What Are Dual Fuel Tariffs, and Should I Have One?

Simply enough, a dual fuel tariff is one where the same energy company provides you with both your gas and electricity, rather than you getting your gas from one supplier and electricity from another.

Getting both gas and electricity from the same supplier will make things easier for you as you only need to deal with one company, rather than two. This often means only receiving one, combined bill, making everything much simpler than it would otherwise be. It also simplifies customer service interactions: if you have any problems with your gas and/or electricity supply, you only have to deal with customer support from one company rather than two.

It is also more convenient and economical for your energy supplier as well. This means suppliers are often willing to offer a range of benefits and discounts to customers who sign up to a dual fuel contract. Your energy supplier could offer you cheaper fuel prices on a dual fuel tariff, by giving you a monthly or annual discount off your energy bills.

These dual fuel discounts offered by most suppliers probably will mean that your energy will be cheaper than on two separate tariffs. Although beware that while dual fuel is certainly more convenient, it may not always be cheaper than your current deal. The cost of switching from your current energy contract may actually outweigh any potential savings you’ll make, so be sure to check with your supplier to find the best energy deal for you.

Because energy suppliers want the added revenue and convenience of having you on a dual fuel tariff with them your new supplier will often make it very easy to enter into a dual fuel tariff with them. However, your old supplier might make things a little more difficult because they don’t want to lose you. There may be leaving fees or other costs which could outweigh any savings on your bills that you’d make on a dual fuel tariff.

The best thing to do is run an online energy comparison of dual fuel suppliers in your area, to see how much you could be saving by switching to dual fuel. Running a dual fuel comparison just needs your details from a recent energy bill. Once you've run an energy comparison and found the right dual fuel deal for you, applying to switch to the new supplier will be easy and they will handle the energy switch for you.