The third round of the Merseyside Collective Switch has seen a further £143,054 saved by local residents through switching to a better energy tariff.
This latest round , which has just closed, brings the total saved by Merseyside householders to £424,416.
Over 2,400 people took part in the latest Collective Switch. Those who switched saved an average of £203 a year on their energy bills. One Merseyside resident saved £825 and a significant number of people were able to save over £500 a year In Liverpool the top saving was £450 wuth the average saving for households of £183. The total saving for this round was £23,040. bringing the total saving for Liverpool residents through the collective switch to £85,289.
The Switch Together, Save Together scheme is organised by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, together with the six Merseyside local authorities. It works by inviting people to register their interest in the scheme, then using collective buying power to negotiate cheaper tariffs from energy suppliers.
E.on offered two tariffs exclusive to the collective switch, which were the cheapest on the market for both Monthly Direct Debit and Payment on Receipt of Bill customers. The offers tariffs were both fixed, protecting customers from any price rises until September 2015. Householders were also able to switch to other existing tariffs through the scheme.
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”.
Ellie Abernethy, Project Manager at Energy Projects Plus said, “We are really pleased with the results of the collective switch. It’s great that so many people took part and are making such significant savings at a time when household budgets are under increasing pressure. The £424,000 total savings is money put back into the local economy, so it’s a good thing for Merseyside too”.
Energy Projects Plus are currently running a ‘Switch Now’ campaign in partnership with the six Merseyside local authorities. The campaign encourages householders to explore if switching tariffs could save them money now, rather than waiting for the next collective switch. The same level of help and advice is available as during the collective switch to help make switching easier.
Householders can find out more about switching supplier by visiting http://www.lcrenergyswitch.co.uk/ or by calling the local Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151.
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