Homeowners who switch energy suppliers via roving salesmen in supermarkets and shopping centres could be worse off by over £300 a year, according to undercover research by Which?.

The consumer group found that clipboard-wielding salesmen from some of the UK’s biggest energy companies are promising annual savings of up to £142 on gas and electricity bills when they stop shoppers. However Which? said that customers who switch would actually end up paying between £39 and £340 more each year. The group carried out an investigation in shopping centres and supermarkets across the UK in November. Its undercover researchers spoke to five salesmen from M&S Energy, four from Sainsbury’s Energy, three from EDF Energy and one from E.ON. The salesmen quoted annual savings of between £20 and £142, when actually homeowners would end up paying hundreds of pounds more, it was claimed.

For example Which? said that salesmen for Sainsbury’s Energy, which is provided to the supermarket by British Gas, were promising annual savings on a standard tariff of between £43 and £68. However Which? found that a consumer would actually be between £299 and £311 worse off if they switched....Read more here--: Roving energy salesmen 'mislead' shoppers, says Which?