Shopping around and switching suppliers is confirmed to lead to significant savings after a government programme saved 130,000 homes a combined £38 million, according to The Energy Advice Line.
Julian Morgan, managing director of the price comparison, switching and advice service for energy users, said consumers who doubted the benefits of changing suppliers should heed the findings of the programme.
The four-week Power To Switch campaign, launched by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on February 16, urged people to switch energy companies and save money.
The DECC said 350,000 people had visited its website in the month after the launch, and 130,000 households had switched energy supplier. This was 80% more than over the same period the year before.
Analysis showed consumers had saved £38 million – or an average £312 per household – up 60% on the previous year.
“These results should be a wakeup call to the majority of consumers who still don’t think it is worth their while to shop around and find a cheaper energy deal,” Mr Morgan said.
“The proof is there for all to see: suppliers offer terrific deals in order to win new business, and the savings can run into hundreds of pounds.
“Consumers want better deals from suppliers and they are there to be found if you look.
“The results of this campaign should also encourage the government to keep promoting the benefits of switching as there is still a long way to go before most consumers are convinced.”
Mr Morgan said it was now the perfect time for consumers to shop around and look for good deals as many fixed-term tariffs finished at the end of March.
Those consumers who did nothing and simply shifted to a standard tariff could typically be paying more than £100 a year more than if they locked into a new fixed-term deal.
February was the first month that many energy companies, including the Big Six major suppliers, introduced cheaper tariffs, so there were good deals available for consumers coming to the end of fixed deals.
“Our advice is to simply give us a call or go online and do a quick comparison to see if there are any savings that you can make – chances are high that you will,” Mr Morgan said.
“The other thing to remember that a service like ours won’t cost you a thing and doesn’t take long at all, so there’s really nothing to lose.
“Importantly, we are totally independent and have a wide range of suppliers on our panel, so you can be sure of finding an excellent deal.”
The Energy Advice Line is one of the UK's leading price comparison and switching services for business and domestic energy customers. It is also an advocate for energy market reform and has campaigned for a better deal for energy users, including calling for a ban on cold calling and changes to regulations to make it easier for all consumers to switch suppliers.
The service is completely independent and free. Consumers can quickly and simply search the market for the best available energy deals from an extensive panel of small and large energy suppliers. The service also offers a free advice line for business energy customers.
For further information visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk