The big Q

Dear Cash Queens,

QI’m a British Gas customer and the latest price rise announcement has made me think it could be time to switch my supplier. I’ve been with them for years and never really taken any notice of the price I’m paying, but my monthly direct debit does seem to keep rising. How easy is it to switch? Susan Smith, Birmingham

Cash Queens say:

AThe British Gas 12.5% price rise for electricity and 7.3% for those with dual fuel deals comes into effect from September 15 and will hit many families hard.

They are the last of the Big Six suppliers (British Gas, EDF Energy, Npower, SSE, E.ON and Scottish Power) to raise prices

You could save £240 a year with fixed-rate switch

this year. According to price comparison firm Energyhelpline, a typical British Gas customer could save £240 a year by switching to a fixed rate deal until March 2019.

A typical annual bill is £1,120 but as you will see from our table below you can find them for hundreds of pounds less, usually with some of the smaller, newer firms rather than the Big Six.

It’s quick and easy to switch to a cheaper tariff using a comparison service - either with a phone call or a few minutes online. You can switch up to 49 days before your current tariff ends or, for those on standard tariffs (not fixed rate deals), it can be done immediately. You can use the Daily Mirror’s Switching Service at mirror.co.uk/energy or call 0800 0836 632 to help you find the best deal for your needs.