Why bother to switch energy provider?

The Prime Minister and the Energy Minister, Ed Davey, were unanimous in their response to the British Gas price hike this week by 10 per cent, about four times the rate of inflation – described judiciously by the PM as ‘disappointing’. Shop around! they said. ‘We need more competition!’ cried Mr Davey. They haven’t yet recorded their opinion of today’s price increase from little Co-op, another energy provider, at about twice the rate of inflation, but I expect it will be much the same.

Funnily enough, even before the decision by another of the utilities companies, SSE, to increase their duel fuel bills by just under the British gas rate a few days ago, I turned to one of the price comparison companies with a wad of my bills to hand to find out whether I should be shifting my patronage from my existing provider to someone else. But of course, was the answer.