Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has said that consumers need to leave their power suppliers as a way of fighting back against price rises.

Last week Scottish Power raised its average gas prices by 19% and many expect the rest of the Big Six to follow suit.

Speaking to the Observer magazine over the weekend Mr huhne said: “Consumers don’t have to take price increases lying down. If an energy company hits you with a price increase, you can hit them back where it hurts- by shopping around and voting with your feet.”

The paper said that there was concern in government over the impact of rising consumer prices on British living standards as inflation more than doubled the Bank of England’s target.