Moneysupermarket.com boosted by energy supply switchers

(Adds shares, analyst reaction)

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com Group said people switching energy suppliers to avoid big rises in bills gave it a strong start to the fourth quarter and would help it beat earnings expectations for the year.

The British company, whose website helps customers search for deals on insurance, utilities and other financial products, said revenue in the first weeks of October rose 25 percent from a year ago, while revenue for the proceeding third quarter gained 5 percent.

Shares rose 15 percent to a 13-week high of 179 pence, topping the mid-cap leaderboard, after it said earnings would beat average market forecasts.

"Revenues from energy switching in particular have been very strong as consumers sought better deals in the face of rapidly rising domestic fuel bills announced by the majority of the major providers in the second half of October," it said on Wednesday.

Energy suppliers including market leader Centrica (LSE: CNA.L - news) and SSE (Berlin: SCT.BE - news) announced big rises in energy charges last month, with Centrica (Berlin: CENB.BE - news) raising prices by an average 9.2 percent.

Moneysupermarket.com said it expected full-year core earnings to be a mid-single digit percentage ahead of current consensus expectations, which stand at 78.4 million pounds ($125.8 million) according to the company.

Westhouse Securities analysts Roddy Davidson said he would upgrade his forecasts by 5-10 percent.

"We remain bulls of the group's underlying fundamentals, which include a clear lead in the UK price comparison market, its ability to produce very tangible savings for consumers ... strong cash generation, and attractive earnings and dividend growth," he said.

The group also said it had appointed Matthew Price, currently finance director at Whitbread (LSE: WTB.L - news) 's Costa Coffee, as its new finance director. He will start in the first quarter of 2014. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by David Cowell and Louise Heavens)