Switching your energy provider can save you money, but many people are put off because they think it’s a hassle. So are automatic energy switching apps and sites the answer? Find out about energy auto switching sites.
Automatic energy switching sites – how do they work?
Energy automatic switching sites monitor the energy market and use computer algorithms to find the best energy deal for you. Gas and electricity providers often lure you in with cheaper deals, only to hike-up the prices after you have signed up. What these switching sites are designed to do is ensure that you are always on the best tariff. They will either switch you – or let you know that there’s a cheaper deal available – when these prices hikes occur.
SAVVY WARNING!: Be aware that some switching sites will end the contract you have with your existing energy supplier early in order to get you onto a better deal. This means that you could end up being charged early exit fees.
We’ve looked at five energy automatic switching sites. This is what we found (in alphabetical order):
Flipper
Flipper says that their customers save on average £385 per year. They don’t take commission from any suppliers, which they say means they are genuinely impartial. And they don’t share or sell your data.
How does it work? You need to sign up to Flipper and activate your account. Flipper then uses data from your previous energy bills to find the best deal for your energy usage. They search the market according to your preferences about suppliers and how you want to pay.
SAVVY TIP: Flipper won’t flip you to a provider that doesn’t meet their six minimum requirements for service. You can find these requirements on their website. They also can’t switch you if you’re on a prepayment meter. If you are signed up to the Warm Home Discount Scheme then they’ll take the amount you get into account when comparing tariffs for you, but they can’t filter their new supplier search to find one that’s signed up to the scheme. This means you’ll have to do your own research and find out how to claim the Warm Home Discount, yourself. You can find out about which meters and tariffs Flipper can switch you with, on the website.
Flipper will then set up an online account with your new supplier, so you can submit meter readings and manage your bills. If there’s any issue with your switch process, they’ll resolve it for you. You will need to submit opening meter readings to Flipper, which they will pass on to your new supplier. You may also need to contact your old supplier to ask them to stop your Direct Debit.
Flipper check every month to make sure you’re still on the best deal. If they find you a better deal – that will save you £50 or more – they’ll flip you again.
How much does it cost? There are no upfront fees with Flipper. It’s free to use, until your first saving of £50. Then it costs £2.08 per month (charged annually at £25).
SAVVY TIP: Flipper told us that when they run searches on the market, they take any exit fees into consideration. So Flipper would have to save £50 minimum plus your exit fees to be able to flip you.
Trustpilot rating: Flipper is rated 5 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
Look After My Bills (LAMB)
Five Dragons’ Den investors backed Look After My Bills in August 2020.
How does it work?
Look After My Bills says their aim is to keep you on a fair deal forever. This may not necessarily be the very cheapest deal, but that’s because LAMB says that they only work with suppliers who value their customers and are committed to improving their customer service. They will only switch you if they can save you at least £50, or £15 if you have a prepayment meter.
You can sign up once in two minutes with just a small amount of information. They will keep your data so you won’t need to fill in forms again. They will find you a deal, switch you to it and then when your deal ends, they’ll switch you again.
How much does it cost? Free. LAMB makes money by taking a commission from the energy companies that they switch you to. However, they take the same amount of commission whichever the energy company, so this should mean that they are impartial.
Trustpilot rating: Look after my bills is rated 4 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
Money Saving Expert (MSE) Cheap Energy Club
The MSE Cheap Energy Club is a little different to the other automatic switching sites. They won’t automatically switch you to a better deal, but will let you know if you could get a better deal and help you to switch to it.
How does it work? You need to sign up to the MSE Cheap Energy Club online. You’ll be asked to submit details such as your address, what type of energy you have, what supplier you are with, and if you know how much energy you use.
Using this data, MSE will then do a full market energy comparison. They will be able to see if you’re overpaying on your current deal. If you’re overpaying, they will help you switch. MSE constantly monitors the market and will email you if you can save money.
MSE says that if you “can’t be bothered to switch for a £20 saving”, you can tell them what you will switch for and they’ll only email you when you can save that amount.
SAVVY TIP: If you switch, MSE will give you cashback of up to £25 for a dual-fuel switch and £12.50 for single fuel. You’ll get this money two to three months after the day you applied to switch.
How much does it cost? Free. MSE makes money from some suppliers that pay comparisons and collective schemes. They give roughly half of this back as cashback. MSE says the rest pays for data and switch suppliers, the team who work on it, and some profit.
Trustpilot rating: The MSE Cheap Energy Club is not rated on Trustpilot.
Switchcraft says that their customers save up to £518 a year.
How does it work? It takes two minutes to sign up online and you don’t need your bill to hand. They support all types of energy meter including Economy 7 and prepayment. When your new plan ends, their technology will switch you again and email you the details. If you don’t like the deal, you can easily cancel. Switchcraft says that they’ll always switch you at the right moment, so you’ll never have to pay exit fees.
How much does it cost? Free. Switchcraft says they “may receive referral fees from suppliers, but the amount of such fees does not influence the way we carry out the service.”
Trustpilot rating: Switchcraft is not rated on Trustpilot. It is rated 4.6 out of 5 on Feefo.
The price comparison website GoCompare launched Weflip in October 2020.
How does it work? Weflip will ask you to submit details, such as your address, who your current supplier is, and how much energy you use. You only need to submit this information once – they’ll use the same data the next time. Weflip will tell you how much you can save and you pick your first flip.
Weflip will then contact the suppliers and let them know you’ll be moving to your new deal. They will keep looking for better deals and when they find one that could save you at least £50 a year, they will flip you again.
SAVVY WARNING! If you end your contract with a supplier early as a result of a flip, you may be charged early exit fees.
How much does it cost? Free. Weflip generates revenue by charging your new provider a commission.
Trustpilot rating: Weflip is yet to be rated on Trustpilot or on Feefo.
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