Agenda item

Community Energy Switching Scheme

Report of the Acting Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

 

Recommendations:-

 

1.    That approval be given to the OJEU procurement process to identify a potential partner to develop a community energy switching scheme and inform a business case that will be developed, based on the results of the tender.

 

2.    That the business case and Tender Evaluation Report be submitted to Cabinet for approval.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report which detailed the proposed community energy switching scheme which would be open to all Rotherham residents and would reduce the number of households paying high tariffs for gas and electricity and reduce fuel poverty.  Although the scheme would be open to all residents it should be particularly beneficial to hard to reach and vulnerable tenants to assist them to identify and change to a cheaper tariff. Residents could save around £200 to £300 per year in an average three bedroom semi-detached house. 

 

Having completed the recommended feasibility study the purpose approval was sought to carry out an OJEU procurement process to identify a potential partner to develop a community energy switching scheme and inform a business case that would be developed based on the results of the tender.

 

Cabinet Members offered their full support, particularly where residents would not transfer onto a variable tariff scheme after twelve months, but the best deal at the time would be sought and the need for consumers to keep changing suppliers.

 

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations, but asked that customer support and service standards were ensured and built into the tender framework and that the performance of customer support and service standards be reported on a quarterly basis to the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy.

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That the OJEU procurement process be approved to identify a potential partner to develop a community energy switching scheme and inform a business case that will be developed, based on the results of the tender.

 

(2)  That the business case and Tender Evaluation Report be submitted to Cabinet for approval.

Supporting documents: