Price Comparison Websites

Available for over a year

Price comparison websites have become the first port of call when we shop for many of the products that run our lives. We compare prices on offer for necessities such as insurance, energy and broadband deals. We search for the best deals on flights and hotels when we plan our holidays. These sites are free of charge and easy to use, and they seem to be the consumer's best friend. But they are also very lucrative businesses which can earn commission every time we switch from one provider to another. Lesley Curwen investigates the business models behind these sites and talks to the regulator about how some may be acting against healthy competition, which could drive up prices rather than bring them down. Is it time to be more savvy about price comparison websites? Presenter: Lesley Curwen Producer: Sandie Kanthal Editor:Andrew Smith.