Analysis: No time to lose in finding the best deal

Consumers need to take a stand against energy price hikes, and many have already started to do so, writes Scott Byrom.

People want to fight back against price increases, especially as times are so tight for many UK households.

Unfortunately, apathy won't be rewarded, so you need to act quickly if you want to protect yourself from price increases. Signing up for a fixed deal now is the best way to do this, but you will need to do this as soon as possible as it's likely the best deals will soon disappear.

While the best online deals are the cheapest, fixed deals are currently cheaper than most standard tariffs. However, while you're paying slightly more for the extra security that comes with a fixed deal, you can protect yourself for a year or more if future energy prices continue to rise. If your current energy deal is due to expire in the coming weeks, it's a good idea to start looking around for your next deal, as switching providers can take from four weeks to much longer.

If all bill payers moved to the best fixed deal, we could not only save 2.3 billion collectively as a country, but would freeze energy outgoings until September 2012.

• Scott Byrom is utilities manager at the comparison site Moneysupermarket.com.