Island families are being asked if they would switch energy supplier and opt for cheaper electricity bills through a local company.
Western Isles Council wants to set up a joint venture partnership with an existing licensed electricity supplier to offer a special community tariff to families and businesses within the Outer Hebrides.
It is setting up its own energy supply company with the ultimate aim of selling locally generated renewable electricity at more competitive prices than presently available to island households.
A questionnaire is being posted to all households to help gauge demand for a cheaper local tariff.
The feedback from the survey will help prepare a business plan to set up the energy supply company.
Islanders will be asked about their electricity usage and whether they would be interested in switching supplier.
Survey over cheaper electricity option
3 February 2015
Initially, a cheaper Hebridean-
In the longer term, the council intends to negotiate agreements with a raft of Western
Isles community wind turbine operators and the commercial operator of the planned
large Stornoway wind farm -
Comhairle Leader, Angus Campbell, said: “We want to find out more from potential customers in relation to our plans for local electricity supply: are Western Isles residents interested in switching, have they switched in the past or have they faced any barriers in doing so.
“This information won’t just support business planning for the ESCO (energy supply company) but will also help us to understand more about fuel poverty in the Outer Hebrides and the opportunities that exist in the long term for linking local energy generation to consumption.’”
Stewart Wilson, director of Tighean Innse Gall, said a community-