Residents urged to group together for energy switching scheme (From St Helens Star)

Residents urged to group together for energy switching scheme

10:00am Saturday 26th January 2013 in News

RESIDENTS are being invited to band together and do themselves a power of good... but you will need to get your skates on.

The January 28 deadline is rapidly approaching for St Helens Council’s mass energy switching scheme.

Switch and Save is an innovative energy swap scheme.

The intention is to help local residents save money on their gas and electricity bills by coming together as one group to obtain a better deal and get the best tariff for all.

With thousands of potential customers, utility companies will then be invited via a broker to come up with their best possible price to become the main energy supplier for those who have registered.

St Helens director of urban regeneration, housing and culture, Bob Hepworth, told the Star: “As a collective, consumers potentially have greater purchasing power in the marketplace, which means they can access energy tariffs better than those listed on the open market.

“As well as making it easier to change suppliers, collective energy switching puts the consumers back in the driving seat and creates real competition among energy companies to come up with the best deal.”

So how do you get involved?

All it takes is for residents to step forward and say: ‘I’m in’.

Those interested in joining the scheme can register their interest and details by visitingsthelens.gov.uk/switch andsave or by calling 01744 676789 before 11pm on Monday, January 28 (6pm if registering by phone).

They can also complete the form online at any local library.

In early February, people who registered will be sent a personalised energy price offer and savings estimate based on the details supplied, so they can see how much money you would save by switching.

There is no obligation and residents can simply accept or decline as they wish.

Potential switchers will need to provide their name and address, current supplier, current tariff and current energy spend.

More information, and help with signing up, will be available during roadshows at Rainhill and Thatto Heath Libraries on Friday, January 25, from 10am to noon, and the Central Library on Monday, January 28 from 10am to noon.

There will be numerous future opportunities to register an interest in this collective switching scheme.