The October price cap, in one plain paragraph
What moved, what did not, and why the standing charge matters more than the headline figure for low users.
Snug Watt Meter — what it does
Like for like
Every tariff is shown on your usage, not a national 'typical household' that may look nothing like you.
Charges separated
Standing charge and unit rate are always shown apart, because they pull in different directions for different homes.
No supplier pressure
Snug Watt is not an energy supplier and does not take a cut for pushing one tariff over another.
Fix-end alerts
A reminder before a fixed deal ends, so a rollover to a standard variable rate is a choice, not an accident.
Help first
If you are behind on bills, the guide points to free independent support before it points to any product.
Plain language
Every term on a UK bill explained in one sentence, with the Ofgem definition linked where one exists.
The shortlist
Snug Watt may earn a commission if you sign up through some links on this page; it does not affect rankings or what you pay.
1
Octopus Energy Best overall
Supplier★★★★★- Consistently high customer-service ratings
- Tracker and time-of-use tariffs for smart-meter homes
- No exit fees on most tariffs
A strong all-round supplier for households that want flexible tariff options, though tracker tariffs can rise as well as fall.
Tariffs vary by region
Visit Octopus Energy2
Uswitch Best for switching
Comparison service★★★★★- Compares a wide range of live tariffs
- Handles the switch paperwork
- Ofgem Confidence Code accredited
The simplest way to see live deals against your usage, remembering that comparison sites earn commission from some suppliers.
Free to use
Visit Uswitch3
Loop Great free plan
Usage app★★★★★- Links to your smart meter data
- Shows a 'phantom load' estimate for always-on devices
- Independent of any single supplier
Useful for seeing where usage goes, but it needs a working smart meter to be of much use.
Free
Visit Loop4
tado° Best value
Smart thermostat★★★★★- Works with most UK boilers
- Room-by-room control with smart TRVs
- Geofencing and open-window detection
from £99 plus optional subscription
Visit tado°5
Hive
Smart heating★★★★★- Simple app and schedule setup
- Professional installation available
- Works with hot water as well as heating
from £119
Visit Hive★
Snug Watt Meter
Snug Watt Meter reads your actual usage from a meter photo or smart-meter export and shows what the same usage would cost on the tariff types currently on offer. It does not switch you, sell you anything or promise a saving — it shows you the comparison.
- Enter or photograph your meter readings and get a month-by-month usage history
- Compare your real usage against fixed, variable and tracker tariff structures using current published rates
- See standing charges and unit rates separated, so low and high users can judge differently
- Set a reminder to submit readings before each bill so estimates do not creep in
- Export a one-page summary to take to a supplier or an advice service
- Flag exit fees and end-of-fix dates so you are never caught by a silent rollover
★★★★★ 4.7
Free · iOS & Android
6
options compared on every page: tariff type, supplier, meter, controls, insulation, tools
£140
typical yearly gap between the dearest and cheapest tariff readers compared in 2026 (varies by region and usage)
18 min
average time readers spend on a first full comparison
4.7★
Snug Watt Meter app rating across iOS and Android
Why this is a comparison, not a recommendation
Most home-energy advice in the UK ends with a single instruction: switch now. Snug Watt starts from a different place. A household on a low, steady usage with a high regional standing charge faces a different sum from a family of five in a draughty semi, and a tariff that suits one can cost the other more. So every page here puts the options next to each other and shows the maths, then leaves the decision with you.
We compare six things: the tariff type (fixed, standard variable, tracker or time-of-use), the supplier's published rates and service record, the meter you have (traditional, smart or prepayment), heating controls, the cheap physical fixes that cut what you use, and the tools that help you keep track. Where a choice depends on something only you know — how long you plan to stay, how you heat water, whether you can shift usage to off-peak — we say so plainly.
Figures on this site are drawn from published supplier rates, the Ofgem price cap announcements and readers' own comparisons run through Snug Watt Meter. They are illustrations, not predictions. Energy prices in the UK move each quarter, so any number here should be re-checked against your own bill before you act.
Browse by topic
Fixed, variable or trackerWhat each tariff type actually commits you to, and when each one tends to suit a household.Standing charges explainedThe daily fee you pay before using a unit, why it differs by region, and how it changes the maths for low users.Smart meter, honestlyWhat a smart meter does and does not do for your bill, and the tariffs you can only access with one.Heating controlsThermostats, TRVs and schedules compared on cost, effort and the kind of home they suit.Reading a bill line by lineUnit rate, standing charge, estimated versus actual readings, and the two numbers worth checking every month.Switching without the dramaThe 21-day process, exit fees, and what happens to your credit balance when you move supplier.
How it works
Gather
Two bills, your postcode and your meter type are all the inputs needed.
Line up
Your usage is run across the tariff types and the results are shown side by side.
Weigh
Service record, exit fees and how long you plan to stay are added to the price.
Decide
Switch, stay or wait — all three are valid outcomes of a good comparison.
How to compare your options in one sitting
Set aside about twenty minutes, find your last two bills, and work through the list in order.
- Write down your annual kWh for electricity and gas from your bill or supplier app — not the 'typical household' figure
- Note your current unit rates, standing charges, tariff end date and any exit fee
- Decide how long you expect to stay at this address, because that changes whether a fix makes sense
- Compare at least one fixed, one standard variable and, if you have a smart meter, one tracker or time-of-use tariff on your own usage
- Check the supplier's service record on an independent review site, not just the price
- Submit an actual meter reading before any switch so the final bill is not estimated
- If you are in credit, ask for the balance to be refunded rather than carried as a default
- Diary the end date of any new fix so the next comparison is on your terms
Energy adverts we would not run — and why
Pensioners furious as one secret switch halves every bill in Britain — suppliers want this hidden- It promises a specific result ('halves every bill') that no tariff can deliver for every home
- It invents a conspiracy and an emotional reaction to make you click before you think
- It hides what is being sold; a genuine comparison names the product and its cost up front
- It ignores the thing that decides your bill most — your own usage and region
From the blog
What 400 reader comparisons taught us about standing charges
Regional standing charges swung the result more often than unit rates. A short look at the pattern, with the usual caveat that your home is not an average.
Why we nag you about readings on the 28th
Estimated bills drift. A reading submitted two days before billing keeps the account honest and makes any later dispute much simpler.
Start here
Plain, honest explainers on the topic — so you can decide what fits you.
Comparison
Fixed, variable or tracker: 3 households, 3 different answers for 2026
We ran the same three real usage profiles — a one-bed flat, a terraced family home and a rural oil-free bungalow — across the main tariff types. The 'best' option changed each time, and standing charges decided more than unit rates in two of the three cases.
Smart meters
What a smart meter changes about your bill, and the 4 things it does not
A smart meter ends estimated readings and opens the door to time-of-use tariffs. It does not, by itself, lower your unit rate. We set out exactly where the saving can come from and where it cannot.
Heating
Smart thermostat vs TRVs vs a £12 timer: ranked by what they return on cost
Three ways to control heating, from a few pounds to a few hundred. We compare install effort, the kind of home each suits and the evidence on how much usage they tend to trim — with the caveat that behaviour matters more than hardware.
Bills
The 2 numbers to check on every energy bill before you pay it
Whether the reading is actual or estimated, and whether the unit rate matches the one you signed up to. Both go wrong more often than people expect, and both are easy to query once you know where to look.
Switching
Switching supplier in 2026: the 21-day process, exit fees and your credit balance
A plain walk-through of what happens between clicking 'switch' and the first bill from a new supplier, including the cooling-off period, how exit fees are capped near the end of a fix, and how to chase a refund of credit.
Support
Behind on energy bills? The 5 places that offer free help, compared
Supplier hardship funds, the Priority Services Register, Citizens Advice, local council schemes and debt charities each cover different situations. We compare who each one is for and what to have ready before you call.
Home
Draught strips, loft top-ups and reflective panels: 6 small fixes measured against their price
Not every cheap fix is worth it, and not every expensive one pays back. We line up six common measures by typical cost, effort and what independent testing suggests they trim from heating demand.
Tools
Energy apps compared: what each one actually tracks, and which need a smart meter
Supplier apps, independent trackers and Snug Watt Meter each show different things. A side-by-side of what data each uses, what it costs and what it will never be able to tell you.
Free · iOS & Android
Run your own comparison in about 18 minutes
Snug Watt Meter lines up your real usage against the tariff types on offer and shows the result plainly. What you do with it is up to you.
Open the comparisonAbout Snug Watt
Snug Watt is an independent UK editorial site and app that compares home-energy options in plain figures. We are not an energy supplier, we do not switch you, and we do not promise any saving — what you pay depends on your usage, region, tariff and the prices on the day. Some links to suppliers and products are affiliate links; they never change how a product is ranked.
| Company | Snug Watt Media Ltd |
| Registration | Company No. 15839204 |
| Registered office | Manchester, United Kingdom |
| Focus | Independent reviews & tools |
Frequently asked questions
Will switching always save money?
No. Depending on your usage, region and the current price cap, the cheapest available tariff can be the one you are already on. A comparison tells you whether moving is worth it; sometimes the honest answer is to stay.
Is a fixed tariff safer than a variable one?
A fix gives certainty on unit rates for the term, which some households value; it can cost more if wholesale prices fall. Neither is safer in the abstract — it depends on your appetite for predictable bills versus the chance of a lower rate.
Do I need a smart meter to use Snug Watt Meter?
No. You can type in or photograph readings from a traditional meter. A smart meter simply lets you import half-hourly data and compare time-of-use tariffs.
Does Snug Watt earn money from the suppliers it lists?
Some links are affiliate links and we may receive a commission if you sign up through them. Rankings are set by the editorial team on price, service record and suitability, and are not influenced by commission.
I am behind on my bills. What should I do first?
Contact your supplier — they are required to offer a repayment plan — and ask about hardship funds and the Priority Services Register. Citizens Advice offers free, independent help, and we list the main routes on our support page.
How accurate are the figures on this site?
They are drawn from published rates and real reader comparisons, but prices change each quarter and every home differs. Treat our numbers as illustrations and check them against your own bill before acting.
Can I switch if I am on a prepayment meter?
Usually yes, provided any debt on the meter is below the supplier's threshold. The choice of tariffs is narrower, and we compare the prepayment options separately.
How long does a switch take?
Most switches complete within five working days, with a 14-day cooling-off period in which you can cancel. Your supply is never interrupted during the process.
General information for UK households, not financial advice; energy prices change and what you pay depends on your usage, region and tariff — results vary.