Gas and Electricity Guide Do you want to know more about kilowatt hours?  Fair enough.  Energy is one of the biggest household expenses.  You will have noticed energy prices rising rapidly over the past few years.  Knowing more about gas and electricity will enable you to reduce your bill. energyhelpline.com can help you compare energy prices and switch to the cheapest supplier, which could save you hundreds of pounds.  If you’ve got any questions, you can phone our call centre which is UK-based and free to call.

Kilowatt hours

Kilowatt hours are the commercial unit of electrical energy.  One kilowatt hour is equal to the work done by a power of 1,000 watts in one hour.  Kilowatt hours are used to calculate the cost of electricity used by your home.

•    Why do we pay so much for our kilowatt hours of electricity?
•    Kilowatt hours: how to find cheaper electricity
•    Kilowatt hours: switch online and save on electricity

Why do we pay so much for our kilowatt hours of electricity?

You may have noticed massive increases in the price you pay for the kilowatt hours of electricity you consume.  As 40% of UK electricity comes from gas-fuelled power stations, the price per kilowatt hour is largely dictated by wholesale gas prices.

In 2002, wholesale gas prices began to rise at an unprecedented rate.  As the world economy has grown, demand has pushed wholesale gas prices through the roof.  The UK's North Sea fields have declined faster than predicted, so the UK has been forced to import more gas from Europe.  At the same time, the price of oil has risen massively, which has also driven up wholesale gas prices.

Kilowatt hours: how to find cheaper electricity

You could cut the cost per kilowatt hour by as much as 30% by switching to the cheapest electricity deal available to you.  In minutes, you can compare ALL electricity companies with energyhelpline.com's comparison service.  All you have to do is enter some basic details, like your postcode, and our price comparison calculator will show you the cheapest electricity companies, based on your specific circumstances.

Kilowatt hours: switch online and save on electricity

Once you’ve found the company with the best price per kilowatt hour, you’ll want to sign-up and start saving as soon as possible.  Simple – you can switch using our website.  We will ask for some personal information such as your name and address, and then pass these details securely to your chosen provider.  Your new electricity supplier will write to you to confirm your switch.