A DEAL that could save South Holland residents 15 per cent on gas and electricity bills could go live in October.
South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter began talks with a so-far unnamed consortium early this year, but the planned May launch was put back first to September and then October because the consortium wanted to have smart meters ready for installation.
Coun Porter said the consortium boss is “confident he will have something ready to go live by October”.
The council leader hopes to announce a final deal to local residents first and then take it to the Tory party conference, which runs from October 6-9.
Coun Porter said: “It’s flavour of the month – the Government are running with it, they want councils to get involved in it.”
Around 2,000 people registered an interest in slashing their energy bills by signing up to the deal being put together by the council.
Coun Porter says the numbers are already there to make the deal work, but the consortium will have its “battle bus” – a converted mobile library – to give others the chance to sign up.
The battle bus will visit towns and villages.
Coun Porter said: “I won’t let them do door knocking.”
He said there are no cast iron guarantees at this stage that the consortium will actually deliver what it has promised, but he will reveal details about the negotiations and name and shame them if they do pull the plug.
“I was ready to go with it for Flower Parade weekend and they pulled out at the last minute over a piece of kit that I really didn’t care about,” he said. “I am still nervous about whether they are actually going to deliver what they have said.”
Coun Porter’s talks with the consortium resume this week or next