Still time for residents to cut fuel bills

There’s still time to register for the popular Collective Energy Switching scheme taking place in Mendip, with previous participants having saved up to £350 by switching their energy supplier.

Collective Energy Switching – which is backed by Mendip District Council – is when consumers get together to negotiate a group deal with gas and electricity suppliers, with a third party actively negotiating a better tariff on behalf of the group through an auction process.

In a previous round of energy switching that involved Mendip residents, people who signed up to the scheme saved at least £175 on their annual fuel bills, while some saved as much as £350.

The scheme, which is open to all Mendip residents, aims to help prevent people slipping into fuel poverty, allow vulnerable groups to participate in energy switching and help Mendip’s residents to get a better deal on their energy bills.

The way the process works is:

· Residents visit the Mendip District Council website – www.mendip.g ov.uk – where they will find a link for the Big Community Switch website. There they can follow a simple online process to register their interest.

· Up to five households can be registered on one email address and residents without internet access will be supported through the registration process by the council.

· Mendip residents are then pooled with other local authority schemes (around 60 currently) and energy companies bid against each other in a reverse auction to offer the group of customers the best deal.

· A no-obligation offer is then sent to each resident who has registered in the scheme and they have a month to choose whether to accept it.

· If residents choose to accept their offer they are then switched to the new supplier and supported to ensure a smooth and hassle-free transfer.

Residents who wish to take part in the current round of energy switching need to have registered by 13 February 2017.

Cllr Philip Ham, Portfolio Holder for Transformation, said, “Collective Energy Switching has already seen people in Mendip save money on their energy bills, with some saving almost £350.

“The date for registration is fast approaching and I hope that people will give serious consideration to signing up to the current round of energy switching. It’s free and easy to do and could help you to make impressive savings on your future energy bills.”

Mendip District Council has partnered with iChoosr, a leading expert in collective energy switching, to operate the scheme in the district.

Residents who are keen to be part of the process can register online via www.mendip.gov.uk  or contact Mendip District Council on 0300 303 8588 or visit any Council Access Point for more information.