Issue - meetings

Report attached                                                                              20 minutes

Purpose: to report on the outcome of a collective switching scheme undertaken by Cherwell District Council (CDC) and West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC).

Recommendation: to note the outcome of the Better Together Oxfordshire collective switching campaign.

The partnership considered a report on the outcome of the collective switching scheme undertaken by Cherwell District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.

Cherwell District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council councillors said they had been disappointed with the eventual tariffs and the numbers who had switched. The level of interest had been good, and there was a role for local authorities in helping people navigate the market either through this scheme or something less labour-intensive.

The partnership noted the outcome of the Better Together Oxfordshire collective switching campaign.

Report attached                                                                                            10:40am

Purpose: To update on a collective energy switching project led by Cherwell District Council that seeks to save residents money on their energy bills.

It is recommended that:

     I.      Partner Councils participate in the collective switching scheme and provide officer support of approximately 5 days each.

    II.      That a core project team of Cherwell and OWP officers leads on project delivery operating within a budget of £12,500.

  III.      That Cherwell District Council recovers project revenue expenditure for goods and services up to £12,500 from the rebate received from the successful energy provider.

IV.      That participating Partner Councils (including Cherwell District Council) agree to underwrite any short fall of income through an equal contributory payment by each, if required.

The partnership considered a report by the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership Coordinator setting out details of a collective energy switching project led by Cherwell District Council.

The partnership discussed the merits and risks of the project, but although broadly supportive of the principles of the project individual members did not wish to commit their local authorities to the project. The partnership co-ordinator reminded members that the project would start on 1 April 2013.

The partnership members agreed to discuss the project within their local authority and to decide on an individual basis whether to participate in and provide resources for the collective energy switching project led by Cherwell District Council.