Council strikes fuel deal with Lister Gases to help slash residents’ heating bills

By Lister Gases Ltd
schedule21st Nov 12

Residents in the Malvern Hills district could save up to 30 per cent on their heating bills thanks to a ground-breaking deal struck between the district council and Lister Gases Limited. 

LPG deal

Householders already buying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Lister Gases, of Wednesbury, West Midlands, could see a drop in their fuel bills from 1 November, while others who are not tied into a contract can switch supplier to take advantage of the deal. Those tied to an agreement with another supplier will have to wait until the contract ends if they want to switch.

Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) has been working with LPG suppliers to achieve a bulk fuel price for its residents to help reduce fuel poverty in its largely rural area. This is one of the first deals of its kind in the country.

The agreement states that any eligible household will be charged a price at a fixed margin above the Argus North Sea Index wholesale price. People switching to Lister Gases would have to sign up for two years, which is the standard length of contract with an LPG supplier. Each month a new price, based on tracking the latest wholesale price will be fixed for the following month.

The benefits to the consumer

MHDC and Lister Gases will monitor the price on a regular basis to make sure residents, who have signed up to the deal, continue to benefit from a fair price which will come down as well as go up.

Leader of the council Councillor David Hughes said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people in our rural communities to benefit from a fair and open deal which will help to cut their fuel bills. We are making great strides to tackle fuel poverty in the district and this is another example of the excellent work being done. Our research shows that the area is one of the worst in England for fuel poverty. We are already tackling energy efficiency by offering free loft and cavity wall insulation to homeowners.

We intend to support other similar groups in the district alongside assisting those people with heating systems running on LPG.”

About a third of Malvern Hills district residents do not have access to mains gas and have to rely on oil, solid fuel, electricity or LPG to heat their homes. Between 800 and 1,000 households are thought to use LPG.