Consumers 'eager to save on energy bills'

Many of us in the UK dislike the post.

It hardly ever brings good news, even birthday cards are increasingly seen as conformation of the inevitable aging process.

But, surely the worst thing to thud through the letter box is the utility bill, especially in winter when the increasing cost of central heating is often forgotten in favour of a long soak in a bath and piping hot radiators.

As fossil fuels dwindle, these bills are getting bigger and blowing a large hole into our budgets.

And the urge to save money on utility bills is driving people to desperate measures.

Which? has found that consumers are blindly agreeing to switch tariffs in supermarkets and other shopping destinations without having any real idea if it will save them money in the long term.

Customers were told that they could make savings of between £20 and £142, but the consumer champion found that some were actually agreeing to deals that could make them up to £311 out of pocket.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of the group, said: "We want the energy suppliers to build confidence among consumers that switching is both simple and worthwhile. That is why we've launched The Big Switch.

"By joining together we can bargain harder and negotiate the best possible deal. The more people who sign up the stronger our bargaining power will be with the energy companies."

There are easier more effective ways of reducing your energy bill.

The Energy Saving Trust said money saving tips include installing solar panels.

Homeowners will find that their electricity usage will fall as the solar photovoltaics cells in the devices will convert the energy from the sun straight into power which can be used in the home's appliances.

The Trust also states that bills can be reduced by clever use of loft and wall insulation.