Worried about rising energy costs?

There’s still a week left to sign up for a better deal.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE County Council wants to support people to get a better deal on their energy bills.

Rising energy prices have an impact on Gloucestershire residents, particularly older people and those living in fuel poverty.

That’s why the council has launched the latest round of the Big Community Switch in September 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.

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 save money.

Residents need to register their interest with the Big Community Switch by Monday, October 13 at the latest, 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, there’s 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 Ray Theodoulou, Deputy Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Switching energy supplier is often the best way to save money on your bills.”

“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 October or early November.

Although this is likely to be lower than current bills, there is no guarantee of this.

There is 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.

To take part in the scheme, you must register by 23:59 on Monday, October 13.