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The Labour Party is launching a scheme to cut household ­electricity bills through a collective purchasing and switching scheme called SwitchTogether, shadow energy and climate change ­secretary ­Caroline Flint announced this week.

She unveiled the initiative at the party’s autumn conference in Manchester. Labour is working with a partner, the organisation iChoosr, which will help people reduce their electricity bills by bulk buying power. Labour is the first political party in the UK to offer such a scheme.

Flint said: “In America, co-operatives, local councils and community organisations are bringing people together to strike a better deal for their custom.

“Our sister parties in Belgium and Holland have delivered cheaper energy prices for thousands of people through collective switching. We can do the same.”

The party said it would pilot the scheme in three areas starting later this month and would focus on so-called hard to reach customers

who had not yet switched. Volunteers will deliver leaflets, sign up people and organise community meetings.

iChoosr is to administer the scheme. Labour said it would not benefit financially from the ­initiative.

This article first appeared in Utility Week’s print edition of 5th October 2012.

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