The Big Longon Energy SwitchEnergy switching seems to have become something of a local government vogue recently. Perhaps because there is not as much cash around any more and local authorities and councillors have to look at less traditional ways of supporting residents. In February I sat on the judging panel for the LGIU‘s Cllr Awards and (aside from my usual feeling of inadequacy reading the nominations) could not help but notice how many of the nominees were involved in some sort of switching campaign. Locally I’ve had very loose discussions with a local resident and business owner interested in the potential for a community energy fund that would reinvest profits in the borough.

However, rather late in the day I discovered that there is a London-wide scheme, The Big London Energy Switch. Although Wandsworth is not listed as a participating borough, anyone in London can register; it accepted my registration without complaint.

The concept is fairly simple; if you assume people are paying around £1,000 a year on energy at the moment, gather a group of them together in, say, a five-year deal and you create significant amount of purchasing power. I first heard the idea being promoted in Cornwall by the Eden Project’s Sir Tim Smit, but I know there are other examples and I’m sure many that I’ve not seen.

Having just switched I’m probably not going to be able to do anything with it (as an aside, my switch got me a free energy monitor, which has turned me into a monster constantly hunting down unnecessarily left on appliances when I see the energy consumption anything above normal) but given how many people pay over the odds because they are bewildered by the options, or never change because they can’t find the perfect deal, thought I would post the link for residents who might be interested in exploring the option.

The Big London Energy Switch obviously has more details. Although registration carries no commitment, the registration period closes this Monday evening.

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