PARISH council gas and electricity bills are set to be slashed after a review uncovered big differences in the available rates.

Kempsey Parish Council, near Worcester, was told a new quote from an alternative electricity supplier could see them pay “about half” their current annual bill of £2,800.

They have a rolling monthly agreement with npower – the Worcester-based energy supplier, but chairman Councillor Bob Bowley has done some digging into electricity supplies and said he had worked out the parish was paying 17p per kWh (kilowatt hour) for electricity for the community centre, and its parish office.

He said the invoiced rate he found would reduce that to 9p, with no standing charges.

Coun Andrew Hay said he had worked out their gas supply from British Gas had cost £2,039 in the year to March.

“What concerns me is that it was set under a previous contract,” he said.

“When the last review of their charges to us was done, they appear to have increased our standing charges by 607 per cent – to 67p per day. I tried to talk to British Gas about the contract, but as I am not the authorised account holder they blanked me.”

Coun Hay said he then checked off his own back for an alternative supplier and found a quote which would cut the bill by £604 – 30 per cent.

However, that contract runs until November.

He said that the gas contract had been signed in 2007, but there was “no clause saying it rolled over to the regular tariff”.

Council clerk Sharon Baxter said under the contract British Gas say they would write 120 days in advance of the end of the next contract period.

She was asked to dig out the 2007 contract, and the council agreed to discuss the electricity quote at the next parish meeting.