Scheme sees consumers compare energy suppliers - 16/09/2009

A scheme aiming to help consumers save money by looking to switch energy suppliers has seen many Britons take its advice and seek out better deals.

The Energy Best Deal scheme, launched last year by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, saw people from across England and Wales attend advice sessions on how to switch energy providers.

An evaluation of the scheme by the Centre for Sustainable Energy highlighted that before the sessions, 15 per cent of consumers were unaware that they could switch energy providers.

And of those who knew they could swap to a different supplier, a third said they did not know how to go about making the change.

Following the sessions, 45 per cent of consumers went on to compare energy suppliers to get a better deal.

Sarah Harrison, Ofgem's senior partner for sustainable development, said: "This evaluation shows the success of Energy Best Deal and the value, especially in these difficult economic times, of spreading the word about the help available to vulnerable customers."

Meanwhile, the recent announcement that electricity bills are to fall by five per cent in Northern Ireland next month have been met with criticism from the Consumer Council, which branded the price cut "negligible".

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