Greater Manchester residents who are worried about their energy bills rising this winter are being urged to switch to better deals using a new comparison website.

The www.betterenergydeals.org.uk site has been launched by the Greater Manchester authorities after some of the big energy companies announced they will be increasing their rates over the winter, leaving many families struggling to pay their bills.

People from across the region are being urged to visit the site, being launched on November 13 before the price rises come into effect, and find out how much they could save by changing to another supplier.

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Residents just need to enter their post code and information about how much they are currently paying to find suggestions for alternative suppliers offering cheaper contracts.

Households using a similar comparison website can save an average of £141 from their energy bills, while some people have saved as much as £331.

The Greater Manchester authorities organised an energy switching scheme earlier this year, in which people from across the region were invited to join two 'reverse auctions' before being offered new deals on their gas and electricity bills which they could either accept or reject.

This was the most successful scheme of its kind in the country, with more than 40,000 people coming forward to take part in both auctions. The average saving was £122 per household, but some residents were able to shave as much as much as £900 from their annual bills.

Another auction will be held early next year for people who missed the chance to find new suppliers on the new comparison site.

(CD/JP)