Should I Get A Dual Fuel Tariff?
There are benefits to both single-fuel and dual-fuel energy contracts. In this guide, we’re going to help you figure out what type of energy deal is best for your home amongst the many you’ll find within the dual fuel and single fuel tariff range.
What is a dual fuel tariff?
A dual fuel tariff is one where you receive both your gas and electricity from the same supplier, which can make life a lot simpler if you’re not one to faff over your bills.
Having both your energy suppliers in one place with one supplier will make things much easier when it comes to managing your expenses. A lot of suppliers also allow you to view your bills online, so only having one set of login credentials to remember is also a plus.
Receiving bills from only one energy supplier is not only convenient, but some will even combine both your gas and electricity bills with both monthly figures just to make the bill-paying process even easier. If not, your utility bill will still come with both figures on, they’ll just be displayed separately.
What is a single fuel tariff?
A single fuel tariff is essentially the opposite of what you get with a dual fuel tariff. Single fuel tariffs are for people with either gas or electricity-only premises.
It makes little sense to have a single fuel tariff for both your gas and electricity, as not only does it require a lot more admin on your part, but it often ends up costing more, too.
Is A Dual Fuel Tariff Cheaper?
A lot of energy suppliers will actually offer you a discount on your energy if you opt to take out a dual fuel energy tariff with them.
A supplier would rather have your complete business than just half of it. If they do not encourage you to take out both forms of fuel bills with them, then they will lose half of your custom to another supplier. By offering cheaper energy with dual fuel energy, they are avoiding this and benefiting by having your complete business.
Do all suppliers offer dual fuel energy tariffs?
Whether or not an energy supplier offers a dual fuel tariff is completely up to them; it can differ from supplier to supplier.
Although, due to the reasons stated in the previous subsection, you’ll find most suppliers offer dual fuel energy tariffs as they know they’re appealing to the wider energy market, and are also beneficial to the suppliers themselves.
If you have a supplier you’d like to switch to in mind, then visit their website and you should be able to see the deals they offer via a tariff section, which should each individually state whether or not they are available as dual fuel or single fuel tariffs.
How do I check if I have a dual fuel tariff?
If you’re reading this and don’t pay too much attention to your energy bill, and you’re unsure whether you’re on a dual fuel or single fuel tariff, you’d better check.
You can do so by just checking one of your most recent energy bills, which should say how much you’ve spent on both your gas and electricity (if you are dual fuel). If you’re on a single fuel tariff, it’ll have the price of just electricity or gas. Alternatively, you can call your supplier and check with them.
How much is your typical dual fuel tariff?
A dual fuel tariff isn’t a type of tariff, more the nature of one. What determines the cost of a dual fuel tariff - along with a single fuel tariff - is whether or not it’s a standard variable tariff or a fixed rate tariff.
Standard variable tariffs are some of the most expensive deals on the energy market at any one time, despite Ofgem’s price cap fall, bringing the average dual fuel household energy bill to £1,042 in 2020.
A standard variable dual fuel tariff will cost more than a fixed dual fuel tariff, most of the time. We’ve used our very own insight tool to provide an example of this to make things clear for you.
Below are two deals. The first one is the cheapest fixed tariff we can switch to. The second is the cheapest standard variable tariff we can switch to:
- - Cheapest fixed available with Energy Helpline: Green Energy Network 12-month fixed for a monthly average of £876
- - The cheapest standard variable availed with Energy Helpline: Pure Planet for a monthly average of £936
These are the two cheapest deals available we can switch you to in their tariff type, and the fixed tariff is still £60 cheaper a year.
What’s better? They both come with a dual fuel discount, making the fixed tariff £15 a year cheaper and the SVT £30 a month cheaper.
Can I switch from single fuel tariffs to dual fuel?
Yes, if you’re on two separate single-fuel tariffs for both your gas and electricity, you can switch to a dual-fuel one with no problem.
So how should you go about switching from a single to a dual fuel energy tariff?
- - A comparison site such as ours makes the process extremely simple, just start by entering your postcode.
- - You will then be asked which services you use - select Gas & Electricity
- - Then when asked if you have the same supplier for both services, select the appropriate option. If you have two single fuel tariffs for your gas and electricity, click no.
- - Complete the remaining sections, and choose whether you want to see dual fuel tariffs from all UK suppliers or just the big names.