Special Tariffs

Suppliers	Fixed / Capped price offers	Online tariffs	Specialist tariffs aimed at particular groups	Affinity or loyalty Schemes e.g. Air Miles, Nectar Points
British Gas	Price Guarantee Dec 2009	Click Energy	Essentials Tariff 1	None
EDF Energy	None	Online Energy	Energy Assist	Nectar Points
EBICo	None	e-billing	EQUIGAS / EQUIPOWER 2	None
Npower	None	Sign Online	None	None
E.ON Energy	Price Protection Oct 2009	Energy Online Extra Saver	Age Concern / Staywarm 3	Tesco Club card Points
Scottish and Southern Energy*	None	A.E.G Online	energyplus 4 Care	energyplus 5 Pulse /Argos / Airmiles / BA Miles / RSPB / British Heart Foundation
Scottish Power	Fixed Price Energy September 2009	Discounted Energy Online	None	None

*Scottish and Southern Energy includes the trading brands Scottish Hydro Electric, Southern Electric, SWALEC and Atlantic Electric and Gas.

1 British Gas’s Essentials Tariff is the UK’s largest social energy tariff, aimed at reducing gas and electricity bills for 750,000 of their most vulnerable customers. The Essentials Tariff provides additional help to vulnerable customers, particularly those who use Pay As You Go Energy meters.

2 EBICo’s EQUIGAS and EQUIPOWER tariffs have no standing charges and are flat rate tariffs which particularly suit low users.

3 E.ON Energy’s Staywarm tariff is only available to qualifying customers aged 60 and over. The Age Concern tariff is available to all customers but only the over 60s will receive a cold weather payment in addition to the guaranteed £10 per annum received by all customers on this tariff.

4 The energyplus tariffs are exclusive to Scottish and Southern Energy’s customers. Choose energyplus Airmiles and for the same price as our standard energy you'll earn 350 miles when you join and a further 25 miles every quarter. Choose energyplus Argos and earn 10% off purchases at Argos and Homebase. Choose energyplus Pulse and do something positive for charity with, we'll donate £10 (£5 per fuel) to the British Heart Foundation. 4 energyplus Careoffers extra benefits for priority customers. The package is available to existing customers of Southern Electric who are worried about being cold because of acute poor housing, health and income.You may qualify for energyplus Care if you spend over 10% of your total household income on your energy bills.

Current Specialist Tariffs

Capped / Fixed Price Price Offers - A capped price tariff offers the guarantee that the price, which is the price paid per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity or gas, will not rise beyond the ‘cap’ for a set period of time.

The price paid for electricity or gas could decrease if a company’s standard prices decrease during the period. The amount of your bill will still vary depending on how much energy is used each month. A fixed price tariff offers the guarantee that the price, which is the price paid per kWh for electricity or gas, will not rise for a set period of time. However, the tariff price will not decrease during the fixed period if the company’s standard prices are reduced. The bill amount will still vary depending on how much energy is used each month.

Once the capped or fixed price offer expires, consumers will usually be moved onto to the supplier’s standard price tariff. Points to Consider about Fixed and Capped Price Offers

• Capped or fixed price tariffs are usually more expensive (in price per kWh) than a company’s current standard tariff.
• The premium you pay for your electricity or gas at the start of the fixed or capped price offer might cost you more than the savings you would make towards the end of the offer.
• If prices go down you might wind up paying over the odds for your gas or electricity until the offer’s expiration date.
• Consumers might be subject to a termination fee for switching away from these sorts of offers before the end of the fixed period.

These types of offers may be suitable for consumers who a) Are on a fixed income and want to be able to budget how much they will pay for their energy usage over the year. b) Think that energy prices are likely to rise further in the future.

Please note that many of these deals are not available to prepayment meter customers.

Termination Fees for Fixed / Capped Price Tariffs – Some suppliers have chosen to levy a termination fee on any consumer that has switches to another supplier before the end of the tariff’s fixed period. We suggest that you ask about the terms and conditions before signing up to these deals because it might prove costly if you decide to switch to a different tariff or another supplier at a later date.

Premiums for Fixed / Capped Price Tariffs – Check with the supplier about whether the tariff includes a premium on normal electricity and gas prices before signing up. This will help you better understand the benefits and risks of these types of deals.

Online Tariffs – This tariff allows consumers to manage their accounts via the Internet, with the supplier usually offering a discount in return. Consumers must pay for their energy by Direct Debit.

Specialist Tariffs Aimed at Particular Groups – These tariffs are aimed at a particular group and may include special benefits. Many of these tariffs are only available to qualifying customers and there may be a limit on the number of customers allowed on a particular tariff.

Affinity Deals: Suppliers may have partnerships with other non-energy companies that enable their customers to benefit from special offers, loyalty or reward schemes.

If you would like to find out more about a particular scheme or tariff please contact the supplier directly.