Research from the trade association has revealed more than half (59 per cent) of customers thought they cannot switch if they owe their current supplier money, when they are actually able to switch with debts of up to £500 per fuel.
The survey also found 16 per cent of people thought suppliers need access to their home for them to switch, 7 per cent thought energy suppliers would dig up their garden and almost a tenth of respondents thought they would need to get a new meter.
The research also found 79 per cent of consumers would switch tariff to save money, more than half wanted to compare prices in one place, and 46 per cent wanted assurances switching sites showed offers in a fair and unbiased way.
Around a third of respondents said they wanted a cooling off period, and that they would like paperwork to take only a couple of minutes, while a fifth wanted to be sure that would not be cut off.
To coincide with their research, Energy UK has launched an animation explaining how easy it is for consumers to switch, and encouraging them to shop around for the best deal.
Angela Knight, chief executive of Energy UK, said: “Most people would consider switching energy supplier but there’s still too many myths getting in the way.
“The energy industry has already reduced and simplified the number of tariffs, and made it easier to compare and switch to the best deal.”