New council scheme will help you save on energy (From Thurrock Gazette)

New council scheme will help you save on energy

8:00am Friday 15th February 2013 in News

THURROCK Council has launched an innovative scheme which could save residents £250 a year on their energy bills.

Cllr John Kent, council leader, is launching the Big Energy Switch today (Friday), running until April 8.

Residents in Thurrock can sign up with the council, which will then approach an energy supplier for the best deal. The more people who sign up, the better the council’s bargaining power and hence the better the deal.

A tariff will be offered to all who signed up based on their calculated energy usage. People can then decide to accept or decline the offer.

Mr Kent said: “Rising electricity and gas prices are crippling households and yet so many of us are afraid to do something about it in case we end up in a worse situation.

“It doesn’t help when we are constantly bombarded with so many suppliers who claim to be offering better deals, which can be confusing.

“We are running this scheme in conjunction with Barking and Dagenham Council so we can get as many residents to sign up as possible.

“Anyone can sign up and the more residents who do, the more bargaining power we will have to drive down the price.”

He added: “Residents will all have the comfort that this scheme is being arranged by the council with a credited broker – iChoosr – and there is no obligation to accept the offer.”

Full details on how to sign up will be available at www.thurrock.gov.uk/ bigswitch. For more information, call 01375 366103.