380,000 switch their utility providers

Hundreds of thousands of people switched their electricity and gas provider last year to try and cut the costs of their utility bills.

Figures released by the Commission for Energy Regulation show more than 266,000 consumers changed electricity provider during 2013, an increase of almost 6%, while a further 117,000 switched gas supplier over the same period.

It means almost one in five residential customers changed energy supplier over the past 12 months.