EXPERTS have revealed 27,000 homeowners in Colchester may have missed out on saving £300 a year since 2012 because they have failed to switch to a cheaper energy provider.

It has led to the Energy Saving Trust urging residents not to stall on switching.

Based on figures from the Office for National Statistics, households stand to save six months' worth of weekly food shopping trips.

According to the research, carried out as part of the Big Energy Saving Week, 32 per cent of of households say they will not switch suppliers because they are "all the same" while 37 per cent will visit multiple supermarkets to achieve the best deal in their weekly shopping in a bid to save money.

Philip Sellwood, Energy Saving Trust chief executive, said: "With January being a tight month for household budgets, now is the time to look at switching your energy tariff to make sure you’re on the best possible deal."

Anyone wishing to switch providers will be protected by the Energy Switch Guarantee, which means there will be no interruption in service Switching takes 21 days and providers must offer new customers a 14-day cooling-off period.

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “We know people who stay with the same energy supplier often pay hundreds of pounds more a year for the same gas and electricity.

"It is too often the most vulnerable and those with the lowest incomes who pay the highest prices for their energy."

For free advice on switching energy supplier, call 03454 04 05 06 or log on to www.citizensadvice.org.uk.