Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to approve proposals for the Council to participate, along with Thurrock Council, in an initiative promoted by iChoosr to encourage local residents to sign up to a collective fuel switching scheme via an on-line auction planned for February 2013, aimed at assisting local residents to lower fuel bills

The Cabinet Member for Housing presented a report on an initiative aimed at helping Borough residents, and those in Thurrock, to reduce their fuel bills via a collective fuel switching project with the international switching broker, iChoosr.

The Cabinet Member explained that the two Councils would encourage their residents to register a ‘no obligations’, on-line interest during a two month period after which iChoosr, acting as the communications intermediary, would facilitate a one day e-auction whereby energy suppliers would be able to out-bid a rival and the lowest offer on the table would then be put to consumers as a one-year dual fuel contract. 

The Cabinet Member advised that the scheme was expected to offer participants an annual fuel bill saving of up to £200 and would compliment other energy saving initiatives such as the Council’s extensive home insulation programme.

The Leader confirmed that he would join the Cabinet Member and Council officers at a number of promotional events across the Borough as part of the Council’s advertising campaign for the project.

Cabinet agreed that the Council, in partnership with Thurrock Council, enters into an agreement with the international switching broker iChoosr for the introduction of a collective fuel switching pilot for the benefit of residents in Barking and Dagenham and Thurrock, on the terms detailed in the report.