On the day that British Gas price rises (14.2% gas, 14.2% electricity) come into effect for millions of households, watchdog energywatch offers tips for saving energy in the home.

And in other news, nearly one in five British Gas customers plan to switch to a cheaper supplier following the company's fourth price hike in three years, according to price comparison website uSwitch.com.

Around 17% of the energy supplier's customers said they would take their business elsewhere, while a further 14% said they would go if there was a further price hike, according to the survey.

Energywatch has also called for customers to be allowed to take advantage of innovative new technology to help them cut their bills.

The energy watchdog said the "smart" meters could calculate consumption costs, allowing consumers to check at a glance how much they were spending.

Adam Scorer, energywatch campaigns director said, "What more incentive would you need to leave bad habits behind if you had to sit and watch your energy bills go up every 30 minutes?"

The energywatch top ten simple tips for saving energy are:

• Leaving your appliances on standby costs around £26 a year so turn the TV off if no one is watching it.
• Replace three regular light bulbs with three energy saving ones. If every household in the UK did this, there would be enough energy saved to power all of the UK’s street lighting for a year.
• Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
• Fit draught excluders around doors and windows.
• Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently and therefore cheaply.
• Try to only use your dishwasher and washing machine when they have a full load.
• Only heat areas of the house you use, for example turn off the radiator in the spare bedroom and close the door.
• Place an insulating jacket over your hot water tank. This can save up to £15 a year.
• Don't overheat your home. Turning your thermostat down by one degree (not the elderly or those with chronic illness or disabilities) can reduce your fuel consumption by around 10%.
• Only fill the kettle with just enough water for your required needs. You'll get your drink quicker and you’ll save energy too

The energy watchdog website is www.energywatch.org.uk

Find out about switching your supplier and how much you could save with a free service from uSwitch