PEOPLE in Worcester are being helped to get a better deal on their energy bills.

At a meeting of Worcester City Council’s Labour-run cabinet on Tuesday, April 15 members agreed to go ahead with a partnership with charity Act on Energy to help residents switch suppliers.

A range of sessions will be held in community centres throughout the city later this year where advisers from Act on Energy will be on hand to help people switch their provider and offering advice on grants available for boiler replacement and insulation.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting Cllr Lynn Denham said many people in the city were struggling to pay their power bills.

“The rising cost of energy is a problem for many households in the city,” she said.

“The cost of energy bills are hurting our residents and hurting the economy.”

Although the success rate in terms of the amount of people who switch suppliers after getting advice from Act on Energy of similar organisations is fairly low at between seven and 11, Cllr Denham said she hoped people in Worcester would benefit regardless.

The council’s deputy leader Cllr Richard Boorn said he was firmly in favour of the scheme.

“We have to do everything we can to help people through what is a terrible situation,” he said.

The charity’s chief executive David Julian said people were much more likely to switch energy supplier if they knew the plan matched their specific needs.

“We’ve already tried out this approach in a number of other areas in Worcestershire and Warwickshire,” he said.

“The one-to-one approach is particularly beneficial for vulnerable residents and those without a computer, which is essential in order to compare all the different tariffs on the market.”

For more information call 01905 722 233 or visit www.actonenergy.org.uk or www.warmerworcestershire.com.