Not bothering to swap energy suppliers costs Brits an extra £1,500 – here’s how you can switch
Families can save up to £300 a year - the same as one month's food bill - if they switch energy supplier. Here's how to cut down on your fuel bill
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FAILING to switch energy supplier has cost millions of UK households more than £1,500 over the past six years, campaigners have warned.
More than a third of UK households - or nine MILLION - didn't change gas or electricity provider between 2012 and 2017, according to Ofgem figures.
Even though switching supplier could save you up to £300 a year, 33 per cent of people say they can't see the point because they believe all suppliers are the same, a YouGov poll for the Big Energy Saving Week campaign found.
The YouGov survey found that 65 per cent of people would read reviews when planning to spend £1,000 but just 16 per cent read any reviews about their new energy supplier or tariff when they last switched.
The research is part of the Big Energy Saving Week, led by campaigners to help customers to cut fuel bills and raise awareness of the financial support you are entitled to.
Led by the Energy Saving Trust, Citizens Advice and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) aims to help households lower their spending on energy.
How to switch energy suppliers and save money now
MILLIONS of households across the UK have never switched and are stuck paying more than they should.
If in doubt, call your provider and ask them to move you to their cheapest tariff.
Better still, use an impartial copmarision website like , or like or to find the very best deal for you.
The cheapest tariffs are usually found online and are fixed deals – meaning you guarantee how much you’ll pay for a set amount of time, usually 12 months.
Switching to a cheaper supplier could cut your bill by up to £300 a year.
The amount you pay varies depending on where you live and how much energy you use.
Philip Sellwood from the trust said: "The difference between the average standard variable tariff and the cheapest deal on the market is significant, but millions of households still aren't accessing these savings.
"To put that into context, switching this year could save you up to £300 - equivalent to more than a month's worth of food shopping.
"In other words, if you haven't switched for six years, you've missed out on more than six months of food shopping."
Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: "Energy bills make up a large proportion of household outgoings, but five million vulnerable consumers will have their energy prices capped for the first time this winter.
"While I am working to get rip off energy tariffs capped for all consumers as quickly as possible, Big Energy Saving Week is highlighting how people can slash their bills now by switching."
Customers often fall into the trap of letting their contract roll on, even when they are no longer tied in. Often, these rates are much higher than if they took out a new policy.
Smaller energy firms are top of the charts when it comes to customer service - and can save you a packet when compared to the big six suppliers.
Which?'s annual survey found smaller and medium-sized companies like Utility Warehouse, Flow Energy, and Octopus Energy, are continuing to wow customers who have taken the plunge and switched from the biggest providers.
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In contrast the big six - British Gas, EDF Energy, Npower, E.On, Scottish Power and SSE, are all in the bottom 10, with Npower coming rock bottom.
Soon we could see the big six go down to the big five as SSE and Npower announce plan to merge.
But experts are warning that it’s far from good news for consumers who could see the price of energy rise as a result.
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