The secret to picking a cheap energy firm from lots of providers you've never heard of

Are you one of millions burning £20 notes to heat your home? 

It's shocking. Millions are rolling up bundles of £20 notes and setting them alight to keep warm - or at least they may as well be - with 60% of homes sticking to Big 6 standard energy tariffs which typically means overpaying by £300/year. 

Some are put off switching by fear, others laziness, and some because there are so many new firms they've never heard of, choosing is a nightmare. So with temperatures dropping I want to show you 3 STEPS to pay less for your energy. And here's why...

Helen tweeted: "@MartinSLewis Just 5 mins' work and managed to save my 73-year-old mum £531/yr on her energy bills. I'm a good daughter." 

And Carrie topped that: "Thanks @MartinSLewis - by comparing energy, I've just saved £50/mth [£600/yr] switching tariffs."

Whether you pay by direct debit, bills or prepay your cheapest depends on your location and usage. To find it, spend 5ish mins on our Cheap Energy Club comparison site (sadly not for those in NI).

Unlike many comparison sites these days, it shows you the WHOLE of the market by default - many others hide all those that don't pay 'em. 

- It's best if you have your bills to hand. Then look at them to find the kilowatt hours used - if not just do it by your cost.

- Don't have your bills? Cheap Energy Club will estimate for you. The answer isn't perfect but the sin of doing nowt and overpaying £100s is far greater than at least getting a better deal.

I'm always surprised by how many tell me switching is complex. So to learn why, I've observed people doing it at my TV roadshows - I think for most the problem isn't doing a comparison, it's picking a winner.

The cheapest tariffs are dominated by names few know, trying to build a customer base. Yet the service feedback on these firms is often limited or poor, as they can't handle the number of customers flooding in.

So the simple solution is JUST SCROLL DOWN to a name you know, or one with a good customer service rating. Many can scroll down a page and still find they're saving £100s. Here's a quick reference to some of the current top-pick options, then I'll explain them in more detail.

Most people's cheapest will be a small unknown provider. For regular confident switchers there's nowt wrong with going for this, yet if that scares you, let me run through some other options...

• Cheap top service: Bulb - and it'll pay any exit fees for you. Save typically £300/yr. You can use our Cheap Energy Club 'Top Service Only' comparison (which factors in cashback) to easily filter out all but firms with top service.
  
  Your likely winner, Bulb Energy, is near market-cheapest for many, with a 95% 'great' service rating (295 votes) and an unbeaten 9.8/10 on the Trustpilot website (3,930 reviews).
  
  Yet unlike most cheap deals, its rate's variable, not fixed - though its only 2017 price moves have been two cuts and it has no early exit penalties, so you can leave for free. Yet it'd need to raise prices 30+% before it'll be costlier than a Big 6 tariff and current predictions are IF the market's up this winter it'll only be a small rise. Quick facts if they rise...
  
  - It pays any early exit fees for you. If you're leaving a provider with these fees, Bulb will pay them for you by crediting up to £120 to your account once you've switched.
  
  - It's a green tariff too. 100% of Bulb's electricity comes from renewable sources, as does 10% of its gas.
  
  - You get £25 MSE dual-fuel cashback. Like many tariffs, switch via our Cheap Energy Club and you get £25 cashback that you don't get direct.
  
  - Or get £50 if you know a friend on Bulb. If a Bulb customer refers you, they get £50 and you get £50 bill credit (but obviously you can't then apply through Cheap Energy Club). This was higher a couple of weeks ago as a one-off - we covered it then.
   
• Cheapest 1yr fix with good feedback. Save typically £280/yr. Scroll down in that same 'Top Service Only' comparison, and you'll likely next find Avro Energy, typically another £20/yr more.
  
  The difference compared to Bulb is that the rate is fixed for a year, so you get peace of mind it can't rise in that time - but it can't fall either. Again there are no early exit fees. It got 73% 'great' (176 votes) in our latest service poll.
   
• Cheapest name you (probably) know. Save typically £260/yr. You can use our Cheap Energy Club 'Big Name Suppliers' comparison (which factors in cashback) to filter out all but big name deals.
  
  For most, First Utility will win. On typical usage it's £873/yr (incl MSE cashback). It has a 60% 'great' service record in our latest poll (225 votes). You'll need to get a free smart meter installed as part of this deal and it has £30/fuel early exit penalties.
  
  The likely cheapest Big 6 deal is E.on at £904/yr on typical usage (incl MSE cashback). It also has £30/fuel early exit penalties, but only a 36% 'great' rating (347 votes).
   
• Don't want to switch supplier? You can still save. Many people ask me questions such as "I'm with British Gas -  is it cheap?" Well, what you pay depends on which of a firm's tariffs you are on.
  
  For example, the British Gas standard tariff for someone with typical usage is £1,101/yr – yet right now it has an online tariff at £970/yr (incl MSE cashback).
  
  So if you won't switch firm, at least ensure you're on its cheapest tariff - all of them have cheaper deals than standard.
  
  Which is your firm's cheapest tariff for you depends on your usage and where you live. Our Cheap Energy Club 'My Current Supplier' comparison filters out all but your existing provider's tariffs (and sometimes there's the £25 MSE cashback). Or just call them and ask.

Don't worry, this is no biggie. The new firm will handle the switchover - you even give it your final meter reading and it passes it across to your old supplier.

When you switch it's the same pipes, gas, electricity and safety, and you don't lose supply. The only difference is price and customer service. No one needs to come to your home, unless you're having a smart meter fitted. Here are some common issues...

- I'm in credit with my current supplier, what happens when I leave? After you've given your final meter reading, you should be paid it. If it forgets (rare these days) chase 'em up.

- Will I be credit-scored? Often on direct debit you will, but it's not strict and most get through. If you fail, the energy company may ask you to put up say £200 as surety, but you can always stop the process then.

- Why's my direct debit gone up if it's meant to be cheaper? Your new supplier may be estimating your usage at a higher level. If you think it's unfair (eg, as you're usually in credit) just ask it to drop it. 

- What happens if my small supplier goes bust after I switch to it? Newish rules mean your energy stays on, you'll be transferred to a new supplier (but poss at a different price) and your credit is protected. 

- Does MSE make money when I switch? Yes. Like all energy comparison sites, we're paid by the firms we can switch you to. When that happens we give you about half in cashback (that you don't get if you go direct). See MSE Jason's blog.

Q. Is an MSE collective switch due soon? We tried but couldn't get a deal we thought good enough this time. We'll try again in Jan.
Q. I'm on prepay, can I switch? Yes, try our Prepay comparison - savings are smaller, typically about £50+/yr.
Q. Should I get a smart meter? Usually yes. They give accurate bills and you needn't read the meter. Yet cross-firm compatibility problems mean if you switch again they may go 'dumb'. See Smart Meters for more.
Q. Want a green tariff? We've a filter for that. Do an Energy Club comparison and click '100% renewable' in the options.
Q. I'm in energy debt - can I switch? You can usually still switch. See Switching in debt.
Q. And what if I've solar panels? You can still switch. The feed in tariff's unaffected - you choose if you want to move it to the new supplier. See Solar/FIT info.
Q. Is monthly direct debit cheapest? Yes, but do regular meter readings.