Growth of the 'tariff tart'

Commenting on Ofgem reporting the highest level of switching for five years, Paul Schofield, head of utilities at price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said: "Encouraging as it is to see consumers joining the switching race, Ofgem's figures can be attributed to the growth of the 'tariff tart'. So, it's not a case of more people changing their tariffs, but merely the same people changing more frequently.

"There are still 63 per cent of Brits languishing on a standard tariff and paying over the odds. Instead of signing up online and then paying monthly by direct debit, people are still getting a bill mailed to them every three months and paying by cash or cheque.

“I predict these consumers will embrace switching fever in the next few months, especially now that all of the big six energy giants have hiked their prices. The average standard quarterly cash or cheque tariff for medium users of gas and electricity is now over £1,000. There has never been a better time for customers to change their payment method and save pounds.

"But there are savings to be made. npower is a classic example; at only £795 for its SOL10 tariff – now the cheapest in all 14 regions of Britain – consumers can save over £300 a year."