Going Dutch: Local Government and Fuel Poverty

A new White Paper from localism think tank the New Local Government Network (NLGN) suggests that by following a model of bulk purchasing from energy providers recently launched in The Netherlands, councils can create significant savings for their residents. The innovation undertaken earlier this year by a Dutch organisation, Met de Stroom Mee, yielded a 20% saving in energy costs for households. If councils imitate this model in the UK, even a 10% equivalent efficiency would result in a £125 reduction in costs to consumers. The media reports in recent weeks that more households in the UK could be dragged into fuel poverty over the coming years, highlights the need for more effective measures to reduce energy costs for consumers. The report, ‘Going Dutch’, suggests that a local authority advocating on behalf of a group of citizens can result in drastic reductions in costs to consumers. Download a copy of the report from the NLGN website.