A few weeks ago, I wrote about a new service to make it easier to switch bank accounts. As of last week, it takes just seven days to dump your bank and move to a new one.

Thanks to the government and The Payment Council, which oversees all bank payments in this country, there’s a guarantee that everything will go smoothly.

Now there’s talk of this scheme being extended to cover electricity and gas bills.

Many of us aren’t convinced we’re getting the best deal on offer but are put off changing suppliers because it seems quite complicated.

For starters, there’s trying to work out the different tariffs and offers, which are often not easy to unravel.

Then, there’s the hassle factor and worry about whether we might end up worse off in the long run.

Little surprise, then, that debt charity StepChange, which used to be called the Consumer Credit Agency, says it’s seeing more people who have fallen into arrears on at least one household bill.

A third of those who ask for help are struggling to pay the essentials, like gas or electricity, and average debt on household bills is £2,258.

StepChange blames the fact that wages have stayed the same, or fallen, while the cost of living has carried on rising.

Luckily, StepChange’s website includes a free, non-biased guide to switching gas or electricity suppliers.

It’s incredibly easy to use and just asks you to say who your current supplier is and how much you use.

Then, it compares prices for you, to see if you can save. Finally, you can apply to switch online.

It’s possible to save a packet by shopping around for the best energy prices but there are a few things to think about before you switch.

For instance, are you on a fixed-term contract?

If you are, your supplier may charge a fee if you leave that contract early.

And if you’re in debt with your current supplier, they can refuse to let you change and a new supplier may not take you on.

If you've got a pre-payment meter you can still switch energy suppliers and transfer debts of up to £500.

But you’ll have to carry on using the prepayment meter with your new supplier at least until any arrears are paid off.

Finally, you might be able to squeeze a better deal from your existing supplier.

If they think you’re about to jump ship, they may offer you a better rate to stay.

Whatever your situation, it’s worth taking a look at the StepChange website www.stepchange.org to see what your options are.

But it’s not just utility bills it can help with.

It offers free, anonymous, expert debt advice via the Debt Remedy online advice tool.

That takes about 20 minutes to fill in and gives a debt solution tailored to your personal situation.

Or, if you prefer to speak to someone, you can call the debt helpline 0800 138 1111.