No matter what you need to buy, shopping around is often the best way to secure the most competitive deal. Essential goods and services, such as electricity and gas, are no different so if you fancy saving yourself a pretty penny then it's time to do your energy supplier homework.

One of the easiest ways to save yourself some money is by switching to an online tariff. It is estimated that 12.5 million households in the United Kingdom could be paying over the odds for their energy simply because they are on a standard, rather than online, tariff.

This could result in the average household paying up to £344 a year more for their energy than they would if they switched to the online tariff offered by their supplier. Collectively this is costing British consumers around £1.69 billion every year so a little time spent investigating online options could reap handsome rewards in the long run.

Some of the best deals come with online tariffs and you don't need to be a computer genius to take advantage of these offers. Some suppliers only require you to register online and all other aspects of your account can be managed in the usual way.

Around 40% of householders in the United Kingdom pay quarterly by cash or cheque for their gas and electricity supply. This will cost in the region of £185 more each year when compared to online direct debit customers.

Purchasing your power online also has all the other benefits of regular online shopping. You can organise all of your energy needs without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

When it comes to paying your bill this can be completed easily online as well so no more trips to the bank or post office are needed.

Buying electricity online is also a more eco friendly way to do business. Less fuel consumption, air pollution and no paper bills means you are doing your bit for the environment too.

With tighter family budgets and a growing awareness of becoming energy efficient to cut costs and protect the environment, householders are increasingly turning to the Internet for information on reducing their electricity consumption and power bills.

The internet also allows you to compare the cost of several electricity and gas suppliers so you can shop around for the best prices 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Only a fifth of British householders take time to regularly search for, and take advantage of, the best deals and around two fifths have never even switched energy supplier.

Paying electricity suppliers by direct debit is another nifty way to shave some pounds off your bill. If you use both gas and electricity then switching to dual fuel, where you purchase gas and electricity from the same supplier, could also save you a significant sum.

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