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Until 1996, British Gas had the monopoly on gas supply in the UK. When competition was introduced to the market, it was believed that gas prices would come down for the ordinary consumer.

ever, many people don’t switch from their current gas supplier, as they believe switching provider will be problematic.

This is even though the fact that changing your electricity or gas supplier can cut your bills – which is particularly helpful during a recession.

Also, it’s not complicated to change your provider. Rather than tracking down all the suppliers that operate in your area and go about contacting them to see if they can lower your costs, you can visit a price comparison site.

You could even be able to switch gas supplier on the site itself. Of course, there are other conditions to take into account in addition to price when choosing a gas supplier.

You can look at their custome service reputation – some sites allow you to add reviews of suppliers you have used, so you can see how other users have rated each company before you switch.

Another thing to examine is the various payment plans that are on offer from the suppliers. You could save money straight away by changing to an Internet plan. If you are happy to manage your account and receive all your bills online, this could lower administration fees.

If you are on a low income, you may qualify for a social payment plan. Energy companies have to provide these payment plans, which are designed to help people in the most vulnerable positions to pay their bills.

For sheer simplicity, you may select a fixed plan. This means the price of each unit of energy is fixed for a certain period. Alternatively, choosing a capped plan means that the price of each unit won’t rise during a set length of time. However, if gas prices fall during that period your energy bills could come down.

Different suppliers also provide their own standard pricing plans. Your choice of supplier will inevitably be influenced by the plans that are available – and the one that suits you best.

That is why price comparison sites will always ask you for your current payment structure and the one you would prefer. You can compare the different plans quickly and easily to see which will save you the most. You can make great cost cutting by switching your gas supplier.