Before you begin to compare prices, you need to ensure that you're comparing like with like, so you will need at least your last utility bill, but preferably the last years bills, so as you take out seasonal fluctuations caused by looking at one bill.

Next up, it's time to look for the deals! To do this yourself would take forever, so your next port of call should be one of the many comparison websites out there that will do all the hard work for you; the best known of these sites, and probably the most impartial are uswitch and tescocompare.

Is it worth the Effort?

In short - yes, definitely! In the course of writing this article, I carried out my own comparison. My supplier was EDF, to whom I paid £55 pcm for Gas, and £30 pcm for Electricity. Once I'd given my postcode, I was offered an annual saving of £170 per year by simply switching!

Is there a downside?

The phrase you don't get something for nothing isn't always true! Traditionally, many energy tariffs do not tie you in, meaning that the second you find a better deal, you're free to leave for absolute free! A word of caution though, there are some suppliers, or certain tariffs which will charge you a fee for leaving. The lesson to learn is READ THE SMALL PRINT.

Additionally, as with all suppliers, the price of energy can go up as well as down. There is the possibility that you could change to a much better deal only for your new supplier to suddenly implement a hefty price increase. The best advice would be to keep an eye on the news, and listen out for which suppliers have planned increases and act accordingly. If you are ultra cautious, or have heard headlines of large rises expected during winter for example, you ought to investigate 'fixed tariffs'. Similar to fixed rate mortgages, these deals will probably tie you for a period, but guarantee that your prices will not rise for that same period.

Whatever you choose, you are almost guaranteed to find a cheaper deal if you look in the right places!