Consumer groups arguing for regulatory change to make it easier for bank customers to move their accounts were given extra ammunition with the release of a survey yesterday showing that a majority of people think switching is too much of a hassle.Fifty-four per cent of the 2000 respondents to a Research International banking survey said changing bank accounts was more trouble than it was worth.This was despite 37 per cent saying they agreed or strongly agreed with the proposition: "I'd switch banks tomorrow if there was a bank that would do all the work for me."Research director of Research International Clive Wing said the number saying it was too much trouble to change banks had gone up two percentage points since the 2007 survey.The question of whether it is too hard to move transaction accounts is one of the issues that will be considered by the House of Representatives Economics Committee inquiry into banking competition, which starts its public hearings on Friday in Melbourne.In a statement issued in February the Australian Bankers Association said the industry had adopted a number of practices to make switching easier. Among the changes to be implemented in November, the old financial institution will give the customer a list of direct debit and credit arrangements going back 13 months to facilitate the establishment of the new account.The ABA said the new financial institution would offer the customer help to make the switch. The banks would have to meet guidelines for timeliness and the provision of information.According to Research International changing direct debits, completing the paperwork and paying exit fees were the things that deterred consumers from switching accounts.The Consumer Action Law Centre focused on the issue of switching in its submission to the parliamentary inquiry. It criticised the proposed new practice standard because it did not cover credit card or scheme debit accounts.It also argued that there should be a stronger obligation on the new financial institution to set up new direct debit and credit arrangements. It criticised the fact that the ABA plan did not include redress if the old financial institution did not provide the promised list within sufficient time. It said the banks should state that the service would be free.It has proposed that the committee look at a scheme where bank account numbers are owned by consumers and can be transferred from one bank to another, with all the attached direct debit and credit arrangements transferring automatically.