The first Essex Energy Switch has secured total savings on gas and electricity bills of over £250,000 for Essex residents.

Some 1,202  residents accepted offers to switch energy providers with the collective savings scheme, with average savings per household of £209.

The Essex Energy Switch works by bringing together residents who want to switch providers and pay less for their gas and electricity bills.

The scheme is run by Essex County Council, in partnership with district, borough and city councils, and delivered by iChoosr, an independent provider which specialises in collective energy switching.

Essex residents were able to sign up for the Energy Switch during January and February.

A one-day ‘auction’ then took place, with energy companies coming forward to offer their best possible tariffs.

The 4489 residents who signed up for the scheme each received a personalised offer detailing how much they could save, with no obligation to switch. 1,259 (28%) residents decided to accept their offers, and were guided through a simple switching process.

County Councillor Roger Walters, Cabinet Member for Waste & Recycling said: “I am pleased that that this scheme has been a success and has benefited so many Essex residents. We will be running the scheme again later this year and hope that even more residents take the opportunity to register and save money by changing their energy suppliers.”

The County Council is hoping to launch a second phase of the Essex Energy Switch in summer 2014.

The winning suppliers in the February auction were as follows -
• Ovo Energy for all online billing contracts
• British Gas for dual fuel paper billing contracts
• Green Star Energy for Electricity Only paper billing contracts
• Scottish Power for prepayment contracts