? Our top rated supplier Octopus Energy is currently offering £50 credit to any new customer that uses our referral link. Click below to see why we rate them so highly and get your £50.
Last updated: 2nd July 2021
What is MSE AutoSwitch?
In 2020, Money Saving Expert (MSE) owned by the MoneySupermarket group launched their own energy auto-switching service, which runs alongside the popular MSE cheap energy club.
The service allows users to sign up and find an energy deal that saves them money, and then switches them to a cheaper tariff when their deal is about to expire, or where another tariff would save them money.
The service continues to do this yearly to make sure you as a customer always benefit from the best deals.
How does MSE AutoSwitch work?
To use MSE AutoSwitch, you’ll need to go through the MSE cheap energy club webpage. From here, you’ll be presented with three options: Help me pick a tariff and switch me every year is the one you want to select for the auto-switching service.
The others will search for the best deal or solely perform a comparison check for you.
Your details
Once you select this option, you will need to provide MSE AutoSwitch with some details.
Starting with your address, energy supplier, details of your current tariff name and monthly spend.
If you don’t know your spend, MSE Autoswitch will estimate it for you. However, please bear in mind it’s far more accurate to check your bill and enter the details from there.
You will also need to set up a password and provide your email address to continue.
What’s important to you
Once this is all done, the MSE Autoswitch service will ask what factors are important to you when seeking an energy supplier. This is done by allocating 21 points across 6 categories.
The MSE AutoSwitch algorithm will then search the market and can show you the top three tariffs that best fit your personal needs and save you money.
The categories you can allocate your points to are: Price, customer service, green energy, fixed-rate, well-known supplier and no exit fees.
This means that the price does not purely drive the results, but also what you believe is important.
The search
Once you’ve used up all your points, MSE Autoswitch will search the whole market and pick the best tariffs for you.
You’ll receive the MSE AutoSwitches 3 top picks based on your preferences. These will all be ones that the platform has a relationship with.
To view the whole market, you need to scroll down and pick that option and rerun the search to ascertain if the recommendation changes.
Even if the best supplier isn’t one MSE Autoswitch works with, they will still show you the option and tell you the next best option that they could switch you to instead if you want to use their auto-switching service.
If you would rather go with the best deal, you can still sign up for it through MSE. However, it simply means they can’t auto switch you next year when your deal ends.
If you decide to go ahead with an offer from a supplier MSE AutoSwitch has a relationship with they will take care of the whole switching process on your behalf once you have completed sign up.
How will I know when I have switched supplier?
MSE AutoSwitch will keep you updated on your switch throughout the process by email. When it’s time to switch again, they will email you with the best deal for the next year.
You’ll need to confirm you are happy for the MSE AutoSwitch to go ahead before anything will happen.
Will I always get moved to a cheaper supplier?
Yes. When using the auto switch service, the platform will always suggest a cheaper tariff than the one you are currently on where applicable.
How much of a saving you can make will depend on in part, how you allocate your preference points.
If you decided being with a big name supplier and top customer service were your priorities, for example, you may find that the savings are not as significant compared to making price your top priority.
Is MSE AutoSwitch free?
Yes, it’s completely free for customers to use, and is part of the variety of money-saving tools within the MSE Cheap Energy Club.
How does MSE AutoSwitch make money?
The suppliers which MSE AutoSwitch can transfer you to pay the platform a fixed fee for facilitating the switch. All suppliers pay the same fee to avoid bias.
The unique feature of MSE AutoSwitch is they will still tell you what the best energy deal is, even if they cannot switch you through their service.
How much money will MSE AutoSwitch save me?
On their Cheap Energy Club page, they state they could save you £100s a year by switching.
On average, MSE AutoSwitch customers save between £150-£250 a year.
Some customers state they have saved much more after being stuck on standard tariffs for years!
Which suppliers does MSE AutoSwitch use?
MSE AutoSwitch searches the whole energy market.
Not all suppliers work with MSE AutoSwitch. However, you will still receive the option to join that supplier if it is your preferred option outside of the auto switching agreement.
MSE AutoSwitch states in their FAQ that although they search the whole market, there may be times that not every deal is available.
For example, if a new deal comes on the market from a small supplier that has not yet sent their rates to MSE. Or in the case of very smart tariffs, where the rates change daily, hourly or even more often.
What is MSE AutoSwitch customer service like?
Despite the popularity of the Money Saving Expert brand, they have very poor customer service feedback.
Many customers state they haven’t received adequate customer service, or rewards for switching are not paid out as promised.
One thing to be aware of when reading the customer reviews is they are for the whole of MoneySavingExpert.com, and not only the MSE AutoSwitch/Cheap energy club brand.
This means the reviews are diverse, and some relate to the website as a whole, not simply their energy switching service.
Unfortunately, they have only replied to 14% of their negative reviews, which doesn’t come across well either.
What do other reviews say about MSE AutoSwitch?
MSE AutoSwitch scored only 2.2 out of 5 on TrustPilot, which is surprising considering the popularity of the MSE brand.
As mentioned above, we have to remember this includes the whole of the Money Saving Expert website and services.
When you filter the 60% of excellent reviews they have received, most sing the praises of the MSE AutoSwitch and Cheap Energy Club experience.
Most people have acquired considerable savings and have stated the platform is better than its competitors.
At the other end of the scale, the customers who rated the service as bad said they were still waiting for their cash back rewards after a year. Others have complained they have ended up paying more after their switch.
When checking Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert Forum, many members are still not on board with auto-switching. The members that comment have a firm belief that in most cases it pays to search the market yourself using the comparison tool. It’s really all down to personal preference though.
How is the MSE AutoSwitch website/app?
You can access the MSE AutoSwitch service through the Cheap Energy Club.
From the homepage, you’ll need to pick the first option, choose me an energy tariff every year. From here, you’ll be taken through the steps to get your best deal.
Compared to similar sites, it takes much longer to get the price because of the amount of information you need to provide upfront.
Things like being able to specify what you want in an energy supplier is a nice touch and creates a different algorithm for the results. But if you want quick and simple prices, this is possibly not the best option for you.
If you’re willing to spend a few minutes going through the process, then it is of course completely worth doing.
How does the MSE AutoSwitch login/portal work?
When you log in to MSE AutoSwitch, you can view all your details and recommended deals, and run comparison checks.
You can also change your preferences to discover how that affects your results.
How to cancel/leave MSE AutoSwitch?
From the member’s area, select settings, scroll down and click leave the MSE Cheap Energy Club to close your account.
It’s worth noting that doing this will not cancel any switches that are already in progress. You’ll need to contact your energy supplier to cancel the switch.
Can I trust MSE AutoSwitch? Is it safe to use?
Yes, the platform is safe to use.
It’s a free service that does genuinely compare the prices of energy tariffs.
They do not handle your money directly. This is done through the energy suppliers as part of your agreement with them.
Martin Lewis’ MSE AutoSwitch is a trusted brand and part of the MoneySuperMarket group.
How does MSE AutoSwitch compare to comparison sites?
MSE AutoSwitch will give you the top three picks for you to switch to.
A comparison site, like the one you will also find on the cheap energy club, will compare prices for the whole market, so you can see everything available to your property.
It depends on your personal preferences, which will work better for you.
Is MSE AutoSwitch any good?
MSE AutoSwitch is hugely popular and has the name of Martin Lewis’ MoneySaving Expert behind it.
They provide a valuable service to suit all needs, including price comparisons and auto-switching.
The algorithms can be adjusted to filter results by what really matters to you when switching suppliers instead of being purely driven by price.
They are unique because they search the whole market for you, not simply suppliers that will pay them a commission.
Are there any alternatives to MSE AutoSwitch?
Yes, there are a few.
One of the most well-known is Look After My Bills. They also offer an auto switching service which is free.
The main difference is LAMB will not scan the whole market, they will only suggest one supplier who they deem to give the greatest savings. They only recommend suppliers who have agreed to pay them a commission.
The same is true for platforms, such as Swichd and BillBuddy.
Is MSE AutoSwitch the best energy auto switching service?
It’s a good auto-switching service with some unique features.
Being part of the cheap energy club gives customers multiple options on how to find the best deal.
It’s always worth checking at least one other competitor’s website to investigate how the best deals compare, to make sure you are truly getting the best offer.
MSE AutoSwitch contact number and details
Currently, the only method you can contact MSE AutoSwitch by is email: energyclub@moneysavingexpert.com
When contacting them, they ask that you provide your full name, the address you joined them with, and your postcode.
FAQs
How many customers do MSE AutoSwitch have?
MSE AutoSwitch/Cheap Energy Club has over 36,000 customers.
It’s not clear what percentage of these use the AutoSwitching service, so this is a mixture of all customers using the cheap energy club services.
Does MSE AutoSwith only do electric and gas?
Yes, MSE AutoSwitch is only for your energy supply.
You can use other services on the MSE website to check for broadband and mobile phone deals as well. However, these are not part of the MSE AutoSwitch service.
Are there any incentives for joining MSE Autoswitch?
Many of the tariffs on MSE AutoSwitch have a £25 cashback incentive. Once you have signed up, the cashback is usually paid 3-6 months after a successful switch is made.
Do they offer a recommend a friend scheme?
No currently, MSE AutoSwitch does not currently offer a refer a friend scheme.
How to sign up for MSE AutoSwitch?
You need to visit the Cheap Energy Club page on the Money Saving Expert and follow the sign up process.
This involves entering your personal details and information about your energy supply. Once you have chosen your deal, you can continue to sign up for the switch.
It is a fairly straightforward process. You’ll just need some basic information on your current energy supply.
If you are a direct debit customer, you’ll also need the details for setting this up handy.
How long does it take to switch?
A straightforward switch takes around 3 weeks. The exact time will depend on the suppliers you are switching from and to, as they all have different timelines.
Do I need to cancel with my old supplier?
No, once you start the switching process, MSE AutoSwitch will handle the whole process and keep you updated along the way.
Can I sign up if I am in credit with my current supplier?
Yes. Being in credit should never prevent you from switching suppliers.
Once your switch is complete and your final bill is issued, you should receive a refund of any credit from your original supplier.
Do they work with prepayment meters?
Yes, MSE AutoSwitch can search prepayment tariffs. However, the search results are likely to be limited.
Do they accept Economy 7?
Yes, the MSE AutoSwitch service can switch you to other Economy 7 tariffs. As with prepayment tariffs, the results will be more limited.
Do they work with the Warm Home Discount?
Yes. If the energy supplier you switch to accepts the Warm Home Discount. This can be incorporated into your switch.
Can you use MSE AutoSwitch as a tenant?
Yes. If you are responsible for paying the utility bills at your rented property, there is no reason you shouldn’t use MSE AutoSwitch.
If in doubt, your landlord or letting agent can confirm. Even if your landlord has a preferred supplier, there is usually still some leeway if you ultimately pay the bill.
Some may request that you switch back at the end of your tenancy period however.
What happens if you move home with MSE AutoSwitch?
If you’ve set up an auto switch, you should update your account details as soon as possible after moving.
Certainly this should be done before MSE AutoSwitch is next due to search for a tariff for you.
You just need to login to your account to update your details.
It’s also advisable when moving to take a final meter reading to give to your old supplier to close off the account at your previous address. MSE AutoSwitch will not do this for you, so you will need to contact your supply directly to inform them you have moved out.
