Energy savings for Plymouth residents as switching scheme is launched

People living or working in Plymouth can now sign up to register their interest in saving money on their energy bills after the Plymouth Energy Community’s energy switching scheme was launched.

The scheme was officially launched on Wednesday 17 July with a residents’ information event organised in partnership with Plymouth City Council, Affinity Sutton and Plymouth Community Homes. Taking place at Maine Gardens local residents were invited to find out more about how the switching scheme works and how they could benefit.

Amongst the first to sign-up for the energy switching scheme were Christopher Fry from Plympton and his daughter Natasha Fry from Stonehouse. Mr Fry said: “The switching scheme is a fantastic idea if it can deliver real savings to those that sign-up.

“Energy prices are rising crazily and so every chance to save some money on bills is very welcomed. Only recently I read about how energy bills were predicted to grow by £250 by 2020 which is pretty scary and a sting in the tail. This scheme is a great way to help people cut costs and protect their bank balance.”

By joining the energy co-operative, its members could be able to save money on their gas and electricity bills by changing to a cheaper tariff or supplier as part of the energy switching scheme. Plymouth Energy Community will negotiate with energy suppliers to find better deals for its members. Based on their individual energy consumption, each member will receive a personal offer which they can then decide whether to accept or not.

Plymouth’s energy switching scheme is the first of its kind in the country to be open to all households, including those who currently pay for their fuel by key or pre-payment meters or spend over 10 per cent of their income on energy bills.

Peter Flukes, Chair of Plymouth Energy Community added: “We’re delighted to officially begin our energy switching campaign which could help thousands of people across the city save money on their energy bills. We want of course to thank Plymouth City Council for their good will and support for this initiative.

“It’s well documented in the press that energy prices are continuing to rise, whilst at the same time, many people are finding that they have less money coming in and are spending a larger proportion of their income on fuel for their home.

“By working together our members can negotiate better prices and bigger savings on energy bills. We’re delighted with the response to our launch event. We’ve had great feedback from the local residents who are keen to start seeing the benefits of this fantastic scheme and are already starting to help spread the word around their local community.”

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Co-operatives and Community Development added: “I am so pleased that the as a Co-operative Council we have delivered our commitment and given the people of Plymouth control of a new energy co-operative. Peter Flukes has been announced as the Chair of the Plymouth Energy Community and the Council and I I will to support the scheme in line with our aspirations for the city.”

Plymouth Energy Community is a members’ co-operative, run by local people for the benefit of local people. The energy switching scheme is the first of the co-operative’s initiatives to help residents save money.

The energy switching scheme is now open for people to register their details to find out about what savings could be made on their fuel bills. To register to switch, or for further information visit www.plymouthenergycommunity.com or call 01752 477 067.