Switching will only take you to another member of the cartel.

           

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/david-cameron-under-fire-for-reaction-to-british-gas-fuel-bill-hike-for-almost-8-million-customers-8885944.html

David Cameron under fire for reaction to British Gas fuel bill hike for almost 8 million customers

Cameron "regrets" this latest piece of energy company extortion, and along with other members of the ConDem coalition clique, advises British Gas customer to switch suppliers. Conveniently, Cameron and his other accomplices fail to mention that switching to another member of the power company cartel, has little if any, real benefit as they all fix their prices to ensure that they all have a "piece of the cake".
The fallacy, trotted out by all of the power companies, is that the wholesale prices from their suppliers are increasing and that they have to pass on that increase in order to remain competitive.
Perhaps SSE, British Gas, and soon to be followed by the other "partners" in the supply of power, believe that the public as consumers, actually accept their nonsense concerning wholesale prices.
There are many people who actually know that these mythical suppliers are in fact, segments of the same company, often located abroad, and who themselves boast massive profits every quarter based on the exploitation of British consumers. It is a strange, and sinister, capitalist phenomenon, where Company A can sell a commodity to itself (disguised as Company B) for a massive profit and Company B can sell that same commodity to the consumer again for a massive profit, claiming increased costs as justification.    
These companies are getting away with crass abuse of their market position and are exploiting the consumers by endless rounds of contrived price increases. The politicians have the means to stop this obscene profiteering, but lack the will to impose a solution. The ConDem coalition will not reform the industry as they are in the pockets of the power companies. Labour will not reform the industry as they lack the political leadership to do what is right and re-nationalise parts if not all of the power supply industry. In the meantime. the consumers will remain at the invidious position of having no option but to pay the ever increasing price.