People Power Campaign Launches Today – 20,000 Scottish Consumers to Switch Energy Together

Michael Stewart and One Big Switch are today launching the Big Energy Switch, a people power campaign to cut the cost of electricity and gas in Scotland.

The campaign aims to use the huge buying power of 20,000 Scottish households in order to unlock group discounted energy in Scotland, and boost competition in the energy sector.
The Big Energy Switch campaign aims to drive competition in the Scottish energy market by:

• Signing up 20,000 Scottish consumers in the next 4 weeks
• Use their collective buying power to negotiate discounted electricity & gas offers
• Make this group-discounted offer available to those who join the campaign
• This group discount aims to help set off an energy price war here in Scotland

One Big Switch is launching the Big Energy Switch in Scotland in response to the current energy affordability crisis. This crisis is caused by the fact that average fuel bills in Scotland have risen nearly four times faster than household incomes since 2003. (See Appendix 1)

Michael Stewart, the respected campaigner and football commentator, is directing the Big Energy Switch campaign, and will publicly launch the campaign in Glasgow this morning.

Mr Stewart today welcomed the launch of this consumer campaign,“This a chance for people in Scotland to come together and use our collective power to deliver some real cost of living relief. Consumers don’t have to sit back and simply take price rises anymore, we can now use people power to take constructive action to help cut the cost of energy in Scotland.

“National group switching campaigns, like the Big Energy Switch, have worked in other countries to help fight back against the rising cost of living, and now is the time for Scottish consumers to act together to unlock group discounted energy here as well,” he said.

One Big Switch is one of the world’s fastest growing consumer movements, with over 700,000 members. One Big Switch has previously used Big Energy Switch campaigns to unlock group-discounted energy, and spark energy price wars, in Australia and Ireland.

Joining the Big Energy Switch is entirely cost and obligation free. Consumers who wish to sign up can visit www.onebigswitch.co.uk.  Registration closes at midnight on 17 April 2015.

Details of case study families, who are feeling the effects of the energy price rise crisis, and have joined the campaign, are available for media outlets.