WORRIED about rising energy costs? Gloucestershire County Council wants to support people to get a better deal.

The council is concerned about the impact that energy prices have on Gloucestershire residents, particularly older people and those living in fuel poverty. That is why it is participating in the Big Community Switch to help people get cheaper gas and electricity by working together.

The Big Community Switch is bulk buying – if a large number of people want to change supplier together they are likely to get a better deal than just one person shopping around and switching on their own.

And the more households that register their interest in switching, the more attractive it becomes for an energy supplier to offer a competitive price and the more likely consumers are to achieve significant savings.

Residents need to register their interest with the Big Community Switch by Monday February 17 at the latest.

For more information visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bigcommunityswitch or call the council on 01452 425757 between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

By doing this, you are under no obligation to switch supplier.

People only need to provide basic information at this stage: name, address, contact details, an indication of their energy consumption and whether they wish to consider switching for both gas and electricity or electricity only.

It is a good idea to have a recent bill to hand as it makes registering easier and more accurate registration means a more accurate offer.