The people of Glasgow are more likely to have switched their electricity and gas to a new supplier than anywhere else in Scotland, according to new research.

Independent auto-energy switcher Flipper found that more than 60% of those surveyed in Glasgow said they had switched suppliers in the past two years, compared to just 50% for those in Edinburgh.

And residents in both cities are much more likely to check energy prices than the UK in general, with 8 out of 10 Scots looking for a better deal at least once a year.

This news comes as the 45th energy price rise of 2018 was announced and figures from Ofgem showed that people who switched energy suppliers last year saved an average of £320.

Mark Gutteridge, managing director of Flipper, said canny Glaswegian consumers will be paying significantly less than their Edinburgh equivalents due to being more engaged in the energy market.

He added: “It’s great to see so many households say they are checking whether they could save money by switching their energy supplier as we all know this is not an exciting task, but with the number of price increases seen on energy this year it’s more important than ever to make sure you are on a good deal.

“However, while the respondents in both Glasgow and Edinburgh showed a high level of engagement with checking prices the numbers actually switching their supplier is lower than elsewhere in the UK, either because they see it as a hassle or don’t feel confident enough.”

Mark Gutteridge said: “Our nationwide survey was aimed at finding out about energy switching habits across the whole of the UK, but the responses from Glasgow and Edinburgh were a real surprise.

“On average our members are saving £385 a year and every week we see new members who can save more than £1,000 a year. So people in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, especially those who aren’t checking prices or haven’t switched, should definitely give us a go and see how much they can save.”