Millions could save £276 a year by switching energy deals in minutes (aff)

Millions of households across the UK could be overpaying for gas and electricity without even realising it, and energy experts say a typical home could save around £276 a year simply by switching to a better-value deal.

Switching providers has been made much simpler in recent years, and the process of starting the ball rolling can take just a few minutes.

Research from YouGov shows that 83% of Brits haven’t switched energy supplier in the past 12 months.

Around two-thirds of UK households are currently on a variable tariff for their gas and electricity, which often means they're being tied to prices set by the Ofgem cap.

These prices will move up and down as the wholesale prices fluctuate, but over time, it will rarely work out as the cheapest option.

However a company called Nous has set out to make the process of finding cheaper suppliers much easier. It uses AI to do the hard work, and an online tool works out whether you’re overpaying on your energy bills, compares available deals, and then switches you to a fairer tariff.

A typical household on a variable tariff currently pays around £1,758 a year for gas and electricity. The cheapest fixed deal on the market comes in closer to £1,482, according to Ofgem data.

That’s a saving of £276 a year, and for larger households with higher usage, the difference can be significantly more.

Nous's technology goes one stage further, too. Once you've made the switch, the service keeps on checking your prices in the background, and if a better rate appears, it lets you know.

This takes away the need to keep on top of things yourself, and you don't need to remember renewal dates or spend evenings comparing tariffs.

The platform identifies when you’re overpaying, switches you automatically, and keeps monitoring things so you don’t drift back onto poor-value deals later on.

To find out how much you could save on your energy bills, click here.