More than 450,000 energy customers switched their power suppliers last month.

That brings the total number of switches to more than 835,600 this year, a 2% increase compared to the first two months of 2018, according to trade body Energy UK.

The electricity switching figure for February 2019 is, however, slightly down by 0.1% compared to the same period last year.

Out of all the switches last month, 39% were from larger to small and mid-tier suppliers, 13% from small and mid-tier to larger suppliers, 21% between larger companies and 27% between small and mid-tier power providers.

Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive of Energy UK, said: “While there has been a small decrease this month, switching remains up on last year and we hope that, over the coming months, we continue to see high levels of consumers engaging in the market to find the best deal for them.

“I’d encourage energy customers to take advantage of the deals on offer by either contacting their existing supplier or shopping around – and consumers can make further savings by ensuring that their house is energy efficient, as this is the best way to keep energy bills down in the long run.”

It was a record year for switching in 2018, with more than 5.8 million – or one in five – customers moving to different providers for better deals.