Yorkshire switches on to fairer energy tariffs

White Rose Energy launches this week offering all households across the Yorkshire region the opportunity to sign up to fairer, more transparent energy tariffs.

Leeds City Council has teamed up with Robin Hood Energy, a not-for-profit energy supplier run by Nottingham City Council, to offer residents the chance to switch to a trustworthy energy supplier with competitive tariffs.

The simple act of regular switching can save people considerable sums of money on their bills. However, the so-called ‘big six’ energy companies still dominate the energy market with research showing that just 1 in 3 people ‘trust’ their energy company and many people are unaware of the benefits and the savings they could achieve by switching supplier. Robin Hood Energy will be required to consistently offer fair and affordable tariffs when checked monthly via a nominated price comparison site.

White Rose Energy is open to all households across the region, regardless of whether they rent or own their home, but aims to be particularly competitive on traditional prepayments tariffs with a view to helping to alleviate fuel poverty in some key areas of the region. One of the primary aims of the company will be to provide a much clearer route to getting customers off prepayment plans so they can access cheaper deals. The company will consistently offer competitive tariffs across the board, and anyone looking to switch their gas or electricity would be able to benefit from a company that puts its customers first.

The council, working with Robin Hood Energy, will also be switching ‘dumb’ old style prepayment meters in its own social housing properties to smart pay-as-you-go meters which will offer a wider range of cash and cashless top up options. This will potentially lead to more competitively priced tariffs for those tenants, along with a better understanding of their day-to-day consumption habits and costs.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council executive board member for environment and sustainability said:

“This represents a really innovative approach by the council, where we will be leveraging our influence as a large authority to bring about extremely positive socio-economic outcomes that will benefit our residents for years to come.

“Energy is a costly part of most household bills, and many people are unaware of the ability to switch providers or are unsure how easy it is to access lower cost tariffs.

“White Rose Energy can offer residents across our region the chance to sign up to an energy company that will offer competitive prices and be transparent from the start.

“We can potentially help every type of customer to pay less for their energy bills and to receive better customer service but by specifically targeting those on low incomes – who often have costly prepayment meters - with our economical pay-as-you-go tariff we can look to make a difference to the lives of those in fuel poverty across our region.”

For more information about White Rose Energy, or to obtain a quote, please visit www.whiteroseenergy.co.uk or call 0800 022 3553.

Notes to editors:

*Results from the 2015 industry-wide ‘TrustBarometer’ which is coordinated by Edelman and canvasses the views of relevant stakeholders showed that 1 in 3 people trust their energy provider.