The ‘Big 6′ Energy Suppliers
The UKs energy market has many gas and electricity suppliers which make it highly competitive. There are six clear leaders, often referred to as the ‘Big 6′ energy suppliers; British Gas, EON, Npower, Scottish Power, EDF Energy, and Scottish and Southern Energy. In the battle to grow market share, these suppliers offer a constant array of deals and discounts to retain existing and entice new customers into switching. This is great for customer choice and value, however with so many supplier options and incentives to choose from, you may get confused. You could be uncertain about whether you are on the best deal, or how easy it is to switch to another supplier. Understanding more about each of the Big 6 energy suppliers can help you to compare the market and make the right choice. When it comes to comparing the energy market, there are some key things to consider; the credentials of each supplier, what they are offering and how they compare against the competition. The main factors are their prices, and how they are taking care of their customers and the environment. The following overview of the UK’s Big 6 energy suppliers gives a good insight, however further information can be found by using comparison websites like uSwitch.com or visiting supplier websites directly.
British Gas is the UK’s leading energy provider known for providing expert and high quality products, services and good value.As a top boiler service provider and Europe’s leading boiler installer, British Gas is reputed for unrivalled customer service. It’s commitment to the environment also means it helps customers to find the best energy efficiency solutions for their homes, including Home Insulation and Solar Water Heating.
British Gas has a wide range of products and services which take care of gas, electricity and dual fuel supply. Online customers can secure a preferential tariff with the acclaimed Websaver package, which enables them to manage their accounts online and comes with paperless billing.
There are also Green Energy tariffs to help customers reduce their carbon footprints whilst also investing in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy.
It also offers boiler and central heating maintenance cover, and its flagship HomeCare range allows customers to cover all their household systems.
As one of the UK’s top energy suppliers, E.ON is well known for providing gas and electricity to millions of homes. They are part of the E.ON Group which is a global company that invests notably in green energy, and as such is amongst the UK’s leaders in developing green energy solutions.E.ON is one of the market leaders in producing and running wind farms in the UK, and currently has 21 of them within the British Isles. In its dedication to investing in renewable energy sources, it uses biomass materials combined with coal in two of its UK power stations to generate energy.
E.ON offers multiple energy packages that cover gas and electricity supply. Its portfolio also includes energy supply from renewable sources, and boiler and central heating maintenance and cover.
nPower is part of RWE nPower who are the UK’s largest electricity supplier, and are specialists in running power stations, and developing renewable energy solutions. nPower forms the retail side of RWE nPower, and has rapidly become one of the UK’s leading gas and electricity providers since it was founded in 1999.nPower work with the government and local communities to improve energy efficiency levels, and as such offer Green Energy solutions as part of their energy packages. They also offer customers energy saving tips and services such as Home Insulation, and high efficiency boiler installations.
Customers can also manage their accounts online using nPower’s easy to use website.
Scottish Power is a key player in the UK’s energy market, with current gas and electricity supply to around 3.5 million households. It operates in every aspect of energy fulfilment, right from generating electricity, distributing energy, and delivering it. To support its customers, it also provides a meter reading service and call centre support.In its commitment to helping underprivileged households, it founded the Energy People Trust – a UK charity that helps to prevent fuel poverty and gives those who are cannot afford fuel a chance to keep warm during winter months.
Scottish Power has a range of energy packages available which include electricity, gas and green energy tariffs.
EDF are one of the largest energy companies in the UK and are part of the EDF Group who are amongst Europe’s leading energy groups. EDF generates around 6% of the UK’s electricity, and has around 5 million customers.Its products and service take care of gas, electricity and dual fuel supply. It invests heavily in renewable energy sources by operating wind farms. It also encourages customers to be more energy efficient, and as such offers green energy packages, and provides home insulation amongst other energy efficiency services.
Scottish and Southern Energy is the UK’s second largest electricity provider with a growing customer base of around 9 million homes. It has an electricity generation capacity of around 10,700 MW, which also makes it the second largest electricity generator in the UK. SSE supplies energy under a number of brands including Southern Electric.It also operates and owns the Scotland and Southern gas distribution networks which supply around 5.7 million customers, and has the UK’s largest onshore gas storage system. SSE also has dealings in the telecoms sector, where it operates a national telecoms network.
In its products and services portfolio, customers can expect many incentives to improve their home energy efficiency levels. For instance, their Better Plan Tariff will save you money on your bills if you commit to reducing the amount of energy you consume. Further rewards are available for choosing a direct debit plan and paperless billing.
