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Energy company plan powers
ahead
MOVES to set up an energy company:- the
Liverpool LECC; to help cut fuel poverty in the City are set to progress.
The Council's Cabinet is being asked to approve a tendering process for a
licensed energy supplier to take forward the plans.
It is proposed that the new company would sell gas and electricity at a lower
cost than other suppliers as it would operate on a not for profit basis and
would have low overheads.
It would also look to replace the current costly pre-payment meter tariffs with
Smart meter pay as you go cheaper alternatives, which, as well as enabling
householders to manage their energy consumption better ,will also help cut CO2
emissions.
And the new company could also promote independent living as vulnerable
residents, who have smart meters installed could, with their consent, have their
energy use monitored. Alert systems would be set up so changes in energy use
which may, for example, indicate that a fall has happened would be noted and
action taken by care agencies to help the resident.
Businesses could also be helped to switch to cheaper tariffs with little
inconvenience. It is envisaged that the new company could start operating
by March 2017.
The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said:- "This is a really significant
initiative for a huge number of people in the City. 1 in 7 households live in
fuel poverty and a 3rd of all households 70,000; have to use costly
prepayment meters.
Far too many people live in dread of getting their gas and electricity bills and it is the poorest residents who are hardest hit as they are the ones who
have to use the most expensive meters.
We have been liaising with other major cities such as Nottingham, Leeds and
Bristol on this issue to come up with ways in which we can stop people falling
further into poverty because of high energy costs.
Setting up the Liverpool LECC, owned and run for Liverpool people, will provide
a realistic and practical way tens of thousands of people, will be able to cut
their fuel bills. We are now looking for a partner to take this idea forward and
are aiming to be up and running early next year."
The cabinet will be asked to approve the tendering process at its meeting on 24
June 2016. |
