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 the county’s 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, June 9.

You can do this either online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bigcommunityswitch or by calling the council on 01452 425757.

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.

GCC leader Cllr Mark Hawthorne said: “Switching energy supplier is often the best way to save money on your bills.

“We are continuing to support this scheme as we know the process of switching can often put people off. This way all you need is a recent energy bill and the Big Community Switch will do the rest of the work and hopefully get you a better deal.”