How comparison sites work

What a comparison site does

A comparison site gathers deals from many providers, lets you filter by what matters to you, and ranks the results so you can see your options side by side. Instead of visiting a dozen supplier websites, you enter your details once and compare like for like in one place.

How they make money

Most comparison sites, Switch included, earn a commission from a provider when you sign up to one of their deals through the site. It costs you nothing, and a well-run site does not let commission decide the order of results. Switch ranks by what is best for you, not by what pays the most, and shows the full cost rather than a tempting headline figure. Switch is a comparison service, not a supplier, so it never sells you energy, broadband or mobile directly.

Getting accurate results

• Use real figures. Your actual energy usage in kWh, or your real data needs, give an accurate comparison. Guesses give guesses.
• Compare total cost. Look at the annual or full-term cost, not just the monthly or per-unit price, which can hide setup fees and rises.
• Check the detail. Contract length, exit fees and what is included all change the value of a deal.

Are you seeing every deal?

No single site shows literally every tariff on the market, and some deals are direct-only. A good comparison covers the great majority and is upfront about it. It is always fine to sanity-check a shortlist against a provider's own site before you commit.

Use it as a starting point

A comparison narrows hundreds of options down to a sensible shortlist in minutes. From there, read the key terms and pick the deal that fits, whether that is energy, broadband or mobile. The work it saves is the hours you would spend checking providers one by one.

The bottom line

Comparison sites collect and rank deals so you can choose quickly, and they earn a commission when you sign up, at no cost to you. Enter accurate details, compare on total cost, and use the results as a strong shortlist rather than the final word.