Alex Dickson

The Future of Switching

Free Press: five lessons in ‘spotlighting’ from a successful London start-up

So how exactly does a fintech start-up with a lean media budget compete with companies twenty times the size? In this post, I reveal my five top tips for getting in the news – without forking out thousands on professional public relations.

Landlords overstating how energy efficient properties are in online listings

Switchcraft surveyed local authorities, which will be responsible for enforcing the energy efficiency rules, and found that several do not have the resources to properly enforce the policy. Just under half of councils did not submit a report on energy efficiency in 2017, as they were supposed to, while 59pc are not “directly targeting landlords”, Switchcraft said...

Energy auto-switching sites 'can leave customers paying more'

Alex Dickson, head of research at auto switch site Switchcraft, said: “Auto switching has revolutionised the UK energy landscape by helping hundreds of thousands of households engage an overly complex utility market and cut their energy bills by some £80m. After decades of ring-fencing customers, energy suppliers are now coming to terms with a new more flexible switching system.”...

Energy bills: Why billpayers could get £30 from May 2020 after 'massive win' for consumers

Alex Dickson, head of research at Switchcraft.co.uk, commented: “The regulator's decision to move ahead with automatic compensation is a massive win for consumers, and ultimately the UK energy industry as a whole...

EDF cuts energy bills by up to £17 a year - but you could save hundreds of pounds by switching

MILLIONS of EDF customers will see energy bills fall from April as the provider cuts prices in line with the regulator's new cap. Alex Dickson, head of research at energy switching tool Switchcraft.co.uk, added: “If consumers think the cap will protect them from paying over the odds for energy, they are sadly mistaken...

Energy price cap to fall this summer but switch now to save £300

Alex Dickson, head of research at auto switching site Switchcraft, said “Instead of encouraging consumers to engage the market, the cap is a voice that says ‘don’t worry, you can’t be overcharged anymore.’ Consumers need to be told in the clearest possible language they’re out of contract; at the moment the opposite is happening.”

Change to rules on energy bills is great news for 11 million homes

Alex Dickson, head of research at Switchcraft.co.uk, said: "The gap between the default price cap and market-leading energy deals is as wide as it's ever been. A full £375 separates Ofgem's new ceiling price from the cheapest deal available to consumers today...

Energy price cap to fall by £17 a year - but you can switch and save now

MILLIONS of households will save £17 a year on their energy bills after energy regulator Ofgem announced plans to lower its price cap. Alex Dickson, head of research at energy switching tool Switchcraft.co.uk, said:..

Energy prices to drop for 15m households as Ofgem lowers cap

Alex Dickson, head of research at Switchcraft, an auto-switching service, said: “The gap between the default price cap and market-leading energy deals is as wide as it has ever been,” he added, and called on suppliers to scrap names such as “flexible”, “basic” and “simple” from their tariffs...

Radio 4 - You and Yours, Cold Tenants, Travel Insurance, Wrong Pet Breed

Research by Switchcraft, an energy auto-switching service that helps people in fuel poverty, shows that more than a quarter of a million landlords are still renting out homes that don't comply. We speak to a tenant who's been living in a freezing cold property for three years and Richard Lambert, Chief Executive of the National Landlords Association.

Thousands of landlords risking £5,000 fines ahead of energy efficiency deadline

Switchcraft, a switching service, analysed more than 18 million energy performance certificates (EPCs), which rate a property's energy efficiency. It found that more than 250,000 investors are yet to carry out vital upgrades ahead of the new regulations...

Energy price cap predicted to fall

Experts predict the cap will fall due to a drop in wholesale prices. According to auto-switching site Switchcraft, wholesale gas prices are 20% lower than they were when the price cap was last set...

Is your landlord breaking the law by renting out a cold home? How to check

Switchcraft's research found that tenants paying up to five time more for their heating due to poor energy efficiency. “Tenants living in rentals rated F or G are the worst affected, with some paying over £2,000 more a year to live in some of the UK’s coldest, and soon to be illegal, homes.” “Switchcraft is urging all renters to check if their property meets new minimum standards, whether they’re in the middle of a tenancy or beginning a new one.”...

Energy bills warning: Brits urged to watch out as overnight price hikes are just days away

In a bid to help members of the public to get on top of their energy bills this winter, Alex Dickson, Head of Research at Switchcraft has offered some top tips on how billpayers can make their money go further...

Energy switches reach record highs

What can consumers do if they want to switch energy suppliers? New products and apps have sprung up to help consumers who want to change their energy provider. Switchcraft, for example, is a free service that automatically switches its customers to cheaper energy providers.

‘Opaque’ wholesale market propping up energy bills

Efforts to lower energy bills, such as the price cap on default tariffs, will continue to flounder so long as most gas and electricity is bought and sold through “opaque” bilateral contracts or supplied to consumers without being traded at all, Switchcraft has argued.

Start-ups put their faith in tech for good

Switchcraft comments on the role of fintech in helping vulnerable consumers...

Unlimited Energy Tariffs | Unlimited Energy

Depending on your current gas and electricity consumption, getting an unlimited energy tariff could be the way to go. Although rare in the energy market, some households are opting for paying a lump sum to enjoy as much energy they use. Read on to find out why.