How to use price comparison sites

John Phillips/EMPICS Entertainment

Price comparison sites, with their increasingly annoying adverts, have become the go-to source for thousands of consumers to find the best deals on everything from home and pet insurance, to credit cards and mortgages.

Yet after a recent visit to look for motor insurance, I was reminded that these sites aren't quite as consumer-friendly as they first seem. So how should we use price comparison sites with care?