RESIDENTS in north and west Oxfordshire are being urged to sign up for a council scheme aimed at slashing electricity bills.

The collective buying scheme will see electricity purchased in bulk on behalf of residents who have signed up.

Cherwell and West Oxfordshire district councils hope the move could cut up to £200 off annual electricity bills.

Residents can register an interest in the Better Together scheme from today to April 8 for the first mass negotiation in April.

Those who register will be under no obligation to take up the offer and will be provided with rates available under the scheme.

Energy firm iChoosr is behind similar schemes in Holland and Belgium.

Cherwell has said the scheme could signal a “big shift” in how people buy services and could extend to insurance and mobile phones.

Project manager Gabi Kaiser said: “By joining forces we’re a better customer for the energy company. We offer them a whole host of households to supply, and with more likely custom, they offer a more competitive price.”

Oxfordshire Waste Partnership has said annual gas and electricity costs have doubled since 2004 from £600 to £1,310 last year.

Cherwell executive member for energy and climate change Nigel Morris said: “With spiralling energy costs and fuel poverty becoming an increasing problem we felt it was important for the council to step in and help.

“We hope that with our support, energy customers in Oxfordshire will end up with cheaper bills by signing up to the Better Together campaign.”

West Oxfordshire’s portfolio holder for the environment David Harvey hopes it will mirror Oxfordshire Rural community Council’s “immensely successful” district heating oil bulk buy scheme.

He said: “It made us think if we can do it for oil we can do it for gas and electricity. It’s effectively forming a co-operative to buy and seems a jolly good idea particularly when household budgets are under pressure.”

Register via bettertogetheroxfordshire.co.uk or 0800 107 0044 or at: l Thorpe Lane Depot, Banbury, OX16 4UT, 8.45am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday.

  • Eco Demonstration Building, The Garth, Bicester, OX26 6PS, noon to 4pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
  • Exeter Hall Link Point, Kidlington OX5 1AB, open 8.45am (10am Wednesday) to 5.15pm Monday to Friday.
  • Town Centre Shop, Witney OX28 6JH, 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.