Did you know that if enough people group together in Britain right now, they can negotiate better power rates? While Australians back home battle ever rising energy costs, here’s a unique opportunity for expat Aussies in the UK to save on their electricity bills.
The UK Government estimates residents are paying £2.7 billion by not switching suppliers.
If expats get together and form a collective, it could be possible to save our households over £250 on energy each year. Australian Times, in conjunction with New Zealand Times and The South African, is working on a campaign ‘Expats United’ with iChoosr to help Aussie, Kiwi and South African expats save more money on their annual electricity and gas bills using a collective switching scheme.
How does it work? It’s simple
iChoosr organises collective switching schemes to harness group buying power. They find a good deal and it’s an easy way to switch energy suppliers.
Sign up to ‘Expats United’ without any obligation. iChoosr will run an auction on our behalf to find us all the best energy supplier on 19 May 2015. You will then receive an email with the winning supplier’s offer. You will be able to see how much you would pay for gas and electricity under the new tariff, compared with your current bills.
You then choose to accept the winning offer or not. It’s as simple as that!
What would you do with £250?
Take a romantic trip for two to Paris on Eurostar?
Buy a return plane ticket to Turkey?
Have 2 months public transport in London covered?
Go to a music festival with plenty to spend?
Take the family out to dinner on your next visit home to Australia?
For more information and to join, visit AustralianTimes.co.uk/expatsunited
FAQs
When is the auction held?
The auction will be carried out by iChoosr on 19 May 2015. The energy supplier with the best deal for you will be determined during a ‘reverse’ auction.
What happens after the auction?
iChoosr will send an email with the winning supplier’s offer. You will then see how much you would pay for gas and electricity under the new tariff (based on your usage), compared with your current tariff plan. You then choose whether you wish to accept the winning offer or not.
Note: Your details will only be shared with the winning supplier after you have confirmed that you want to switch. If you choose not to accept the offer, you can unsubscribe from all future correspondence or choose to enter the next auction (there are 3 each year).
Is the deal offered dependant on the number of participants?
The more people who sign up, the more likely suppliers are to give an additional discount for an attractive energy deal. Let’s get together as expats and save money together.
Which suppliers will participate?
In principle any nationwide UK supplier can participate. The supplier has to meet several pre-determined quality requirements to ensure a reliable switch and supply for participants.
No access to internet or email?
You can register up to five households on the same e-mail address. Why not help out a neighbour or friend who does not have access to the internet or email?
I rent my house, can I also participate?
Yes, tenants can also take part in the collective energy switching scheme and take advantage of the outcome. That said, the energy bill has to be in their own name or that of their partner.
Who has switched already?
iChoosr has years of experience in terms of saving money through collective switching. Over 500,000 UK households have participated in 10 auctions arranged by iChoosr’s collective switching schemes and over 3 million have signed up for its schemes in five different countries.
Is the registration really free?
Yes, and there really is no obligation.
What is the purpose of a collective switching scheme?
Although the energy market was privatised several years ago a lot of people are still paying too much for their gas and electricity. People are afraid to switch, don’t have the time to compare suppliers, don’t trust suppliers or think it involves a lot of hassle. That is why iChoosr organise the process for you.
More questions?
Visit Expats United or call the iChoosr toll free number 0800 048 8116 from 8:00-17:30, Monday to Friday.
Get to know iChoosr
Hear what George Frost, UK manager of iChoosr, has to say on Sky News about collective switching energy campaigns versus price comparison websites.
For more information and to join, visit AustralianTimes.co.uk/expatsunited
