NEWS: Families blow up to €2,000 per year by staying loyal to pricey service providers

We've all heard the ads encouraging us to 'make the switch' to this internet provider or that refuse company, yet Irish families could be missing out on savings of up to €2,000 per year because they rarely move their business to avail of a better offer. According to new research commissioned by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, up to 50% of Irish consumers never even check whether they are getting the best deal on their household bills and only 25% of consumers have taken the plunge and switched to a company offering better value. Taking into account the 10 services most commonly used by the average Irish family, researchers worked out that most households could save roughly €180 per month by shopping around for a better deal, adding up to €2160 over 12 months. The lesson? Sure, the paperwork might be a pain, but we'd gladly fill out a few forms in return for a €2000 saving.