UK gets in the switching habit
(29 June 2007)

UK energy consumers are finally getting the message it seems with new figures showing 13 million households in the UK have switched energy suppliers, saving £1.7 billion.

More than half (51 per cent) now claim to have switched energy suppliers at least once, says uSwitch.com.

However, the comparison site said while those who have switched have saved around £1.7 billion in total, there are still further savings to be made, and a long way to go, before consumers become seasoned switchers and start making competition work for them.

Ann Robinson, consumer policy director at uSwitch.com, said: "Consumers are warming up, wising up and starting to win the energy switching game. 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, although we are warming up to switching, we are still not using all our powers as consumers to make the energy market work for us."

She urged all switching 'virgins' to let go of their inhibitions and begin to benefit from competition.