Some households 'too scared to switch utility suppliers'
Published On 26 October 2007
Households are letting a "fear of the unknown" stop them switching to more competitive utility price plans, an industry expert has said.Graham Self, director of UKPower.co.uk, explained that many consumers were simply afraid of what might happen if they tried to switch utility suppliers.
"I think there is an element of the unknown. Some people don't know what is involved, they wonder if they are going to have to have someone come round to their house to change pipes and wires," he added.
"There is a bit of naivety about how it actually works. It's not like car insurance, for example, where people automatically shop around."
Mr Self added that people could also reduce their utility bills by simply using less gas and electricity.
"Little things like turning the light off when you leave the room and turning things off at the wall, rather than leaving them on standby, that kind of thing can save you money. People would be surprised about how much that actually does save," he concluded.
Recently, energy watchdog Ofgem reported that nearly three million households in the UK switched utility supplier in the first seven months of 2007.
