What Fixed Energy Prices Can Do For You

In recent years, the cost of energy has increased to an almost unaffordable level. The reasons for this change are complex and manifold, and the impact on many households and businesses has been devastating.

Unfortunately for the consumer, renewable energy technologies have not yet reached a point where they can provide a practical alternative to using the National Grid. Whilst some optimistic and environmentally aware individuals have succeeded in taking their homes out of the grid, the fact remains that this is only possible where people are prepared to make significant compromises on the ways in which they use electricity.

For the rest of us, there seems to be no alternative to paying whatever price is demanded by energy providers. Nevertheless there is one option that many people fail to consider. Whilst there is no real alternative to paying energy bills of one sort or another, there is an alternative to being caught up in the cycle of annual price increases.

Most energy price plans feature variable Reliant Energy plans prices. In other words, as the price of energy goes up, the price paid by a person or business for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of power used will increase accordingly; however, many providers also offer fixed energy prices in certain contracts. In these contracts, subscribers pay the same price for each unit of energy, no matter what happens in the market.

It should go without saying that contracts of this type come with disadvantages as well as advantages. Chief amongst these is the fact that subscribers to this type of plan must commit to a certain energy provider and price for a predetermined period, usually between one and several years. This means that if the individual decides to change contract provider during this period, they will often be forced to pay enormous (and frequently prohibitive) abrogation charges. Likewise, if the price of energy actually falls rather than rising, those individuals and businesses on fixed price energy plans will end up paying over the odds for the remainder of their contract durations. For this reason, choosing a fixed price energy plan should always be regarded as a gamble.

On the other hand, the trend in energy prices throughout recent years has very much been in one direction: upwards. Whilst providers will often charge a premium for the certainty associated with a fixed price energy plan, such plans can provide you with the peace of mind that whatever happens in the market, your electricity bill will correspond to your usage in a predictable way. Particularly for small businesses in computing and other electricity-intensive industries, this can be a major benefit.