Back in the good old days, on your way to purchasing properties all over London, you could snap up whole utility companies for next to nothing and then hike up rents for anyone stupid enough to park their boot on your property! Things aren’t so simple now though. Monopoly was created years ago.
Water
There are 20 companies that supply water to homes and businesses across England and Wales. Wherever you live, these are unchangeable- so you have no choice which you have. What you can do, though, is choose between getting a water meter or using the “water bills” system, which tags your water rate to the value of your house. Yes, that’s right. Unless it is impossible to do so, it might save you some money each year to get a meter fitted- info on doing so can be found here: www.ccwater.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.388
Gas and Electricity
There is now plenty of competition amongst gas suppliers and it pays to shop around. There are plenty of comparison sites that will run checks for you and estimate savings, and, you can switch provider to find a cheaper deal. You could save £hundreds a year. There are often periods when prices alter somewhat, and this is a good time to investigate a provider switch. It really is no hassle to do and is arranged and done by the company fairly problem free. The largest companies are British Gas, E.ON, EDF, nPower, Scottish and Southern Electric and Scottish Power.
Many gas suppliers also offer electricity packages too. Don’t automatically assume, though, that if you buy them together they will necessarily cheaper. Again, as always, shop around and check who really is cheaper. Take a look at www.moneysupermarket.com , www.uswitch.com and www.energyhelpline.com for comparisons and advice.