How to lower your gas bill

Published on Wednesday 28 July 2010 17:58

SCOTTISH Gas customers have seen the average gas bill fall by 7 per cent this year and it has the cheapest standard tariff on the market, yet most households could make substantial savings by shopping around.

As comparison site The Energy Shop points out, energy suppliers would not be reporting such big profits if more of their customers were on the cheapest tariffs.

The 40 per cent of households paying standard tariffs on receipt of a regular bill can make the biggest savings, as dual-fuel tariffs that are paid by direct debit and managed online tend to be significantly cheaper. Switching to the best online tariff can save the average household over 300 a year.

Direct debit payments also offer protection against inflated post-winter bills as they are based on the supplier's calculation of how much a household uses over the course of a year, with the payments made in equal monthly instalments.

Even households that have switched before can secure a cheaper deal by moving again, provided their last change wasn't in the last year or so.