Following the success of the last Merseyside Collective Switch, which saved residents an average of £212 a year on their energy bills, another switching round has been launched for Merseyside.
Over 4,200 people took part in the last round which saved residents a total of £205,000 on their energy bills. The highest saving was £933, and a significant number of people were able to save over £500 a year.
Mrs Dorothy Hardcastle from Liverpool took part in the collective switch and saved £348 a year on her energy bills. She said: “I had put off switching my tariff, but the collective switch made it really easy. I was provided with support every step of the way, and I am delighted to be saving such a large amount on my energy bills”.
The Switch Together, Save Together scheme is organised by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, together with the six Merseyside local authorities.
It aims to reduce people’s energy bills by using collective buying power to negotiate cheaper tariffs from energy suppliers. British Gas, Npower and Scottish Power offered special deals in the last switch including the cheapest fixed tariff from British Gas.
Participants are welcome to switch to any tariff on the market to find the deal that’s right for them. The scheme aims to make it safer and easier to switch supplier, and advisors are on hand to offer free and impartial help every step of the way.
Ellie Abernethy, Project Manager of the scheme at Energy Projects Plus said “We have demonstrated that collective switching works for Merseyside and is an effective and easy way for people to reduce their energy bills. This is a good time to think about switching so you can make sure you’re on a lower tariff before the winter bills come in. It’s quick and easy to register, we’ll let you know how much you could save before you switch and there’s no obligation. There’s nothing to lose, and there could be a lot to gain.”
Householders are invited to register their interest in the collective switch in order to receive information about the negotiated tariffs. The registration period runs from 28th July to 8th September 2014. It’s free to join and householders will be able to see how much they would save before they decide if they want to switch suppliers. There is no obligation to switch.
You can join the collective switch by registering online at www.LCRenergyswitch.co.uk or by calling the local Save Energy Advice Line on freephone 0800 043 0151, where residents can also get free and impartial help and advice about saving energy at home.