We all know switching to supermarket own-brand products can save you some serious cash, but what are you giving up?

Well, according to the expert testers at the Good Housekeeping Institute , in some cases nothing at all.

In fact, several of the own-brands actually performed better in terms of taste and performance – on top of coming in at £240 a year cheaper than their branded alternatives.

Whether it’s Nutella or peanut butter, Fairy Liquid or Mr Muscle, Tropicana or Weetabix, the GHI found an own-brand that beat it.

Good Housekeeping consumer affairs director Caroline Bloor said: "As money is tight in January, now is the perfect time for consumers to look at their supermarket spending habits to make sure they get the best value possible.

"These seven products have been taste tested by the GHI and either scored higher than similar branded products or carry the ‘GHI Approved’ logo – so now’s the time to switch for savings and not miss out on the taste."

These are their top switches:

1. Persil Bio Liquid v Lidl’s biological detergent

The GHI is fully equipped to test the washing power of various detergents on everything from mud to wine to grass and more.

Persil’s Bio Liquid scored and impressive 89% – only to be beaten by Lidl’s £2.99 Formil Biological Detergent, which scored 90%.

The better news, it’s 25p a wash cheaper than some big brands – saving you £60 a year if your family does 5 washes a week.

2. Weetabix v Tesco Wheat Biscuits

Taste testers, working without knowing which brand was which, scored Weetabix a healthy 75% approval rating.

That’s good, but not quite as good as Tesco’s Wheat Biscuits – which scored 76%.

Making that swap will save you £4.80 a month if you get through four boxes.

3. Mr Muscle v Aldi’s bathroom cleaner

Mr Muscle works well – and loves the jobs you hate – but it’s not alone in that.

GHI tests show Aldi’s 75p Power Force Bathroom Cleaner also has an official "GHI Approved" rating.

Oh, and if you use a bottle every two months, you’ll save £13.50 a year too.

4. Nutella v Lidl’s Choco Nussa spread

Lidl’s own-brand Choco Nussa spread costs a whopping £1.60 less than market leader Nutella.

But that didn’t stop the GHI panel – drawn up from a mixture of experts and everyday Brits across the country – rating it as tastier.

And if you get through two jars a month that could save you more than £38 a year.

5. Fairy Liquid v Aldi Megnum Original

You can save £2 a month, that’s £24 a year, by swapping from Fairy Liquid to Aldi’s 49p  Megnum Original Washing Up Liquid.

And you won’t end up scrubbing or with ruined hand either.

Aldi’s version "cuts through grease and dried-on food residue with ease but is still gentle on hands" the GHI found.

6. Sun-Pat v M&S’s peanut butter

Sun-Pat might be known around the world but – like Nutella – that doesn’t mean it’s unsurpassed.

In fact, blind taste testers recommend M&S’s Crunchy Peanut Butter, which costs £1.30 for a 340g jar.

That’s about half the price of the Sun-Pat version (coming in at 38p per 100g rather than 75p) saving you £15 a year.

7. Covent Garden v Co-op’s carrot and coriander soup

Covent Garden’s carrot an coriander soup was rated by the taste testers at GHI – scoring 72%.

But it wasn’t the winner. In fact, Co-op Carrot & Coriander Soup scored far higher – rating 82% approval from testers. It’s not expensive either, costing £1.80 for 600g.

That could save you £14.40 a year if you buy six a month – but watch out here, as special offers on the branded version mean it’s cheaper at £1 from Sainsbury’s at the moment.

8. Tropicana v Tesco Finest orange juice

When people poured it out of the packets to test, the big brands lost out on taste to Tesco’s Finest Orange Juice With Bits.

That trumped Tropicana’s scores and also works out cheaper – coming in at 20p per 100ml against Tropicana’s 26p.

That’s a saving of 60p a litre or £31.20 a year if you get through a litre a week.

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