Cheaper Electricity, Oil, Gas with Collective Switching A Job for the Credit Unions?

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The Big Switch - a painting by Shameus O'Conman

Cheaper Electricity, Oil, 
Gas and Coal

with Collective Switching

I loved the black comedy "In Bruges", so when the town was mentioned on BBC News, my ears pricked up. People in Bruges are saving massive amounts on their energy bills, in some cases multiples of their bills. How are they doing this?

The citizens of Bruges have clubbed together in their thousands and collectively made deals with the cheapest providers, and then they, en masse, switched to those energy providers. The saving in some cases meant cutting bills by more than half.

Credit Unions

I see a role here for the Credit Unions. Credit Unions were founded to help the small guy, and in Ireland at least, they have been a most valuable asset to the lower earners, myself included.

If all of the Credit Unions collectively were to initiate schemes for the mass negotiation and purchase of Oil, Gas, Electricity, Coal etc. they could, in one fell swoop, lessen, if not eliminate, the disgraceful 40% Fuel Poverty figure in Ireland.

Time for Collective Action?

I would really like to hear of any such moves afoot, or of any opinions on this matter. It is time for the little guy to take back some control. If consumers acted collectively and cooperatively in their millions, the face of commerce could be changed for the better. Collective action, the "power of we" the recent Blog Action Day brought that subject into slightly better focus. I was motivated to put my spoke in for that event:

http://wood-pellet-ireland.blogspot.ie/2012/10/the-power-of-we-blog-action-day-post.html





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