Shopping around for the best deal has become very challenging in recent years. Whilst it is pointless for your energy bills at the moment, as all the providers are hitting the price cap, there are still many things that you can do:
- Many providers particularly in technology and insurance slowly increase prices over time, which is call ‘price staircasing’, which exploits clients who either refuse to move or cannot move to another supplier. If you are unable to shop around for a better utility deal for example, simply call them to either express dissatisfaction and threaten to cancel and 9/10 times, they will offer a discount to retain your business. Tread with caution however, this doesn’t always work and be prepared to actually cancel if they won’t budge.
- Use comparison websites. Looking for cheaper prices for comparable service can make a big difference. Make sure you use 2 comparison websites because they may yield different results. Also ensure they display all prices, some will have an option that hides all deals that they cannot can facilitate a switch for.
