Karen Darby of SimplySwitch said that usually when one of the largest supplies decides to increase prices, others within the sector tend to follow suit.

A number of analysts believe that prices will increase by approximately 15 per cent during the early part of next year, meaning consumers may have to pay an additional £131 a year on energy, Ms Darby claimed.

“Fortunately, for those wishing to protect themselves from price rises, there are still some highly competitive capped deals available,” she advised.

Some capped tariffs are now “almost as cheap” as some of the most competitive online deals, she added.

Earlier this month, moneysupermarket.com reported that 9.3 million consumers have never chosen to switch energy providers.

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