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Energy Best Deal

Energy Best Deal logo

Helping consumers be more energy savvy

Citizens Advice has been working on the Energy Best Deal public awareness campaign with support from the energy regulator Ofgem and major energy companies since 2008. Energy Best Deal has now improved the confidence of over 94,000 domestic energy customers across England and Wales to shop around, reduce their bills and get help if they are falling behind.

Practical presentations are delivered to low income consumers and front-line staff who work with people at risk of fuel poverty. These are delivered by local members of regional financial capability forums, including Citizens Advice Bureaux. Sessions last about 45 minutes and include advice and tips on everything from negotiating with utility suppliers to accessing insulation grants. Information is also provided on where to get further help on things like benefit entitlements.

The 2012 campaign will see over 1,140 sessions delivered by financial capability forum members in England and Wales and at least 140 by Citizens Advice Bureaux in Scotland. The campaign is being funded by British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, npower, ScottishPower; Scottish and Southern Energy and supported by Ofgem.

Energy Best Deal is also now helping people be more savvy energy consumers through a short series of films that we developed with Ofgem.The films provide advice on topics such as dealing with sales people and avoiding disconnection.

Energy Best Deal film on how the campaign is delivered in the community and how it benefits the people that take part

Taking action on energy issues

An independent audience evaluation of the 2011 campaign was conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Energy with funding from Ofgem. The evaluation found that:

Further information

Energy Best Deal materials

Energy Best Deal films

Energy Best Deal films on YouTube - cover shopping around for a better energy deal, energy efficiency, getting help with bills, dealing with sales people, making a complaint and debt and disconnection.

"Deanna is a staff member here at the Foyer. After attending my session in March 2010, she decided that she needed to look around to see if she could save herself money on her energy bills. Deanna researched on the internet and used some of the handouts that she had been given in the session. She was able to swap suppliers for both gas and electricity and her telephone as well. This saved Deanna in excess of £200. She is not tied in for any time and received a £40 voucher off her next bill. Deanna is planning to check again next year."

Delivery partner at Worthing Foyer

"Frontline advice workers were more confident talking about energy matters after sessions, with some now giving advice on this topic to clients for the first time."

Centre for Sustainable Energy, July 2010