Nearly 2,400 Wolverhampton homes apply to ease bills
Almost 2,400 householders living across Wolverhampton signed up to register their interest in a scheme to help them save money on electricity and gas bills.
It was launched by the city council earlier this year in a bid to use the bulk-buying power of thousands of residents.
The council was helping to bid on their behalf for cheaper tariffs than they would get as individuals while energy firms offering best rates would benefit from a surge in customers at the same time.
Bosses have today revealed that a total of 2,359 households in the city signed up to the scheme before it closed earlier this month. They were then entered into a much larger energy bidding auction with around 160,000 residents from across the country, believed to be the largest energy auction to date.
Gas and electric suppliers competed to collectively offer them cheaper bills if they switched energy providers.
The winning company for those who combine gas and electric bills was Sainsbury's Energy, while Scottish Power offered the cheapest bills for those who wanted electricity only.
Meanwhile British Gas offered the cheapest option for those with pre-payment metres for either gas or electric.
Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Tim Clark said: "The households involved will be written to in the next few weeks with their offers.
"They are under no obligation and they can look at it and decide whether it is the right thing for them. If it is hopefully they will switch and enjoy cheaper bills."
The project was backed by Council Leader Roger Lawrence and Conservative mayor Councillor Christine Mills.
It is hoped the move will ease bills after figures showed a quarter of city homes in "fuel poverty".