Is it worth switching energy supplier right now?

It depends on your current tariff versus the best available deals. Use our comparison and 'should I switch?' tools to see whether a fixed or better variable deal would save you money today.

How long does switching energy supplier take?

A switch typically completes within five working days, and there's a 14-day cooling-off period. Your supply is never interrupted — the same gas and electricity flow into your home.

Are there exit fees for switching?

Some fixed tariffs charge exit fees of around £30–£60 per fuel if you leave early. Variable and rolling tariffs usually have none. Always check before switching.

Will switching supplier interrupt my supply?

No. Switching only changes who bills you; the physical gas and electricity supply continues uninterrupted with no work needed at your home.

Should I choose a fixed or variable tariff?

Fixed tariffs lock your unit rates and protect against rises; variable tariffs follow the market and can fall. If prices are expected to drop, variable can win, but it carries more risk.

Energy Indexes Methodology

Data quality standards

Every published statistic records its source organisation, source URL, source publication date, the date PowerGuardian retrieved or entered the data, the reporting period, the calculation used, and whether the figure is measured, published, estimated or modelled.

Treatment of missing data

Where data is missing, we flag it rather than guessing. Entries with insufficient evidence receive a lower data confidence rating or are excluded from ranking until enough verified information is available. We never present simulated or placeholder values as real data.

Review procedures

Before any index is published we confirm that real data has been entered, sources are visible, dates are correct, calculations have been tested, mobile layouts work, empty states are handled and demonstration values have been removed.

Correction policy

We do not silently alter historical results. Material corrections are recorded in the public corrections log with what changed, why, and whether rankings or conclusions were affected.

Commercial independence policy

PowerGuardian indexes are produced independently. Commercial relationships, affiliate links or advertising arrangements do not determine index scores or ranking positions.

Affiliate disclosure policy

PowerGuardian may earn affiliate commission from some links elsewhere on the site. Commission, sponsorship and advertising spend never influence index scores or ranking positions, and any commercial relationship associated with a ranked organisation or product is disclosed on the relevant page.

Methodology by index

Standing Charge Tracker

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Update frequency: Monthly and at every price cap change

Purpose: Standing charges are the fixed daily amount you pay for gas and electricity before using a single unit of energy. This tracker follows how those charges change over time across Great Britain's electricity regions, so households can see who pays the most simply for being connected.

Standing charges are recorded per electricity distribution region using published price cap component figures and supplier standard-variable tariff data.

Annual cost is calculated as daily standing charge × 365 days. Leap years are still compared on a 365-day basis so month-to-month and year-to-year comparisons stay consistent; this is stated on every chart.

The share of a typical annual bill attributable to standing charges is calculated against Ofgem's typical domestic consumption values.

Inclusion & exclusion safeguards

Alerts are flagged for new record highs, largest monthly increases, largest regional differences and price cap updates.
No supplier pays for placement or preferential treatment in this tracker.

Limitations

Standing charges vary by supplier, tariff and payment method — regional figures represent a standard-variable benchmark, not every household's exact charge.
Prepayment and on-receipt charges can differ from direct debit; use the payment-method filter where data is available.

Fixed Tariff Availability Index

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Update frequency: Weekly where data supports it, otherwise monthly

Purpose: When lots of competitive fixed deals are on the market, households have more chance to lock in savings; when the market thins out, switching offers little benefit. This index scores the availability and attractiveness of UK domestic fixed tariffs out of 100.

Each period counts genuinely available fixed tariffs, the number of participating suppliers, average term length, average exit fee and average estimated annual cost against the current price cap benchmark.

The availability score out of 100 combines the weighted factors shown below. Duplicate versions of an effectively identical tariff are not counted as separate meaningful choices unless a real difference is explained.

Estimated annual cost uses Ofgem typical domestic consumption for a like-for-like comparison against the price cap.

Category weightings

Number of genuinely available tariffs25%
Supplier diversity20%
Price competitiveness20%
Contract flexibility15%
Exit fees10%
Specialist tariff availability (green, EV)10%

Limitations

Tariffs can change or be withdrawn quickly. Always confirm current prices, eligibility and terms directly with the supplier before switching.
Availability can vary by region and payment method; the headline score reflects the national picture.

Supplier Trust Index

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Update frequency: Monthly

Purpose: The Supplier Trust Index ranks UK domestic energy suppliers using a transparent blend of complaint performance, customer service, tariff value, billing fairness, consumer transparency and market stability. Every supplier must meet a minimum evidence threshold before a full ranking is assigned; those with thinner data are flagged with a lower confidence rating rather than penalised silently.

Each supplier is scored across eight weighted categories using published complaints data, service metrics and verified performance evidence.

A minimum evidence threshold must be met before a supplier receives a full ranking. Suppliers with small customer bases or missing data are clearly flagged rather than penalised silently.

Category weightings

Complaint performance25%
Tariff value & competitiveness20%
Customer service20%
Billing & direct debit fairness15%
Consumer transparency10%
Market stability10%

Inclusion & exclusion safeguards

Minimum evidence threshold before a full ranking is assigned.
Clear handling of missing data and small customer bases.
No paid placement anywhere in the index.

Limitations

No ranking is based solely on unverified customer reviews.
Newer or smaller suppliers may carry a lower data confidence rating until enough evidence is available.

Regional Energy Cost Index

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Update frequency: Monthly, or whenever regulated rates materially change

Purpose: Where you live changes what you pay. This index compares estimated household energy costs across Great Britain's electricity and gas regions using regional unit rates, standing charges and typical consumption. Northern Ireland is treated separately because its market and regulation differ.

Regional bills combine each region's electricity and gas unit rates and standing charges with typical domestic consumption. A postcode is mapped to its electricity distribution region.

Postcode alone does not determine a household's exact tariff — supplier, payment method, meter type, tariff and usage all affect the final cost. This is stated clearly on the page.

Limitations

Estimates use typical consumption; your actual bill depends on your usage, tariff and supplier.
Northern Ireland is reported separately from Great Britain.

Heat Pump Running Cost Index

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Update frequency: Monthly and after major tariff changes

Purpose: Heat pump running costs depend on your home, tariff and system efficiency. This index estimates and tracks running costs across representative UK home profiles using real electricity tariffs, regional rates and seasonal efficiency assumptions you can edit.

Estimated electricity consumption = annual heat demand ÷ seasonal performance factor (SCOP). Running cost = electricity consumption × applicable tariff rates + any relevant fixed costs.

No single universal efficiency figure is used. Each benchmark home profile has its own assumptions, all clearly labelled and editable, with best-case and cautious-case ranges shown.

Limitations

Estimates are modelled, not measured. Real running costs depend on installation quality, controls and household behaviour.
Assumptions are shown for every profile so results can be checked and adjusted.

Home Energy Score

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Update frequency: Continuous — recalculated from your My PowerGuardian profile

Purpose: The Home Energy Score rates your household's energy performance out of 100 against genuinely similar UK homes — matched on region, property type, size, age and heating — rather than against a meaningless universal average. It connects directly to your My PowerGuardian profile and Savings Dashboard.

Your home is benchmarked against similar homes matched on region, property type, bedrooms, floor area, age, EPC rating, heating type, consumption and occupancy.

Confidence levels (high, moderate or indicative) depend on how much verified information you have supplied. False precision is avoided where information is incomplete.

Results are saved inside My PowerGuardian so you never have to re-enter the same details.

Category weightings

Energy consumption efficiency30%
Heating efficiency20%
Building efficiency20%
Tariff suitability10%
Low-carbon technology10%
Energy management & monitoring10%

Limitations

An indicative estimate is shown until enough verified profile information is supplied.
The score reflects the data you provide — completing your My PowerGuardian profile improves accuracy.

PowerGuardian 100

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Update frequency: Annually, with a permanent archive for every edition

Purpose: The PowerGuardian 100 is an annual ranking of the 100 suppliers, tariffs, products, services and technologies with the greatest positive relevance to UK household energy users, judged on consumer value, savings potential, reliability, innovation, transparency and evidence quality.

Entries are judged on consumer value, measurable savings potential, reliability, customer experience, innovation, accessibility, transparency, environmental impact, evidence quality and relevance to UK households.

Affiliate commission, sponsorship and advertising spend never determine ranking position. Any commercial relationship associated with a ranked organisation or product is clearly disclosed.

Each annual edition has a permanent archive page so previous rankings remain auditable.

Inclusion & exclusion safeguards

No pay-to-rank: commercial arrangements cannot influence position.
Commercial relationships are disclosed on every affected entry.

Limitations

The ranking reflects editorial judgement against a published methodology, not a single objective measurement.
Every entry lists its important limitations alongside its strengths.

Methodology version history

Version 1.0 · 1 June 2026
Initial published methodology for the PowerGuardian Energy Indexes framework.
First version: defines scoring, weightings, data quality standards, treatment of missing data, corrections policy and commercial independence.

Corrections & evidence submissions

Spotted an error or have evidence to submit? Contact the research team. Published corrections are logged on our public corrections page.

PowerGuardian indexes are produced independently. Commercial relationships, affiliate links or advertising arrangements do not determine index scores or ranking positions.

Data quality standards

Treatment of missing data

Review procedures

Correction policy

Commercial independence policy

Affiliate disclosure policy

Methodology by index

Standing Charge Tracker

Inclusion & exclusion safeguards

Limitations

Fixed Tariff Availability Index

Category weightings

Limitations

Supplier Trust Index

Category weightings

Inclusion & exclusion safeguards

Limitations

Regional Energy Cost Index

Limitations

Heat Pump Running Cost Index

Limitations

Home Energy Score

Category weightings

Limitations

PowerGuardian 100

Inclusion & exclusion safeguards

Limitations

Methodology version history

Corrections & evidence submissions

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