Almost half a million more people left their current account provider in favour of a rival during the first quarter of 2007, the latest figures from MoneyExpert.com show.

Rising switching rates over the last six months brought the total number of customers departing for an alternative supplier to 2.3 million.

Although switching providers for consumer basics, including broadband access, mobile phone use, and gas and energy for the home remained popular, seeking out the most competitive current account with the best-added extras is the real action, according to MoneyExpert.com chief executive Sean Gardner.

As Britain’s bank’s haemorrhage around 12,700 customers daily, high street current account providers must do more to court disillusioned customers, Mr Gardner stressed.

“People just won’t stand for poor service or for uncompetitive deals,” he said.

Nevertheless, he insisted that customisation is the key to successful switching from the customer’s point of view.

Since “the cheapest deal isn’t always the best deal”, consumers must take care to shop around.

Find out more about how you can compare current accounts