29 October 2006
Over 13 million households in the UK have opted to switch their energy supplier in order to save money on their utility bills each month, new research has found.
According to a report by uSwitch, these households have saved themselves a combined £17 billion by changing from their old gas and electricity company.
Over 50% of UK households claim to have switched electricity and gas supplier at least once, the survey found.
However the independent online comparison and switching service revealed that as a nation we still have a long way to go in order to get ourselves the best deal, with nine million switching 'virgins' left in the UK who could save themselves around £200 per household.
"Consumers are warming up, wising up and starting to win the energy switching game," Ann Robinson, Consumer Policy Director at uSwitch.com, said.
"It's almost ten years since we started to have a choice as to who our energy suppliers are and this study is a timely reminder of what we can achieve if we shop around for energy deals in the same way as we would a holiday or a mobile phone."
However she warned that although consumers were becoming more aware of the savings offered by switching supplier, many households need to do more to get the most of the energy market.
"I would urge the switching 'virgins' to let go of their inhibitions and begin to benefit from competition. While those who have switched before should make sure that it becomes a regular habit - energy deals and customer service levels change so you can't afford to let the grass grow under your feet."
In terms of location there remains a north/south switching divide in the UK.
Aberdeen currently leads the way for switching supplier (58% of households), while London is bottom of the league with just 42% of consumers choosing to change supplier.
Could you save money by switching? Compare your current energy bills on uSwitch.com and see how much you could save on your bills.