Thousands of householders are expected to switch suppliers as they join together for an auction of energy deals tomorrow.

The government-backed schemes – the Big Community Switch and the Big London Energy Switch – are being managed by 77 local authorities, including 23 London boroughs and will according to Ed Davey,  “force the Big Six to compete on price”.

Consumers have until midnight tonight to register following which energy firms will submit their best prices through local authorities and third party websites. The winning supplier will be revealed on Wednesday.

Collective switching enables consumers to get bigger discount for energy as grouping households together helps negotiate much lower energy tariffs than an individual switching supplier on their own.

The Energy Secretary commented: “Switching is one of the best ways that people can force the Big Six to compete on price and take control of their energy bills, especially if communities club together to get the best deal.”

More than 27,400 householders have signed up to the Big Community Switch and another 12,450 consumers have registered for the Big London Energy Switch so far.