THE council is concerned about the impact that energy prices have on Gloucestershire residents, particularly older people and those living in fuel poverty.

That’s why it is participating in the Big Community Switch to help people get cheaper gas and electricity by working together.

The Big Community Switch is bulk buying – if a large number of people want to change supplier together they are likely to get a better deal than just one person shopping around and switching on their own.

And the more households that register their interest in switching, the more attractive it becomes for an energy supplier to offer a competitive price and the more likely consumers are to achieve significant savings.

Residents need to register their interest with the Big Community Switch by Monday 17th February at the latest. You can do this either online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bigcommunityswitch or by phoning the council on 01452 42 57 57 between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday. By doing this, you are under no obligation to switch supplier.

People only need to provide basic information at this stage: name, address, contact details, an indication of their energy consumption and whether they wish to consider switching for both gas and electricity or electricity only. It’s a good idea to have a recent bill to hand as it makes registering easier and more accurate registration means a more accurate offer.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, the Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Switching energy supplier is often the best way to save money on your bills. We know that about three-quarters of those who registered in November received offers that could save them money, with an average for those saving of £137 per year.”

“We are continuing to support this scheme as we know the process of switching can often put people off. This way all you need is a recent energy bill and the Big Community Switch will do the rest of the work and hopefully get you a better deal.”

Residents who have registered their interest will receive a personalised energy offer during late February or early March. Although this is likely to be lower than current bills, there is no guarantee of this, but there is also no obligation to accept the offer and switch supplier. People only need to sign up to the scheme and make the switch if it works for them.

In the last auction held on 19th November over 1100 people registered their interest in switching through the county council and received offers.