Energy advice club helps residents save money

Mr and Mrs Wilcock and Money Matters Advisor, Marie Flaherty

A new energy advice club has been set up to help Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) tenants save money on the run-up to Christmas.

The U-Switch Club was set up by the Money Matters Team at RBH to offer energy advice on a case-by-case basis. Advisors aim to help tenants make savings by ensuring they choose the best energy providers to suit their needs.

The team have been providing advice and support to tenants with debt problems. But Money Matters Advisor, Marie Flaherty, recognised the need to tackle issues around fuel poverty head on and created the ‘U-Switch Club’.

“The problem is that many people are unaware about how to monitor their consumption or which tariff is best suited to their needs and personal usage. They then end up paying excessive fuel charges. There are cheaper tariffs available so with just a little help to explore their options it’s possible to save a whole lot of cash,” said Mrs Flaherty.

Mr and Mrs Wilcock from Middleton had been struggling to pay the large bills from their current suppliers and sought the advice of the ‘U-Switch Club’. At the time they were using separate suppliers for fuel. Mrs Flaherty made some enquiries and discovered that by switching to one supplier and making payments by direct debit they would benefit from savings as a ‘dual-fuel’ customer. In addition, the couple qualified for the Essential Care Team Priority List and were entitled to a free home loft and cavity insulation, which will also help keep the bills down to a minimum.

“We are very grateful for all the time and help Mrs Flaherty gave us. She has been a God send and I cannot begin to thank her enough,” said Mr Wilcock.