenergy.com/gas-and-electricity/price-cap-predictions

QrizB

The reason I'm seeking help is this time my estimated fix rate is up £30 per month or £360 a year.

And the problem we've all got when trying to help you is that it all depends on how much energy you use.

If you only use a tiny amount of energy in a year, a £360 per year increase would be a lot. If you use a huge amount, £360 per year would be quite low.

Hopefully your messages with to @WiserMiser have been helpful, but if you need further assistance it would be good to know how much energy per year you use.

Your energy company will have calculated this and it will be shown on your bill as your "estimated annual consumption" or a similar name. If BG's guide to understanding their bills is correct, it will be shown in the "about your energy tariff" section of the bill.

If you can check your most recent bill for those figures (separate ones for electricity and gas) it will help us help you.

firsttimeever

' The problem' all I'm doing is asking for help and advice. Let's leave it now. I will talk to WiserMan. I happy to come off a general debate and talk personally to him. Let's hope others respect this too!