MORE than £205,000 has been saved on energy bills by residents who took part in the Merseyside Collective Switch.

One Halton family had their fuel costs cut by £454.

The total saving for Halton residents was £11,255 and the average saving was £194.

Halton Council leader Clr Rob Polhill said: “We are really pleased with the results of the collective switch. It’s great that so many people took part and are making such significant savings at a time when household budgets are under increasing pressure.

"The £205,000 total savings is money put back into the local economy, so it’s a good thing for Halton and the whole of the Liverpool City Region."

Stan Parker, from Humber Close, Widnes, saved £341 through switching his tariff.

He said: “It was really quick and easy to switch my tariff through the Merseyside Collective Switch.

“I was provided with clear information and support every step of the way and I am thrilled to be saving such a significant amount on my fuel bills"

Those who switched saved an average of £212 a year on their energy bills. The highest saving was £933, and a significant number of people were able to save over £500 a year.

It has been revealed, 252 Halton households registered to take part and 58 switched.

The Switch Together, Save Together scheme was organised by local charity, Energy Projects Plus, together with the six Merseyside local authorities.

It worked by inviting people to register their interest in the scheme, then using collective buying power to negotiate cheaper tariffs from energy suppliers.

Special tariffs were offered by British Gas, Npower and Scottish Power, and included the cheapest fixed British Gas tariff which protects against any price rises until June 2015.

These tariffs were only available through the scheme for a limited time. Householders were also able to switch to other existing tariffs through the scheme.

Energy Projects Plus and the six partnering local authorities will be running another Collective Switch later in the year.

Householders can discover how much they could save by switching by visiting LCRenergyswitch.co.uk or calling the save energy advice line on 0800 043 0151.