npower

npower offer a wide variety of plans to their customers, which fall under the categories of Standard, Price Guarantee, Online, Green, and Partnerships.

npower’s Standard variable tariff covers electricity, gas or dual-fuel supply, with the latter offering significant discounts. You can pay bills using cash or cheque, although further discounts are available if you choose to pay by Direct Debit. There are also no cancellation fees, so you can switch to another supplier whenever you want.

The standard tariff also applies to Prepayment customers, who top up supply using a key or card in any shop displaying the PayPoint or PayZone logo. Prepayment helps you closely manage your energy consumption, and can be a good choice if you’re on a tight budget, or have to clear an outstanding energy debt. However, the daily standing charge makes Prepayment more expensive than most other tariffs, and it can be difficult to manage if you can’t top up locally.

npower also offer three Price Guarantee plans, the first of which is called Go Fix. This tariff secures rates for around 18 months, which protects you from any future price hikes in what can be a very volatile market. You’ll manage your account online and pay bills via Direct Debit, with further discounts available to dual-fuel customers, although the tariff is also available in gas only and electricity only formats as well. However, you will be charged a daily standing charge on top of your actual energy consumption, and you’ll also be charged a termination fee if you decide to switch before the end of the fixed price period.

npower’s Bill Saver tariff runs for the same length of time as the Go Fix plan, after which you’ll revert to standard variable rates. Prices are not fixed or capped, but are discounted from the standard variable rate for the length of the plan instead. Further discounts are available if you choose to pay by Direct Debit, and there are no termination fees. However, a daily standing charge is applied to this tariff, so if your consumption is low, you may be better off choosing the standard variable rate instead. Additionally, npower are currently offering new customers £75 of Love2shop vouchers when they make the switch.

Despite the name, npower’s Energy Discount tariff works by capping rates, rather than fixing or discounting them. This plan runs for a shorter period than Go Fix or Bill Saver, and ensures that your per-unit charge will never exceed the cap for the length of the deal, after which you’ll revert to standard variable rates. Discounts are available for dual-fuel supply and payment by Direct Debit, while npower also currently offer new customers £75 of Love2shop vouchers when they complete the switch. However, a standing charge applies to this plan, and there’s also an early termination fee if you move to another supplier before the end of the capped period.

Go Save is npower’s dedicated Online plan, and offers additional rewards to customers. On top of the dual-fuel and Direct Debit discounts available on the Standard variable tariff, you’ll also benefit from an additional discount for managing your account online. On top of that, you’ll receive regular meter read reminders from npower, which does away with the need for estimated bills. There’s also no early termination fee, so you can switch to another supplier whenever you feel like it.

As you might expect from a company that invests heavily in renewable energy, npower has a variety of Green tariffs to choose from. The first is npower Juice, which matches your electricity use with energy generated from 100% renewable sources. Discounts are available for dual-fuel supply and payment by Direct Debit, whilst there are no cancellation fees if you decide to change supplier.

juice-e is the next deal in npower’s Green stable, and is an ideal choice if you own an electric vehicle. As well as matching your energy use with supply from renewable sources, you’ll also benefit from low night time rates, which mean you can cheaply recharge your electric vehicle while you sleep. And like  many of npower’s other plans, you’ll benefit from significant discounts if you take dual-fuel supply and pay by Direct Debit. Additionally, npower will install a special juice-e meter to track and charge your usage correctly. As such, you should bear in mind that if a new meter is installed, npower will charge you an early exit fee if you switch to another supplier.

National Trust Green Energy is npower’s third Green tariff, and is also one of their two Partnership deals. Alongside energy matching from renewable sources, npower make a contribution to the National Trust Green Energy Fund for every National Trust Green Energy customer. You’ll receive electricity at npower’s Standard variable rate, and will also qualify for a sizeable discount if you sign up for supply of both gas and electricity, and pay your bills by Direct Debit.

npower’s second Partnership deal is Football 45, which is offered as a result of the company’s sponsorship of the Football League. When you sign up, you’ll receive a £45 voucher to spend on tickets or merchandise at any Football League club, with a second £45 voucher available after you’ve stayed with the tariff for a year. The plan is open to dual-fuel or electricity only customers, with rates matching npower’s Standard variable package. You’ll receive a large discount for paying by Direct Debit, and there’s no termination fee if you decide to switch to another supplier.