Energy Projects Plus is proud to announce that we have won the ‘Vulnerable Customer Support Campaigner’ category at the North West Energy Efficiency Awards 2018.

It is the second year running that Energy Projects Plus have won this award at the regional level, and follows our success at the National Energy Efficiency Awards last September, where we were named ‘National Fuel Poverty Campaigner of the Year’.

The charity has supported over 8,000 vulnerable customers in the last year through various projects including LEAP, Wirral Fuel Debt Advice Service, Merseyside Collective Switch, Merseyside Health through Warmth, Warm & Healthy Homes, Warm Home Discount campaigns and the Save Energy Advice Service.

Chief Executive, Peter Owen said: “We are thrilled that the work of our charity has been recognised at these awards. We are committed to our aims of reducing fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency across our region of Merseyside and Cheshire, and are proud of our achievements in these fields”.

Peter Owen, Sandra Manning, Ellie Abernethy, Djamila Serir and Janet Hughes accepting the award from sponsor Logicor

Switching your energy tariff with the Merseyside Collective Switch is both quick and easy, and it could save you hundreds of pounds a year.

Run in partnership with your local authority, the Merseyside Collective Switch aims to negotiate the cheapest energy tariff on the market, which will only be available to its members.

Registration is now open and the winning offers will be announced after the 14^th February.

Two thirds of UK households are on their energy supplier’s standard (and often most expensive) tariff. There are savings to be made by shopping around, and you may find a better deal with your existing supplier with no disruption to your service or billing.

Delivered by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, and the six Merseyside local authorities, the Merseyside Collective Switch has saved local people over £1.3 million on their energy bills so far.

Previous winning tariffs have included Big 6 suppliers such as British Gas, E.on, SSE and EDF Energy as well as smaller suppliers such as Ovo and Green Energy.

Offers have been included for prepayment meter (or pay as you go) customers as well as direct debit and pay on receipt of bill customers, so there’s something for everyone.

The winning tariffs have often been the cheapest on the market, so better than you could get elsewhere and exclusive to members.

The Merseyside Collective Switch also includes a full market comparison, so if the winning deals aren’t right for you, you can find one that is.

Ellie Abernethy, Energy Projects Plus said: “We’re all feeling the pinch at this time of year. Switching your energy tariff is a really easy way to make big savings, especially if you haven’t switched for over a year. The Merseyside Collective Switch has a track record of securing the top offers in the market, so if it’s time for you to switch it really is worth registering to see how much you could save.”

The service is free, and there’s no obligation to switch if you decide not to.

Help and support is available from Energy Advisors who can guide you through your top offers and help you complete your switch.

It only takes 15 minutes to switch and members saved an average of £260 a year on their energy bills in our last round.

By registering, you will have access to the exclusive offers and can make sure you’re not missing out on a great deal on your energy.

Registration closes at midnight on 13^th February.

To join the Collective Switch visit www.LCRenergyswitch.co.uk or call the local Save Energy Advice Line on freephone 0800 043 0151, where you can also get free and impartial advice about saving energy at home.

An exclusive top offer has been negotiated for members of the Merseyside Collective Switch.

The winning tariff is from SSE and is a 1 year fixed tariff, with average savings of £256 a year for the average direct debit customer.

Over 16,000 people have now registered to get a better deal on their energy bills, which has led to the offer being secured.

The Merseyside Collective Switch also includes a full market comparison, so if the winning deals aren’t right for you, you can find one that is.

Help and support is also available from Energy Advisors who can guide you through your top offers and help you complete your switch.

It only takes 15 minutes to switch. The service is free, and there’s no obligation to switch if you decide not to.

Delivered by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, and the six Merseyside local authorities, the Merseyside Collective Switch has saved local people over £1.2 million on their energy bills so far.

The exclusive tariff is only available until midnight on Tuesday 14^th November, so if you have registered for this round or any of our previous rounds, don’t delay, switch today.

Mrs Jo Dowson switched in our last round. She said: “I’ve saved £450 switching through the Merseyside Collective Switch. I’m going to put the extra money towards a family holiday!”

Jo Dowson saved £450

Janice Lee-Williams from Liverpool switched in June and is due to save £329. She said: “I couldn’t believe how straightforward and stress-free the switch was. A bit of data from my last bill and a couple of clicks and it was all done. I would recommend the collective switch to anyone. It’s nowhere near as daunting as you think”.

Janice Lee-Williams saved £329

If you didn’t register in time, you can still do a full market comparison at www.energyhelpline.com/lcrcollectiveswitch, or call the Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151 for information on other support available to help reduce your energy bills.

Local charity, Energy Projects Plus, has been named National Fuel Poverty Campaigner of the Year at the 2017 National Energy Efficiency & Healthy Homes Awards, held in Birmingham.

Peter Owen, Chief Executive of the Charity said: “We are thrilled to have our local work recognised nationally by judges from central government and the private sector. It has been achieved through the dedication of our staff and partners across Merseyside and Cheshire.”

The organisation supported over 7,000 vulnerable local people last year through its various projects including The Merseyside Collective Switch, Merseyside Health Through Warmth, Warm & Healthy Homes, LEAP, Wirral Fuel Debt Advice Service and Warmth4All.

After receiving the award from Sir Lenny Henry, Dominic Griffiths of the charity said, “Our key role is to help people to afford to keep their homes warm and healthy, while reducing carbon emissions. By providing clients with detailed one-to-one advice we have saved over £500,000 on the fuel bills of hard-pressed local people this year.”

The Award Judges said: “The wide range of projects which address fuel poverty in multiple ways; through home assessments and advice; installations and access to grants; tariff switching; awareness raising of additional support, and battery storage funding, all set this application apart”.

To find out more about the valuable work delivered by Energy Projects Plus, or to apply for support for you, or someone you know, call the Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151 or visit www.epplus.org.uk

Dominic Griffiths of EPP (left) ready to accept the Award from Sir Lenny Henry

Today sees the launch of the 10^th Merseyside Collective Switch.

With the majority of people still on their energy suppliers standard (and often most expensive) tariff, we urge Merseysiders to get involved and find yourself a better deal.

Collective Switching works by using the collective buying power of its members to negotiate exclusive cheaper tariffs from energy suppliers.

The Merseyside Collective Switch aims to negotiate the cheapest energy tariff on the market, which will only be available to its members.

Delivered by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, and the six Merseyside local authorities, the Merseyside Collective Switch has saved local people over £1.2 million on their energy bills so far.

Previous winning tariffs have included Big 6 suppliers such as British Gas, E.on and EDF Energy as well as smaller suppliers such as Ovo and Green Energy.

Offers have been included for prepayment meter (or pay as you go) customers as well as direct debit and pay on receipt of bill, so there’s something for everyone.

The Merseyside Collective Switch also includes a full market comparison, so if the winning deals aren’t right for you, you can find one that is.

The service is free, and there’s no obligation to switch if you decide not to.

Help and support is also available from Energy Advisors who can guide you through your top offers and help you complete your switch.

It only takes 15 minutes to switch and members saved an average of £235 a year on their energy bills in our last Autumn switch.

Jo Dowson saved £450

Jo Dowson switched in our last round. She said:

“I’ve saved £450 switching through the Merseyside Collective Switch. I’m going to put the extra money towards a family holiday!”

Janice Lee-Williams saved £329

Janice Lee-Williams from Liverpool switched in June and is due to save £329. She said:

“I couldn’t believe how straightforward and stress-free the switch was. A bit of data from my last bill and a couple of clicks and it was all done. I feel empowered, having taken a bit of control back about something I didn’t feel I had any control over. 

I will certainly be shopping around for my energy in future and am cursing myself for not doing so much sooner. You wouldn’t think twice about shopping around for anything else so why not with your energy provider? I would recommend the collective switch to anyone. It’s nowhere near as daunting as you think”.

If you want to make sure you’re not paying any more than you need to for gas and electricity, join the Collective Switch today.

Registration closes at midnight on Monday 16^th October.

To join the Collective Switch visit www.LCRenergyswitch.co.uk or call the local Save Energy Advice Line on freephone 0800 043 0151, where you can also get free and impartial advice about saving energy at home.

Pat phoned Energy Project Plus’ Save Energy Advice Line after her boiler broke down and couldn’t be repaired. Her health conditions meant that she had to have constant heat in her property, but the large cost of a heating replacement made this impossible. We organised for Linda, our LEAP advisor, to visit Pat. Linda helped Pat to organise her fuel bills and switch her energy tariff. She also referred her on to Merseyside Health Through Warmth, who were able to replace her boiler with a fully-funded grant in less than 2 weeks.

Pat said: “Linda came to see me and was wonderful. Not only did she help with my boiler, but she put me on a tariff which can’t go up but which can come down. She organised several other things with my supplier and gave me free LED bulbs. The support was very, very good – they didn’t mess about. I can’t say how great I thought all of you were!”

Energy Projects Plus is currently offering free home energy visits to residents across Merseyside and Cheshire as part of the nationwide LEAP (Local Energy Advice Programme).

The visits aim to help residents to keep warm and reduce the amount they spend on energy, maximise their income and keep them affordably warm in their homes though the provision of advice, personalised support and the installation of energy saving improvements.

The visits are delivered by our team of expert advisors and include:

• Help switching to a better energy tariff
• Referrals for benefits checks, fuel debt advice and income maximisation support
• Support with Warm Home Discount applications and Priority Service Register
• Advice about avoiding damp and condensation and the most effective way to use their current heating system
• Funding for larger measures including heating systems and insulation.

Free energy saving measures can also be installed during the visit. These include:

• LED lightbulbs
• Draught-proofing for windows, doors and letterboxes
• Radiator panels
• Hot water cylinder jackets
• Chimney balloons
• TV standby savers.

Our advisors are ready to offer their support.

To apply to LEAP or to refer someone in to the scheme call the Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151 or email advice:epplus.org

Energy Projects Plus are thrilled to have won the Vulnerable Customer Support Campaigner of the Year Award.

The North West Energy Efficiency & Healthy Homes Awards were held in St Helens and aim to recognise the work being undertaken in the Energy Efficiency Sector in our region.

Organiser Gary Braybrooke, said “The Vulnerable Customer Support Award is the reason why we started these awards. It recognises outstanding work and dedication to supporting fuel poor and vulnerable people in the North West. Energy Projects Plus are deserved winners.”

The award follows Energy Project Plus’ commendation at the National Energy Efficiency Awards in September, where they were recognised under the Fuel Poverty Campaigner of the Year category.

Energy Projects Plus has supported over 7,000 vulnerable customers across Merseyside and Cheshire in the last year through various projects including The Merseyside Collective Switch, Merseyside Health Through Warmth, Warm & Healthy Homes, LEAP, Wirral Fuel Debt Advice Service and Warmth 4 All.

To get in touch, or for free impartial advice about saving energy at home call the Save Energy Advice Line on 0800 043 0151

We all need gas and electricity to run our homes and to keep ourselves warm, yet some of us are paying more than others for the exact same product.

The price of energy varies by region, and Merseyside, along with North Wales, have the highest average cost in the country.

The average default bill in our region is £1,197. As we also have one of the lowest average incomes in the country, people in Merseyside and North Wales are paying a whopping 7.7% of their average income on energy – the highest in Britain.

The reason given for the variation in price is the varying cost in transporting energy from the power station or gas rigs, to the home. So what can we do about it?

The main thing you can do is check your gas and electricity tariff to make sure you’re not paying more than you need to.

According to Ofgem, around 66% of households are on standard variable tariffs, which are typically more expensive than fixed deals. If you don’t switch regularly, you are likely to be moved on to your supplier’s standard tariff, and will therefore be paying more than you need to.

Merseyside’s local authorities are working with a local charity called Energy Projects Plus to help people switch to a cheaper tariff.

The Merseyside Collective Switch uses the collective buying power of those who register to take part, to negotiate exclusive tariffs from energy suppliers. The tariffs negotiated in previous rounds have often been the cheapest on the market and exclusive to the Collective Switch.

Mr Andy Hall switched his tariff through the last round and will save £327 a year. He also helped his elderly mother to switch and she will save £445 a year on her energy bills. Andy said: “Switching was easy and cost effective for both me and my mother. I would definitely recommend the Merseyside Collective Switch to others.”

Mrs Lynne Melarangi also switched in the last round in November. She said “The last time we switched was around 15 years ago, so we were probably overpaying. I saw the Collective Switch advertised in the local paper. It was really easy to switch and we should be saving around £425 a year on our energy bills”.

To date, the scheme has helped local people save in excess of £1million on their energy bills through switching to a cheaper energy tariff.

Previous rounds of the switch have attracted exclusive offers from both the large and smaller suppliers, including British Gas, E.on, EDF Energy and Ovo, and have included offers for prepayment meter (or pay as you go) customers as well as direct debit and pay on receipt of bill.

In addition to the Collective Switch offer, participants are welcome to switch to any tariff on the market to find the deal that’s right for them, with tariffs shown against each other for comparison. The service is free, and there’s no obligation to switch if you decide not to.

Registration is now open for the current round. By registering, you will add to the buying power of the group and you will have access to the exclusive offers.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson said: “The Merseyside Collective Switch is a great scheme that is putting money back into the pockets of local people. It demonstrates that by joining together, we can get a fairer deal from energy providers. I hope many more people join this round.”

Registration closes at midnight on Monday 13^th February.

To join the Collective Switch visit www.LCRenergyswitch.co.uk or call the local Save Energy Advice Line on freephone 0800 043 0151, where residents can also get free and impartial help and advice about saving energy at home.