14.02.18
Sussex councils join forces to form new public energy partnership
Councils in Sussex have joined forces to encourage households to save money on their energy bills.
Residents across Sussex can now buy gas and electricity through the council energy partnership, Your Energy Sussex, which aims to help more people to switch and save money.
Figures released by Ofgem showed that more than half of consumers have either never switched supplier or have only switched once.
The partnership is between West Sussex CC and East Sussex CC and Robin Hood Energy, the licensed energy company owned and operated by Nottingham City Council.
They join a number of other local authorities who have created council-run energy companies, including Liverpool City Council and Islington Council.
These kind of schemes aim to sell energy to residents through not-for-profit, publicly run companies, which can offer cheaper rates as they don’t have extra costs related to the private sector, like paying shareholders or directors’ bonuses.
Cllr Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council's lead member for transport and environment, said: “We’re delighted to be working with our partners to support a local initiative that will not only help our residents to save money on their energy bills but will also support ways to tackle fuel poverty.”
It comes after a report released by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said that a price cap on energy bills was urgently needed to stop customers being overcharged.
They also criticised Ofgem for being "too slow and reluctant" to use its powers to protect the interests of consumers.
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