THOUSANDS of households across Barnsley are set to benefit from a proposed scheme to reduce fuel poverty.
The council’s cabinet members will discuss the launch of Barnsley Energy Tariff at a meeting on Wednesday which will see the local authority team up with an energy supplier.
It is hoped the project will offer fair tariffs which will enable residents to save money on their bills.
According to the council, 11,572 households in the town are currently experiencing fuel poverty - a figure they are hoping the partnership will considerably reduce.
The council has set a target of switching 1,920 residents over to the scheme in the first year - saving a projected £576,000 - while over five years it is expected the total could exceed £4m.
A report said: “Traditionally, increasing the energy efficiency of properties was the best way to reduce fuel poverty. However, rising fuel prices mean that financial benefits from such improvements can be short-lived. The focus is now moving towards reducing the cost of energy by influencing the supply market to reduce customers’ bills.
“Local authorities have the ability to signpost households at risk of fuel poverty to suppliers offering fair and beneficial terms.
“Doing it this way is clearly of value to companies who wish to recruit new customers and, in these circumstances, many are prepared to agree simpler, more competitive and fairer tariffs.”
The proposal, which will be offered across the borough, will see the council procure a supplier to provide a tariff for up to five years initially and require them to offer no up-front investment.
“Although it would be ideal to partner with a supplier who can always deliver the cheapest tariffs, this isn’t possible because of the volatility of the market and the increasing number of suppliers,” the report added.
“Quite often the cheapest tariffs come from suppliers with a poor level of customer service. Instead, the council will expect that the supplier provides a consistently competitive tariff so the offer appears within the top 20 available on switching websites on a regular basis.
“The supplier will be expected to maintain the tariff and not move residents to a more expensive variable tariff following an introductory period. This requirement will form part of the service specification and evaluation criteria within the procurement process.
“By reducing the cost of energy, some residents may be lifted out of fuel poverty and it will also prevent others from falling into it.”
