NEARLY 500 people in York have signed up to a community energy switching project which could help them save as much as £200 on the gas and electricity bills.

City of York Council has announced that 480 people registered for the second Big Community Energy Switch, which it is running with energy-switching experts iChoosr.

The scheme in York has been combined with a number of similar initiatives around the UK, to create a collective of just under 10,000 households looking for lower energy tariffs.

Now an auction will be held between both large and small energy suppliers taking part, which will end with new tariffs being secured for the collective.

Cllr Dave Merrett, cabinet member for environment, planning and sustainability, said: “I am pleased that once again a good number of residents have signed up to the energy-switch scheme. I hope that this will lead to even more residents saving money on their gas and electricity bills.”

The next round of communal energy switching opens for registration on December 2.

More information is at www.york.gov.uk/switchingenergy.