Should I Opt for an Online-Only Energy Plan?

• Going online to check for the best energy plan is one of the best ways to save money on your household energy bills. If you are the kind of person who intensely dislikes receiving bills through the post, you could also consider switching to an online-only energy plan. With an online energy plan, you will still have to pay your bills of course, but you will not get paper bills and will be able to manage everything online instead. 
• Here on Money Pug’s handy comparison site you can compare a wide range of energy deals to find out which might be the right one for you. Some of the cheapest deals out there are online only. But what exactly does that mean, and is an online plan the best option for you? While these plans are not everyone’s cup of tea, they do have a range of benefits. Read on to find out more. 

What is an Online-Only Energy Plan?

An online energy plan can refer to two different sorts of energy account. It might refer to:

• An energy plan that is arranged and purchased online. (But which still offers paper bills.)
• An online-only energy plan which is entirely managed online 

With the latter of these two options, everything will be managed online, including providing meter readings, reading your bills and contacting customer service. However, even with an online-only account, you can sometimes opt in and pay extra to still receive paper bills. 

Is an Online Energy Plan Cheaper?

Arranging an energy plan online will almost always be cheaper than arranging a new deal on the doorstep, or through other means. Not least, arranging your deal online means that you have easy access to comparison sites like Money Pug, so you can see easily and quickly how a deal that you are considering compares to other options. 

You can often save even more by opting for an online-only energy plan. They tend to be cheaper than other options because they are priced competitively by suppliers in order to entice customers to choose them.

Suppliers want you to choose an online-only deal because when you switch and manage your account online, that cuts down on the resources that they use. There will be fewer papers to print off and post, which means lower costs. The supplier will also save because there will be fewer customer service agents and other employees needed to take your meter reading and manage your account. They often are then able to pass these savings on to customers, and offer more and more competitive deals.

What Other Benefits Are There With an Online-Only Account?

The cost of online-only accounts is not the only factor that can make them an appealing choice. These types of energy plan are also:

• Convenient for you.

Using an online energy plan can be very convenient for those with busy lives – those who work long hours, or who are juggling lots of different responsibilities.  It can make your life much easier since you can manage the account outwith office hours. You do not need to worry about, for example, contacting customer service at a time when their offices or call centres are open. You can check things out by logging in any time – even the evening, the middle of the night, or on a weekend. 

An online energy plan can also be easier to manage, since you will not need to delve through a pile of paperwork to find the latest bill or another piece of information. Even the most organised of people can still find it a chore to have to search through their paperwork to seek out what they need. That can take a lot more time than simply navigating to the right part of a website. If you travel around a lot, there is also the added plus that the information you need can be at your fingertips wherever you go. 

• Good for our planet. 

• Going paperless is better for the environment too. An online-only account can be a boon not only for individuals but also for the wider world. We all know how precious trees are, and how we should be planting more of them. But we should also give a thought to all of the trees that are knocked down in the aid of administration. 
• Going paper free, or at least trying to reduce paper use, is one way to help make sure that those trees keep standing, and doing their bit to fight our climate emergency. It can also be a great way to move closer to a zero waste lifestyle. 
• Of course, going for an online-only, green energy plan would be the best option for our planet. And it is worth noting that these green energy plans are not always more expensive than other standard plans – especially when accounts are managed online. 
• Whether or not you decide to go for a green energy plan, taking all your energy dealings online could be one small way to do your part for a greener, more eco-friendly and sustainable world. 
• Of course, online switching and online energy account management is not for everyone. Some people just feel more at home in a pen and paper world. But even if you are not a digital native just yet, it is definitely worth considering the savings that can come with managing your energy bills online. Switching to one of these plans could be a great choice for you and for our future on this planet. Compare online-only energy plans with Money Pug to see how much money you might be able to save.