Age UK Cornwall joins scheme pushing for cheaper energy bills (From This is The West Country)

Age UK Cornwall joins scheme pushing for cheaper energy bills

11:00am Saturday 20th October 2012 in Cornwall

Age UK Cornwall  has joined forces with the Cornwall Together energy buying group to help cuts members energy bills.

One of the organisation's aims is to help prevent winter deaths and illness in the elderly and Tracey Roose, CEO of Age UK Cornwall said: “Cold weather causes a massive increase in health problems such as heart attacks, strokes and breathing difficulties among people in later life, supporting Cornwall Together will give us a platform to actively help the vulnerable during the tough winter months.”

Matt Hastings, Project Manager of Cornwall Together, said, “It’s a formidable partnership, that builds on a long line of other successful partnerships such as Cornwall Council, The Eden Project, The NHS, Community Energy Plus and Unison, we are really excited to be working alongside Age UK Cornwall on Cornwall Together, they bring a wealth of experience”

So far, more than 4000 people have joined Cornwall Together, the collective buying initiative launched by Energy Secretary Ed Davey.

Cornwall Together enables people in Cornwall to get together as a powerful buying group to negotiate cheaper energy bills. The ambition is for the scheme to be rolled out nationwide and eventually be used to negotiate as a group for other products and services.

New members have until midnight on October 28 to join in. On October 29 Cornwall Together will be going to the electricity and gas companies to ask them for their best deal - and the more people who've joined, the better deal they should be able to get. Heating oil is also included with the first auction.