With the last days of autumn now firmly behind us and the winter catching up fast, it's no surprise that energy bills are going to be one of the personal finance priorities on many people's minds over the next few months. In winter the heavy reliance on central heating systems pushes energy bills up even higher than normal, and the longer evenings means lights and other technology tend to be on for longer as well. This can all add to more costly gas and electricity bills, especially in older homes that aren't all that well insulated.

On top of this, fuel prices themselves are once again starting to rise after being reasonably stable for the last few years. British Gas, one of the largest energy suppliers in the UK, have recently announced a large 7% increase in prices which will see many households on their standard tariff paying out between £75 - £100 extra every year. This change will affect some eight million consumers in the UK, and it's likely that many more will be affected as other companies also increase their prices. Scottish and Southern Energy has also recently raised prices by 9%, while some companies like EDF Energy have promised a price freeze at least until Spring of next year.

While some consumers won't be affected by the price change such as those on the most basic British Gas essentials packages - around 300,000 vulnerable customers - and those on a fixed price tariff, it's still a good idea for everyone to check out what sort of gas and electricity prices they could achieve by switching providers online. Using comparison sites, consumers can find out which providers offer the cheapest package. The good news is that switching really is incredibly easy, you don't have to worry about having a callout or changing the way you do things in your home, you simply get a new contact information with the company you choose, and a different way of accessing your bill - everything else stays exactly the same!

Swapping during Winter means you'll not only get cheaper overall bills but you'll be moving to a cheaper tariff just when your electricity and gas use it at its highest. Research has shown that customers switching providers, especially those who switch to a dual fuel tariff, can save as much as £250 a year - which is nearly triple what the extra price rises from the big companies is costing and should make a significant saving in your annual budget for monthly bills. You can even save further money by opting to use paperless billing and viewing and paying for your bills online using direct debits rather than any other form of service.

Switching to a different provider is only a part of what you can do to lower your energy costs though. In many households simply being more conservative with energy can add up to big savings, even if it's only little things that are changed. For example, taking a shower instead of a bath can save on having to heat up three times the amount of hot water, and turning down your thermostat a single degree could save as much as £30 a year off your energy bills and it's likely you won't even notice the difference!

These little savings add up very quickly into big annual savings. If you want to more carefully monitor your electricity use, you might also want to consider getting a more intelligent energy meter fitted or buying a separate energy monitor to see exactly where your energy is being used the most and take steps to change it!