PEOPLE in Bolton are being urged to start the New Year by slashing their fuel bills by up to £250. Residents are being encouraged to join a ground-breaking collective energy switching scheme that could mean massive reductions to the cost of heating their homes.

A similar scheme run by Oldham Council in the autumn attracted more than 8,000 people, with many households saving hundreds from their annual bills.

The project was so successful it is now being repeated, with people from across Greater Manchester invited to register their interest in combining their purchasing power.

Under the scheme, the group then enters a ‘reverse auction’ and gets a cheaper deal together on gas and electricity from energy companies.

To register interest in the collective bulk buy scheme visit gmfairenergy.com or call the freephone number 0800 009 3363.

Residents just need to produce a copy of their current energy bill to register an interest before the scheme closes on January 28, and anyone who enters will receive an offer for a new rate which they do not have to accept. The scheme is also open to residents who use pre-payment meters.

Bolton Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr John Byrne, said: “This scheme will make a huge difference to the lives of residents by enabling them to knock hundreds off their household bills. The more people who come forward, the more they could save from their fuel bills.”