To pay less for your gas and electricity, you need to switch providers regularly. You can do this even if you have a pre-payment (key) meter.

If you don’t switch regularly, you are probably paying too much – especially if you get energy from one of the ‘big six’ companies: British Gas, EDF Energy, npower, E.ON UK, Scottish Power, SSE.

You will need your last energy bill to make a switch. Your bill shows how much energy you use and how much you pay at the moment.

There are several ways to compare energy providers.

• Check out My Home Energy or phone 0800 0014 706 This is a scheme for social housing tenants run by the National Housing Federation in partnership with Green Star.
• Use a comparison website, such as confused.com, gocompare.com or moneysupermarket.com 
• Join a free automatic switching service like Switchcraft. 
• Join the MoneySavingExpert Cheap Energy Club. 

The Cheap Energy Club was set up by TV journalist Martin Lewis and now has more than three million members.

After registering for free, you can use the website tools to look at what you are paying, find which suppliers are cheapest and start the switch process.

The club automatically emails to tell you when your tariff is no longer cheap, or when it is time to switch again because your deal is over.

When you sign up with a new supplier, they contact your old supplier for you. The switch will normally be completed within three weeks. Your old supplier will send you a final bill and should refund any money they owe you. (It’s a good idea to check they do this.)

Call the office on 020 8985 7120 if you need help, or to book an appointment to use our dedicated work station.