PUBLISHED: 08:30 30 June 2018 Workmen installing solar panels similar to those on Muswell Hill Methodist Church. Picture: SIMON BURT/PA WIRE PA Wire/Press Association Images Letters, contributions and comments sent in from Ham&High readers this week. Celebrating our energy volunteers Dr Joanna Macrae, Leighton Road, Kentish Town, writes: Amidst the gloomy news about pollution in London and uncertainty about climate change, there is some hope! Friday marked the beginning of Community Energy Fortnight, a celebration of the work of hundreds of volunteers around the country, including Power Up North London (PUNL) that has projects in Camden and Islington. Crowdsourcing funding from local neighbourhoods, we are contributing to London’s green infrastructure, installing solar panels on churches, city farms, in parks and GP practices. Since being installed last year, the solar panels installed on PUNL’s first project at St Anne’s Church, Highgate, has saved more … [Read more...] about Ham&High letters: Community Energy Fortnight, vehicle emmissions, Kenwood, Airbus, Hampstead Heath, EU citizens and Brexit
Energy providers list
How to switch your energy supplier for a better deal on gas and electricity
Energy bills are rising year on year and the fact of the matter is, for many, it's the most expensive of all our household expenses. The truth, though, is that many of us could save hundreds by switching - and it's a 10 minute job that could make all of the difference. In April alone - when many families turned off the heating - three in four of the Big Six providers upped their prices, with British Gas (the UK's biggest energy firm) increasing bills by 5.5% - or £60 a year for 4.1 million homes. But you don't have to stand for it. "In April three of the big six energy suppliers hiked their prices and customers have understandably responded by seeking out cheaper deals elsewhere," explained Shona Eyre at comparison website uSwitch.com. "Switching energy is quick, easy and could potentially save households £491, so it's encouraging to see more and more people take control of their bills and find a better deal." Georgie Frost, at GoCompare Energy, added: "With brighter, warmer … [Read more...] about How to switch your energy supplier for a better deal on gas and electricity
Energy firms could named and shamed under new Government ‘scorecard’ scheme
Energy providers could soon be forced to display customer satisfaction scores on their websites under new Government proposals. Under the plans, consumers will be able to read "traffic light style" scorecards to warn them about potential poor customer service, reliability and value for money, before signing up for deals. In a green paper on improving rights for millions of consumers published yesterday, Business Secretary Greg Clark listed prioritizing consumer satisfaction over price as a key goal. The Department for Business is now calling for views on using scorecards to tackle poor performance, for example by "naming and shaming" poor performers or highlighting suppliers who fail to meet certain minimum standards, it said. In addition this performance data could also be used by digital comparison tools to help inform customer choice, it said. The report also suggested that the "Open Banking" revolution, which lets consumers see all their finances in one … [Read more...] about Energy firms could named and shamed under new Government ‘scorecard’ scheme
Dixons executive jumps ship to head up new energy firm
News / Business by Press Association 06/04/2018, 11:08 am FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail Send us a story Sign up to our Daily newsletter The boss of Dixons UK is stepping down to head up the new energy supplier to be born out of the merger of SSE’s household unit and Npower. Katie Bickerstaffe, UK and Ireland boss at the retailer, will step down to become chief executive at the energy provider later this year. Her departure comes just weeks after Dixons also lost group chief executive Seb James, who jumped ship to join Boots. The retailer’s finance boss, Humphrey Singer, left the firm in January. Ms Bickerstaffe’s appointment is the first for SSE and Innogy’s new entity and it follows a “competitive process that was facilitated by an executive search company”, the firms said. The new chief executive will lead work being done to prepare listing the new company on the London Stock Exchange, which is scheduled to take place late … [Read more...] about Dixons executive jumps ship to head up new energy firm
How to switch energy providers to a cheap gas and electricity deal
It's almost the start of the new tax year - which means the perfect time to take a fresh look at your spending - and where you may be overdoing it. And energy could be one of the easiest ways to cut back, after prices leaped an average of £418 per household last year. “For too long the Big Six have been exploiting their disengaged customers by keeping them on their most expensive tariffs - despite the huge savings available for those who switch," said Ed Kamm from energy firm, First Utility. "The fact that most households could have saved enough over the last three years to treat the family to a break at Disneyland shows they’re taking the Mickey.” For anyone looking to spring clean their finances, this is how to switch energy providers. How to switch your supplier You'll need: ✔ Your postcode ✔ Your current gas and electricity supplier, and the name of your tariff ✔ How much you use in kilowatt hours (kWh) on gas and electricity. You can … [Read more...] about How to switch energy providers to a cheap gas and electricity deal