You expect to have a credit check made on you when you take out a loan or when you finance a new car – but did you know that some energy suppliers run a credit check on new customers too? Energy supplier credit checks are commonplace in the energy industry, and particularly so with the ‘big six’, who are British

If you have been looking for a better energy deal and you have come across an online energy plan, you probably want to know what one is and what – if any – benefits there are to taking one out. Online energy plans are becoming more and more common as utility companies switch away from the traditional energy tariff system.

Whilst many consumers don’t fully understand the issue of water pressure in boilers, they know enough to become concerned when the needle on the dial drops unexpectedly. Loss of water pressure is a symptom that there are problems with your boiler – or more likely, your pipework. Don’t panic. In some cases it is easy to fix yourself. Water pressure

If there’s one thing (cost aside) we all hate about our energy companies, then it’s predicted bills and meter readings. Both introduce an unnecessary level of stress that you really shouldn’t have to deal with when you’re just trying to live your life, and, as it turns out, the energy companies agreed. The last few years have seen the gentle

If your Scottish Power gas card is not working, call Scottish Gas now on 0843 770 5075 to top up your gas meter on the telephone or to order a new card. Let’s face it, our energy supplier isn’t one of the things we like to think about. In an ideal world, we’d get set up and never have to engage

The term ‘renewable energy’ is an all-encompassing term which describes energy that is not finite. The majority of our energy needs on earth right now are met by non-renewable sources, such as fossil fuels. Oil, coal and gas are all products of millions of years of biological decomposition; they are not infinite, and will eventually run out. Even nuclear power

Thinking of changing energy supplier? Find out how to switch with our handy guide with everything you need to know – and don’t worry, there’s nothing complicated about it! The rising cost of energy is enough to make even the most financially secure households worry – and there’s no shame in seeking a cheaper, fairer deal. We’ll kick-start our guide

Your energy supplier has to send you notice of your energy tariff ending 42-49 days before the end of your plan in accordance with Ofgem regulations. So you should be given ample time to make a decision about what to do next. If your tariff is ending soon and you have received no notice from your supplier, then you should

The next generation of switching services for your energy supply is on the horizon, bringing us new ways to find better deals and make timely switches in order to save money. These new ‘smart switching’ companies claim millions of UK consumers could save hundreds of pounds through using their service, but will they really work? What is smart switching? Smart

British Gas Boiler IQ is a sensor pack that detects when a boiler stops heating your radiators or generating hot water. Boiler IQ is monitored in real-time by British Gas engineers, who can alert you should your boiler experience any faults, so that any necessary fix can be booked in. Boiler IQ is available to British Gas customers who have

Smart meters are well publicised by energy suppliers at the moment, but what are smart meters? How do they work? Why should you even care? In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about smart meters – with information on how to get one. Our relationship with energy has for too long been one-sided. We’ve relied on basic

Life can be incredibly expensive. Between food, bills, our housing and whatever else might suddenly spring itself on us, our monthly wage can be stretched pretty thin. As such, when it comes to the end of the month, you might well be wondering “what can I do if I can’t pay my energy bill?” Well, the first thing you should

If you have overcharged energy bills, there’s no need to worry – hundreds of thousands of people are overcharged every year by their supplier, and every one of those people are refunded the full amount or have their account in credit. In this article, we will explain what you can do to avoid overcharging and what to do if you

Are British Gas boilers expensive? We recently received a question from a lady named Emma Wilkinson, who wanted to know whether a quote she received from British Gas for a new boiler was value for money. The question was as follows: “Hi ECN, I have been quoted £4,000 for a boiler from British Gas. The quote is for the supply

Economy 7 is a type of energy tariff that offers different pricing options for electricity depending on the time of day or night. This type of tariff functions in a similar way to peak and off-peak phone calls. All electricity that is used during the night time hours has a lower price. Why Economy 7? The reason that this tariff