Burnham-On-Sea’s MP James Heappey is backing a campaign to help local people save money on their gas and electricity ahead of the winter months.
Big Energy Saving Week (31 October – 6 November) is run by Energy Saving Trust (EST), Citizens Advice and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and aims to help people cut their energy bills.
New figures released ahead of the campaign show that households could save an average of £300 a year by switching energy supplier, but many aren’t aware of this.
Of the 15 million households who didn’t switch last year, 60% said it was because they believed they were already on the cheapest tariff available.
Mr Heappey is supporting Big Energy Saving Week and encouraging local people to start saving on their bills by following a three step rule – check, switch, save.
People are advised to check their current tariff and compare it with other suppliers, before switching to a cheaper deal if available.
They are also given tips on how to save energy in their home and make it more energy efficient, such as not leaving the TV on standby or installing loft insulation.
Mr Heappey is also suggesting people use Citizens Advice’s online energy price comparison tool energycompare.citizensadvice.org.uk to compare different deals or attend one of their surgeries at venues across Somerset this week.
“The cost of energy bills can be a worry for many local people,” said Mr Heappey.
“Big Energy Saving Week is a great opportunity for people to find out about the different ways they can cut their spending on gas and electricity, whether that’s switching supplier or making their home more energy efficient.”
“I would encourage anyone who wants to find out how much money they could save to go online and compare prices, or contact their local CItizens Advice for help.”
Sarwjit Sambhi, Managing Director of UK Home at British Gas, added: “Winter can be a challenging time for households and many people may be concerned about their winter energy bill. Help is available and we urge customers to get in touch with their suppliers so they can offer advice and support.”
