Article from Which? on 1st November 2017

Gas and electricity bills are higher than 10 years ago

Six in 10 energy customers are on out-of-contract gas and electricity tariffs and paying over the odds for the gas and electricity they use, the energy regulator Ofgem revealed.

Almost as many (58%) customers admit they’ve never changed energy supplier, or have switched only once. Those who do switch can be paying around £300 less for the same gas and electricity.

Although the number of customers on poor value (standard variable) tariffs has fallen in the last two years, progress ‘isn’t happening fast enough’ Ofgem said in its annual State of the Market report.

Which? managing director of home products and services, Alex Neill, said: ‘Today’s report makes it crystal clear that the energy market is not working for consumers, with far too many people still stuck on expensive standard variable tariffs.

As the temperature drops and bills start rising, it is vital that the Government’s interventions really do fix the broken energy market. ‘Our advice to consumers who aren’t getting a good deal is to switch to a better deal now, before you find yourself overpaying for another winter.’

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2017/11/more-than-half-of-energy-customers-are-on-poor-value-deals/ – Which?

If you run or are involved with a group that would benefit from advice on energy costs please contact our Energy Expert, Helen – Helen.Dean@ccberks.org.uk, to find out about advice and guidance that she can give.

Getting unsold food direct from local stores to charities for free.

The food we redistribute is fresh, quality and in date surplus from the food industry and the charities we work with can be found across the UK. Last year we redistributed enough food for 25.8 million meals. But it’s about more than meals. The organisations we supply food to – from breakfast clubs for disadvantaged children, to homeless hostels, community cafes and domestic violence refuges – are places that provide life changing support, as well as lunch and dinner. By making sure good food is not wasted, we turn an environmental problem into a social solution.

We use simple technology, provided by our partner FoodCloud, to match charities and community groups directly with a local Tesco store that has unsold food. By working together we cut down on waste, save organisations money and help provide nutritious meals to people in need.

How does it work?

1. The charity/organisation nominates one or more mornings per week that they are available to collect surplus food from their local store.

2. On the evening prior to nominated collection day at 7:30pm, they will be notified via text that their donation is available for collection.

3. The fresh surplus food will be packaged and available for collection from the store from 7-10am. Organisations are not obliged to take everything that is available.

4. The food then needs to be taken back to the registered premises, rather than the staff member’s house.

5. There are also Evening collections where charities/groups can collect anytime between 8.30pm-10pm available from Tesco Metro and Tesco Extra stores

What food is available?

• Baked goods – from loaves of bread to pastries
• Fruit and vegetables• Dried goods (e.g. cereals, tins, pasta)
• Chilled goods – including meat and dairy products (evening collections only)

How can you use the food?

If you have a community café or provide a meal for your clients then this is a fantastic way to add some extras to the food you already provide. If you have a weekly group you could use the bread to provide tea and toast, or snacks for people attending. There is also the opportunity to provide small food parcels if you have identified some residents or clients who are in need of food to supplement their income.

Can my organisation receive food?

In order to receive food, your organisation needs to be equipped to receive, store, prepare and serve foods safely. However, charities and community groups do not need to cook meals and they can distribute food to vulnerable people in the form of food parcels. We will need to come and visit you to make sure that everything is in place with regards to food safety before you can start collecting.