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Last updated: 29th April 2021
Homebox review summary
- Makes switching to new energy providers regularly incredibly easy
- Is free to the customer
- Doesn’t cover the whole market of energy suppliers
- You are likely to get a cheaper deal through a comparison site or switching direct
What is Homebox?
Homebox is a platform that you can use to manage all your household bills and check to see monthly spend all in one place. You can input all your utility bills to keep track of your spending. For some utilities – currently energy and broadband – you can check the market to determine if there is a better deal, or set up auto-switching for your energy supply. Doing this means you will never get stuck paying the high rate of a standard tariff.
How does Homebox work?
When you visit Homebox and choose to get sign up, you’ll have the option to enter the details of all utility bills. Including Energy, broadband, home insurance, TV licence, council tax and water. For some of the utility suppliers, once you have input the details of your existing supplier and current tariffs, Homebox will tell you if a saving can be made. This currently only applies to your energy and broadband supply. All other utilities can be input, but no saving suggestions are made.
When you enter the details of your current energy supplier, you’ll see a prompt to input your current use, tariff, when the deal ends with them, and your monthly spend. If you don’t know your monthly spend, Homebox can estimate it for you based on the type of house you live in.
Once you have input all the information, Homebox will run a check to see if a better deal is available. The website will display the best saving available at the top, but you can choose to view all available deals. After viewing and selecting the best deal for you, you simply need to enter a few personal details and your direct debit details to go ahead and sign up for the auto-switching service. Once you have confirmed your switch, you have a 14-day cooling-off period to change your mind. After your switch, Homebox will continue to search for the market for a better deal every time your deal is due to end. This means you’ll never switch over to the suppliers’ standard tariff.
How will I know when I have switched suppliers?
Homebox will always notify you once they start a switch. You should also hear from your new supplier within 2 weeks of signing up. Homebox will send you email updates throughout the sign-up process, so you will never be left in the dark regarding your energy supply switch.
Will I always get moved to a cheaper supplier?
Yes. When it’s time to switch again, Homebox will only switch you when you can save money. If you are already on the best deal, they will tell you and continue searching the market until a better offer becomes available. Homebox will typically switch you every 18 months.
Is Homebox free?
Yes, Homebox is completely free for consumers.
How does Homebox make money?
This part isn’t particularly clear. They do not charge their customers a fee, nor do they currently take a commission from all the suppliers they switch customers to, although some suppliers do pay a fee for the switch. From this, we can only assume they earn their money by adding a small uplift to your energy kilowatt hr charge when switching to those suppliers that do not pay an outright fee. This is usually a small amount, which equates to around 3% of the total saving you would have gained by switching for most energy switching suppliers.
How much money will Homebox save me?
Homebox doesn’t specify an average saving, but they do say they can save you £100’s on your energy supply by switching.
Which suppliers does Homebox use?
Homebox lists a handful of their suppliers on their homepage, including OVO and EDF and many more. They state they show you all the available tariffs, even if a particular supplier does not pay them for doing so. The only suppliers that are not viewable out are those that offer poor customer service.
What is Homebox’s customer service like?
Homebox offers an online chat service that is available once you sign up. They don’t openly list a telephone number on their website or even an email address. Despite this, they appear to have very little bad feedback and reviews.
What do other reviews say about Homebox?
On TrustPilot, Homebox has an excellent rating with 4.7 out of 5 stars. Most customers said the service is quick and easy to use. Most made savings, and the sign up only takes two minutes. No one has so far given them a bad review. The only comment that someone made who gave them 4 out of 5 stars is that it wasn’t clear if the switch was going ahead, so they had to submit the application twice. On Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert forum, there are no threads that specifically discuss Homebox, but auto-switching seems to have both good and bad reviews in general on the site. Some forum members much prefer to search the market manually, and others love the simplicity of services like Homebox which take away the need to manually search every year for a better deal.
How is the Homebox website/app?
The website is simplistic and easy to use. You can navigate the website easily, and signing up is very quick and simple. The energy-saving results are also very clear, and you can see all the information you might need when reviewing your options. It is a very good, clean website to use that works well on both a desktop and mobile.
Currently, Homebox does not have an app to support the service.
How does the Homebox login/portal work?
Once you log in, you will be able to view the details of all your utility bills at a glance. You can search for better energy and broadband deals through the website. While you can’t actively look for a better deal for other utilities, you can input your supplier’s information and monthly bills, so you can easily determine you spend on utility bills, both monthly and yearly. You can also update your account information. Including personal details, your address, and update your preferences, or cancel the energy auto-switching service.
How to cancel/leave Homebox
In your account settings, there is an option to permanently close your account and delete all the data held about you. It is a very simple and straightforward process, which means you don’t have to wait for an email confirmation or make a phone call in order to leave.
Can I trust Homebox? Is it safe to use?
Yes, Homebox is safe to use. All your information is kept secure in a cloud platform, which uses encryption to keep all customer data safe. You can also choose to delete your data at any time should you feel you need to. Any payment details taken are purely for the purpose of passing to the energy or broadband company to set up a direct debit for you once you have chosen to go ahead with your deal.
How does Homebox compare to comparison sites?
Homebox is a utility management platform, which can also provide auto-switching services for your energy supply. Unlike comparison websites, such as Go Compare and Moneysupermarket which will allow you to search for the best deal available and switch to them through their link. Auto-switching services like Homebox will continue to search for the best available deal after your switch. This ensures you are never changed over to the standard tariff when your deal ends. The other benefit of using Homebox is that the results are not ranked depending on who will pay the highest commission. Homebox works with all suppliers, whether they get paid for it or not. The only suppliers that are not taken into account are those which have shown to offer poor customer service.
Is Homebox any good?
If their reviews are anything to go by, then yes. They seem to have developed an excellent platform that allows you to manage your utility bills and see all the information in one place. On top of this, you can also view the best available deals for your energy and broadband supply. You can use the platform switch deals for these utilities. All the reviews seem to indicate is a simple and effective system that meets their customers’ needs.
Are there any alternatives to HomeBox?
HomeBox’s closest competitor is BillBuddy, which also offers management of multiple utility bills, including broadband and energy. Also, you can see mobile phones and insurance deals too. The main difference between the two platforms is Homebox will show you all the available energy deals. Whereas Bill Buddy shows you those that have agreed to pay them a commission – which is common for this type of energy switching company. BillBuddy allows you to check savings for a few other utilities, aside from energy and broadband. Which are the only two that Homebox can currently help you compare and switch with.
Is Homebox the best energy auto-switching service?
It depends on what you are looking for. If it’s only energy supply switching, then there are many options available. If it’s a tool to manage your utilities and monitor the spending you are interested in, then Homebox is an excellent option. The platform is easy to use, current customers have no complaints. They are a growing company, so more utility saving options may come online later. We recommend, that when deciding which service to sign up for that a couple of options are considered to see if the best deal is the same. We would recommend performing a check on a similar website, such as BillBuddy or Look After My Bills, for comparison.
Homebox contact number and details
Homebox does not openly give out their phone number nor email address on their website. However, once you have signed up you can use their online chat system to contact customers’ services if you have any questions.
FAQs
How many customers does Homebox have?
Homebox does not advertise how many customers they currently have, although it’s likely to be in the 1000s.
Does Homebox only do electricity and gas?
No, they can also compare broadband prices for you and set up a new deal. In addition, you also have the option to add all your other utility bills to your account. This means you can review your monthly and yearly spend at a glance.
Are there any incentives for joining Homebox?
No, there are currently no incentives for joining Homebox.
Do they offer a recommend a friend scheme?
No, currently Homebox does not offer a refer a friend scheme.
How to sign up for Homebox?
Sign up from their website is simple and easy, and takes less than 5 minutes. You just need your postcode and details of your current energy supplier to sign up.
How long does it take to switch?
The average switch takes around 3-4 weeks. This will depend on the supplier you are moving from and to though.
Do I need to cancel with my old supplier?
No. Once you initiate the auto-switching service, Homebox will provide the details to your new energy supplier. They will in turn contact your previous supplier and cancel your existing supplier in order to set up your new account. You do not need to do anything to cancel your existing supply.
Can I sign up if I am in credit with my current supplier?
Yes. If you are in credit with your supplier they will refund you after your final bill is issued.
Do they work with prepayment meters?
Yes, Homebox can search for prepayment tariffs for you.
Do they accept Economy 7?
Yes, Homebox can search for Economy tariffs and auto-switch you to the best deal.
Do they work with the Warm Home Discount?
You can’t filter by deals that offer the Warm Home Discount on Homebox. You can however check which suppliers offer this discount, and make sure the deal you choose is to one of these suppliers, so you can have it manually added to your account later.
Can you use Homebox as a tenant?
Yes, if you are a tenant who is responsible for paying the utility bills, Homebox is an excellent way of managing your bills and monitoring your spending. If in doubt, check with your landlord or letting agent.
What happens if you move home with Homebox?
If you move home, you simply need to update your details online, and Homebox will begin searching for a better deal at your new address. You can do this all by logging into the website.
