Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP, Angus MacNeil is backing Big Energy Saving Week.

The campaign is a collaboration between Citizens Advice Scotland, Scottish citizens advice bureaux, the Energy Saving Trust, Government and Energy Suppliers and other charitable and voluntary organisations.

The campaign urges consumers to ‘Check – Switch – Insulate’:

Check – Check with your energy supplier that you are on the best tariff and payment method for your circumstances, or if they can offer you any discounts to cut your bills

Switch – Visit an accredited switching website to see if you could get your energy cheaper elsewhere. Shopping around for your energy supplier could save you as much as £200 if you have never switched before. If you use heating oil as your main fuel, see if there are any local oil buying clubs you can join. If not, you might want to start your own.

Insulate – If you’re worried about how much money you’re spending to heat and light your home, or just want to spend less there are some simple steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient. Keep in the heat by insulating the cavity walls and loft of your home – you could save up to £320 per year, most suppliers are giving away free or discounted insulation and other energy efficiency measures so ask if you’re eligible.

Isles MP Angus MacNeil said:

“While my SNP colleagues and I are raising issues in parliament about the regulation of the energy sector, the pricing policies of energy companies and other issues on energy supply, there are still several key things that householders can do themselves to help reduce energy costs.

“Fuel poverty is a serious issue and this is a particularly timely campaign.  I would urge people to check if they are eligible for support and to approach their local Citizens Advice Bureau for help to save themselves money.”

“More information can be found at http://www.cas.org.uk/bigenergysavingweek and I would urge people to take the time to have a look and see what help is out there.”

Ends.

  Notes :

Fuel poverty is defined as a household spending more than 10% of its income on fuel to heat their home to a satisfactory level.