It seems that consumers have finally embraced online price comparison websites to shop for both their car and home insurance deals and their energy supplier, according to Quido.
The UK cashback website published figures this week that show that more householders are comparing their energy tariffs online than ever in search of a better deal, with last month's price hike announcement made by SSE leading to a 144 per cent increase in customers using the Quidco website.
And as the mercury starts to dip and householders think about turning on the electric blankets or central heating, it's expected more homeowners will be looking to save money on their energy bills now the heating spend is set to increase over the winter months.
"Homeowners are braced for further price increases with British Gas expected to confirm rises imminently," said Quidco managing director Andy Oldham. "This comes on top of SSE's decision to implement a nine per cent rise coming to effect on Monday."
And consumer group Consumer Focus Wales also recently urged householders to consider their energy spend ahead of the winter "as a matter of urgency" with fuel prices expected to spiral.
But it's not just heating that consumes fuel - lighting and powering your home can hit you hard in the wallet as well, especially with electricity prices set to rise in line with across-the-board gas hikes.
Which makes preparing for winter with LED lighting a savvy move. Fittings can be installed in any room and will illuminate the same area - or, in many cases, larger - with a single bulb for less energy. And what's more, the bulbs in fittings such as LED outdoor lightings or LED bathroom lights will last on average 20 years, meaning the energy saved from powering a bulb extends well beyond the lifespan of the average incandescent.
