More than seven out of ten small businesses think that changing energy suppliers will save them money, but only 43% have actually taken action, according to research by uSwitchforbusiness.com.

The research found that cost is the number one factor that small firms look at when choosing an energy supplier, with concerns over customer service and environmental issues becoming less important in the recession.

The survey also revealed that the average small company pays more than £2,500 a year on electricity and faces gas bills of over £3,200.

"Even for very small businesses, being able to know and see what your energy use is can have a big impact on the spend," says Erica Russell, a sustainable business advisor from Business Link.