Guides and explainers
Smart and dynamic electricity tariffs
The company behind the energy tariff: who each supplier really is
A tariff is sold by a named registered company, so comparing the legal entity, home market, company age and support routes tells you which energy suppliers belong on your shortlist.
Broadband providers
How to choose a broadband provider
Broadband choice comes down to entry price, contract length, upload headroom and setup cost, and Abissnet and Astound sit at opposite ends of most of those fields.
Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs)
How to choose cheap cell phone plans from MVNOs
Cheap MVNO plans come down to entry price, billing period, data limits, host network, features and support, and this guide works through each with examples from the listings.
Smart and dynamic electricity tariffs
How to Choose Smart and Dynamic Electricity Tariffs
A step by step way to compare smart and dynamic electricity tariffs on unit rate, standing charge, contract length, exit fees, export rates and features, using Powerpeers, Endesa and ELECTRICITY RATINGS as worked examples.
Energy suppliers
How to choose energy suppliers
Compare energy suppliers on unit rate, standing charge, contract length and contract type, using four well known names as worked examples of how the same fields line up across markets.
Switching and bill services
How to choose a switching and bill service
A switching and bill service does the legwork of moving you between energy suppliers, so the choice comes down to market coverage, supplier count, switching costs and how reachable the help desk is.
Phone plans with eSIM
How to choose a phone plan with eSIM
Choosing an eSIM phone plan comes down to the starting price, the data and roaming rules, the contract length and the support you get, so here is a section by section method using listings from Astound, Lonestar Cell MTN and …
EV tariffs and home chargers
How to choose EV tariffs and home chargers
Compare EV tariffs and home chargers on price, installation, charging power, tariff terms, features and warranty, with DRBO Greenenergy, Endesa and EVSE - Enphase as worked examples.
Full fibre providers
How to choose full fibre providers: price, speed, contract and kit
Full fibre providers differ most in delivery method, upload headroom and contract length, so compare Abissnet and Astound on those columns before you look at price, kit and support.
Green energy suppliers
How to choose a green energy supplier
Green energy suppliers differ most in tariff type, unit rate, standing charge and contract length, so compare each in that order against the published figures for 100Green, Octopus Energy, Powerpeers and Vattenfall.
Mobile networks
How to choose a mobile network
Choosing a mobile network comes down to entry price, billing style, data limits, roaming and support, and these four operators take a different position on each.
Phone plans without a credit check
How to choose phone plans without a credit check
Lycamobile, Simpel and Youfone all offer phone plans with no credit check, and choosing between them comes down to how you pay, how much data you need, what roaming you want and how long you are willing to commit.
Energy tariffs without exit fees
How to choose energy tariffs without exit fees
Exit fees are only the first filter: here is how to weigh unit rates, standing charges, contract length, tariff types and support across suppliers that charge nothing to leave.
Prepaid phone plans
How to choose a prepaid phone plan
Prepaid plans differ in billing type, entry price, data limits, roaming and commitment length, so compare each of those in turn rather than the starting price alone.
Broadband without a long contract
Broadband without a long contract: how to compare Astound and EarthLink
Two US providers can both sell on monthly terms and still leave you very differently exposed, so the entry price, the price after the promotion and the cost of leaving deserve equal weight.
SIM-only deals
How to choose SIM-only deals: prices, limits and contracts
A step-by-step way to compare SIM-only providers on entry price, unlimited plans, contract length, roaming and support, with GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN, yesss! and Astound as worked examples.
Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs)
The company behind the mobile plan: legal entity, home base and support
Every mobile plan belongs to a named company in a named country, and checking the legal entity, the support routes and the launch year tells you how much weight to put on what you are quoted.
Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs)
Mobile plan core features: what to compare
A beginner's route through 5G, eSIM, wifi calling, hotspot sharing, multi-line discounts, data rollover and roaming on plans from 019 Mobile, 1&1, 1pMobile, 2degrees, 3 Denmark, 3 Macau, 4ka and 50plus Mobiel.
Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs)
Mobile plan pricing: how to compare entry and unlimited prices
Most providers publish an entry tier and an unlimited tier, and the gap between those prices, the currency they are quoted in and the billing period decide which plan suits the way you use data.