Gas and electricity prices are on the up and up, with no signs of stopping. More and more consumers are finding themselves in debt to their suppliers as they find the increased charges harder to cope with.

Almost 19 million householders pay their bills by direct debit, yet less than a quarter of these have considered contacting their supplier to ask about increasing their payments to cover their debts. As a result, the debt steadily increases and, if unpaid, can lead to disconnection of services.

One method of avoiding this scenario is to switch your suppliers. Paying less per unit of gas or electricity, along with practicing energy-efficient ways at home, can go a good way towards reducing your utility bills and avoiding debts. Don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll escape utility debt if you have a prepayment meter; while this can be a good option for those on an erratic monthly wage, it’s likely you could end up owing money because of emergency balances and service charges. In actual fact, gas and electricity on a prepaid meter usually ends up costing more than on a monthly or quarterly tariff.

Many suppliers are now waking up to the idea of online tariffs – allowing customers to provide meter readings, review and pay bills online via a secure customer account sign-in. As this reduces management costs to the utility company, they can pass on the savings to the customer who benefits from a lower bill. The internet is also a good place to find information if you’re thinking of switching your supplier, or trying to find a cheaper tariff from your existing one; running a side-by-side comparison of tariffs from different suppliers can give you clear idea of the options available.

On the subject of saving money; remember to review each bill you get carefully, be it online or through your letterbox. It’s possible you may be getting charged too much by your supplier and paying for something you haven’t had. If you’re careful about the amount of energy you use – turning lights off when not needed, fitting double-glazing if possible, as well as many other things you can do, you should be able to keep your payments at a reasonable level. The only thing shocking about your utilities should be the electricity itself.

For greater savings on your utilities, don’t be afraid to look around. Saving money on your gas and electricity bills can be as easy as opening your web browser. Let high gas and electricity prices be a thing of the past.