New i2i coordinator Gareth Jones reports on Cyd Cymru, the first ever collective energy switch in Wales
When I first started working as a housing officer I was struck by the amount of tenants I visited that paid for their utilities on a weekly basis, usually by topping up a pre- payment meter with a card or tokens. Housing officers were always told to inform tenants that they could get their energy much more cheaply if they switched to quarterly payments by direct debit.
Given that most of these people were on low incomes, very few of them felt comfortable in making the switch, preferring to manually charge their meter when they had the cash to do so regardless of whether they were paying a higher price. I didn’t give that much thought to any ways I could help beyond giving advice. I just assumed it was their choice and I could do no more. But for low income families there is no choice; they didn’t make a decision to buy their energy in this way, their circumstances dictated it.
I heard of collective energy switching when I joined CIH Cymru’s i2i team. Collective switching involves a group of people joining together to hold a reverse auction, inviting energy suppliers to tender their best prices per unit of energy. The collective can then make an informed decision about what offer suits them best. Since they are bargaining in bulk, this gives buying power to people who would otherwise be unable to secure the best deals. It is a fantastic opportunity to help people to save money in a time when many are struggling to make ends meet.
In the spring of 2013, i2i began work with Merthyr Valley Homes, NPT Homes, Wales Co- operative Centre, Cantref and other housing providers in establishing the first ever collective switch in Wales. In the summer, the project joined forces with Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan councils and united over 40 organisations under the name ‘Cyd Cymru’. Cyd Cymru will launch this month with a view to assisting thousands of people across Wales to switch their energy supplier in November 2013. The project has already attracted national press attention and has helped to bring the fuel poverty agenda to the fore. More so than ever, austerity measures have meant that getting the best value for money is hugely important; not just for tenants, but for housing providers. Ensuring that tenants have access to the best deals will help secure consistent income for landlords. Cyd Cymru is a big step in giving people the confidence to make the necessary changes for the better.
More info at: www.cih.org/i2i/collectiveswitching
Community benefits
Thanks to everyone who came to the first Can Do 2013 conference in Cardiff on 11 September. Over 60 people attended the event to share and learn about emerging good practice in customer excellence and community benefits. We were pleased to be able to launch our procurement and equality guide, jointly produced with our partner Tai Pawb, which is available now free of charge on the i2i website. If you missed the Cardiff event, Can Do 2013 heads north to Llanwrst on 23 October. Find out more online here: www.cih.org/events
The landscape of community benefits in procurement is changing under our feet*. Housing in Wales has long led the way in this area, and we want to keep on the cutting edge. We are renewing some of the resources available to you from the Can Do Toolkit and will be putting them online as soon as they come through. We have new pages with FAQs, information on shared apprenticeship schemes and a draft agenda for community benefits meeting with all the questions you need to ask. With new interest in service contracts, living wage initiatives and changes to equalities duties, you can keep up to date with our website cih.org/i2i and follow us on Twitter @i2icymru.
*The Social Value Act 2012 came in and, although not applying to all areas or in all contracts, was persuasive in its support for using public sector procurement for added benefits. The draft EU procurement directives clearly indicate stronger support for social and environmental considerations in contracts, and Jane Hutt’s procurement policy statement shows us we should seek to optimise benefits for the economies and communities of Wales.