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We seem to suffer from continually rising utility bills; an experience which is amplified during retirement when we spend more time in our homes.

Gas prices and electricity prices can vary wildly between suppliers which means switching utility suppliers can save you a great deal of money. Many people have changed from having a separate gas and electricity suppliers to having one utility supplier who provides both. These dual fuel plans are usually less expensive than individual gas and electricity plans because they tend to feature incentives and price reductions.

Feedback suggests that based on historical reliability, Energylinx provide the most comprehensive and unbiased comparison service. Click on the one of the above energy symbols.

FALSE ECONOMY 7?

Economy 7 Is an electricity pricing tariff originally introduced in the 1970s. It is distinguished by "Day" and "Night" dials on the meter (often substituted with 'normal and low', 'high and low' etc If your home has electric night storage heaters or you’re an insomniac who hoovers, whilst the washing machine machine, tumble drier and plasma screen tv are all running in the early hours before the milkman has got out of bed then Economy 7 may still work for you.

However, for many of us Economy 7 is a false economy.

This is because we consume most of electricity during the day and Economy 7 tariffs generally charge much more for daytime units!

As a rule of thumb a minimum of 20% of your overall electricity consumption needs to be between 1am and 7am to stand a chance of benefiting from Economy 7.

All is not lost, most energy suppliers will change your meter to a single tariff meter at no cost to you.

A YouGov survey (April 2009) found that 75% of people thought their energy bills are baffling.

This needn't be the case. Shopping around for other utility supplier options is really easy using tools like the utility comparison tool below, which can help you learn which gas supplier or electricity supplier can offer you the best prices on your utility bills.

Once you know who you’re switching to, simply follow the steps to finalise your switch online.

Your new utility supplier will contact your old utility supplier to arrange the transfer of your gas or electricity supply, and they will use the same pipes, wires, and meters.

It should be truly hassle-free, and the only difference will be the size of your bills and the company name at the top of them.