Switchd Review

What is Switchd?

Switchd is a UK based auto-switching service for your energy supply. Once you sign up with them they will regularly scan the market to identify if there is a better deal out there for you and automatically switch you every time you can make a saving by switching suppliers. Because the whole process is done automatically, Switchd take all the legwork out of finding the best energy deals on the market.

How does Switchd work?

Switchd offers a combination of free and paid subscription plans. The free plan will search for a selection of energy suppliers and their available tariffs. The suppliers included in the free plan are the ones that are willing to pay Switchd a commission for facilitating the switch to them. This is no different to a number of other free auto-switching services available like Look After My Bills. Switchd also offers 3 other plans for which you pay a monthly subscription for. All 3 paid plans mean Switchd will search the whole of the energy market for the best deals available and not just those who are willing to pay a commission fee. The plans available are: Free, Lite, Standard and Premium. Let’s take a quick look at the difference:

With all the plans including the Free plan you will get automatic supplier switching and the ability to contact Switchd by email and their online chat service.

When you choose the Lite plan at £1.99 a month, Switchd will compare energy prices from the whole market. This is in addition to and not just the ones included in the free plan. Plus you’ll be able to contact Switchd by chat and email as in the free plan.

The standard membership costs £3.49 a month and in addition to everything above you’ll also get telephone contact with Switchd.

The third and final option is the premium plan at £4.99 a month. For the additional monthly fee, premium members will also receive contact from Switchd via Whatsapp. Additionally, premium customers will also receive dedicated support with a support agent throughout their membership.

Which plan you choose will depend on your personal preferences. And how much personal support or contact with Switchd you prefer.

How will I know when I have switched suppliers?

Switchd will keep you informed throughout the process and confirm when they have found you a deal. They will continue to update you once the switch has started and throughout the switching process. The method of contact will depend on which subscription plan you have signed up for.

Will I always get moved to a cheaper supplier?

Yes. Switchd will only charge your membership fee (if applicable) where a saving of £50 or more can be made. The same will apply on any subsequent switches.

Is Switchd free?

Switchd offer a mixture of free and paid subscription plans as discussed above. The paid plans mean Switchd will search the whole energy market for you. Whereas the free plan will only search those that will pay Switchd a commission/fee for the switch. The plans are priced from £0-£4.99 a month.

How does Switchd make money?

When you select a free subscription, Switchd make their money by charging the supplier a commission fee for facilitating the switch to their tariff. Because not all suppliers are willing or able to do this, then Switchd also offers a range of paid options. From these, they earn their money through the subscription fee of their various plans.

How much money will Switchd save me?

On their website they state that on average they save their customers on the free plan £300 a year. Customers using their paid services save an average of £400 yearly. However, it will always depend on your location and current energy prices.

Which suppliers do Switchd use?

For the paid plans, Switchd has access to the whole market of Ofgem approved energy providers. This means they will run a search of all the energy suppliers who can supply gas and electricity to your address. On the free plan this is limited to those suppliers that are willing to pay a commission to them. Switchd do not advertise which suppliers are included in their free plan.

What is Switchd customer service like?

On the face of it, it does appear if you pay for a subscription option you do get a greater amount of customer service contact. For example, if you sign up for the free or £1.99 package you may only contact the customer service team by email or using the website messaging service. If you are prepared to part with a little more for a standard or premium subscription, then you get the option to call Switchd customer service with any queries you have or by WhatsApp. With the premium subscription you benefit from dedicated support from a customer service agent. From their Trustpilot reviews, they do receive positive feedback that states customer service agents are helpful and knowledgeable.

What do other reviews say about Switchd?

On Trustpilot Switchd have received 344 customer reviews and are rated 4.5, 83% of Switchd’s customers rate them as excellent. The positive reviews state they make changing energy providers easy. Some state that Switchd have taken all the hassle out of changing suppliers. Others stated that the service is definitely worth the monthly charge to have access to the full range of tariffs to obtain the maximum savings.

At the other end of the scale, those customers that rated them as bad said they had issues with their switch or their subscription not being cancelled when requested. Some said that Switch failed to complete the switch, leaving the customer paying their older, high tariff. Switchd comes up on occasion in Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert forum. The general feeling from members is Switchd don’t do anything that you couldn’t do yourself without paying a fee. Switchd have set up an account on MSE and have answered queries from consumers about how their service works.

How is the Switchd website/app?

The Switchd website is user-friendly. Like many similar platforms to get started you need to enter your postcode and email address. After that Switchd will ask you about your energy supply. The final step before a price estimate will be presented is to select your current supplier and either input your energy usage or monthly spend. At this point Switchd will search for the best available deal for you.

They will present just one option and that will be the deal that will save you the most money overall. At this point, you can also change the option of how much you want to save as a minimum. Or alternatively, whether you want green energy tariffs only. There’s also a box to untick if you do not want to pay exit fees to move tariffs. If the deal looks good to you then you’ll need to enter a few more details and once you have signed up, Switchd will handle the rest of the process for you.

Once you switch energy provdiers, Switchd claims to search 26,000 tariffs on a daily basis and if a better deal is found they will move you across automatically to the best deal. This means that at no point will you have to search for deals manually again and the platform will handle every switch for you.

How does the Switchd login/portal work?

You can log in to your account and view and amend the details of your account and your personal details and address. Switchd also requires you to login and enter a meter reading on a regular basis. This is so they can make sure any switches that are made are in line with your current usage and not an estimate. You can also update any preferences relating to your switch including the minimum saving required to switch. Plus, whether you want to switch to green energy or if you want to upgrade or change your subscription. If you own multiple properties, you can register them all under your account and access the supplier tariffs and deals for each one and also submit meter readings.

How to cancel/leave Switchd

If you decide you want to leave Switchd you can log in to your account and cancel via the user settings. Alternatively, you can call Switchd to cancel on 0203 322 9773.

Can I trust Switchd? Is it safe to use?

Yes, Switchd is a genuine company that was registered in 2016. You can also see on their website that they receive support from Nationwide who are a household name building society. They also have many customer reviews, citing that they genuinely switch energy supply for their customers and make them considerable savings. All payments are secure and you still pay the energy supplier directly for your energy supply.

How does Switchd compare to comparison sites?

Switchd, unlike comparison websites, automatically switches your energy tariff when you sign up. Comparison websites give you a number of different tariff options to switch to once you have entered your current supply details. From the results, you can choose your preferred option. From here they will forward you to the supplier to complete the switch. Comparison sites will not switch you again, but they may send you a reminder to compare energy prices when your deal is due to end. Switchd will present you with only one option which they calculate will give you the greatest savings on your energy bills based on your current usage. They will then continue to switch you onto the best deal as Switchd identify them.

Are Switchd any good?

We believe so. If you want low effort savings on your energy bills and access to the whole market for a small monthly fee they could save you significant effort of comparing different tariffs yourself which can be time-consuming and confusing. They will then continue to do this on a daily basis and will update you if a better deal becomes available. For the savings you could achieve it’s certainly worth considering joining Switchd.

Are there any alternatives to Switchd?

Switchd’s closest competition is Flipper. Flipper is also an auto-switching platform that charges customers a fee but on an annual basis instead of monthly. They also search the whole market just like Switchd. There are also a number of free auto-switching platforms including BillBuddy and Look After My Bills. Just like Switchd’s free subscription, they will only switch you to a supplier that will agree to pay their fee for facilitating the switch.

Is Switchd the best energy auto switching service?

It’s certainly one to consider. If you are willing to pay a monthly fee to access tariffs for the whole energy market they are an excellent option. The platform is user-friendly and their customer feedback is very good. Which one you consider the best energy auto switching service will depend on your own preferences. For example, if you would prefer to confirm your switches before you go ahead then BillBuddy may be another platform to consider. However, if you want a free auto-switching service then Look After my Bills may be worth a look as well to ascertain if the savings are in line with each other.

Switchd contact number and details

Switchd’s phone number isn’t available for general use. The number to cancel your membership is: 0203 322 9773

You can contact the Switchd team by email: team@switchd.co.uk

FAQs

How many customers does Switchd have?

Switchd doesn’t openly advertise how many customers they currently have. We can assume based on the number of Trustpilot reviews (315) it is considerably less than companies like Look After My Bills who have over 25,000 reviews comparatively.

Does Switchd only do electric and gas?

Yes, Switchd will only auto-switch your gas and electricity supply. They do not deal with any other utility bills at this time.

Are there any incentives for joining Switchd?

There are currently no incentives to join Switchd outside their standard price plans.

Do they offer a recommend a friend scheme?

Yes they do offer a refer a friend scheme. We cannot currently confirm what the incentive is, but the details are available to members via the dashboard.

How to sign up for Switchd

After performing a search for the best energy deal on their website, if you are happy you simply need to enter your personal details to sign up and select your subscription option.

How long does it take to switch?

The average switch takes about 3 weeks from start to finish, but it does depend on the supplier. Switchd can advise you of the current switch time once you select your deal.

Do I need to cancel with my old supplier?

No, once you join Switchd they handle the whole process for you. That includes cancelling your old energy supply.

Can I sign up if I am in credit with my current supplier?

Yes. Being in credit shouldn’t prevent you from switching energy suppliers. Once your switch is complete and your final bill issued you will receive a refund of any credit from your old supplier.

Do they work with pre-payment meters?

Switchd do offer the option to search for deals on prepayment tariffs. But your options are likely to be limited.

Do they accept Economy 7?

Yes. Switchd can search and auto-switch you to other Economy 7 tariffs.

Do they work with the Warm Home Discount?

Yes. When choosing your energy supply options you can select if you qualify for the Warm Home Discount.

Can you use Switchd as a tenant?

Yes, as long as you are responsible for paying the energy bills at your rented property. It’s advisable to check there is nothing in your contract that says you cannot change suppliers. If there isn’t there is no reason you shouldn’t take advantage of auto-switching services like Switchd.

What happens if you move home with Switchd?

If you are already a member of Switchd and you move home, simply go to your dashboard and click the moving home button. Switchd will then ask for the details of your new home. When you do this, Switchd will stop searching for the best deal at your existing property. Once your chosen moving date arrives, the platform will automatically start searching for the best deal at your new address.