Collective energy switching service is saving households hundreds on their bills. This week we highlight the work of industry experts iChoosr to offer you the chance to switch and save pounds.

There are less than 100 days until Christmas and households up and down the country can now save money on their energy bills through a brand new scheme.

And someone who has already saved a whopping £ 509 for his festive shopping spree is Chris McCafferty who signed up for iChoosr through the Big Community Switch scheme.

Through iChoose organising group buying schemes which harness the purchasing power of thousands of households - energy suppliers then compete for your custom, often with bespoke, market leading tariffs not available direct or via price comparison services.

The members of the auction then enjoy the benefits of the savings they make when the switch is complete.

iChoosr who specialise in domestic energy collective switching has been operating group buying schemes in the UK since 2012, during which time they have worked with over 150 local authorities.

Together with Council partners, iChoosr have helped more than 77,500 households reduce their energy bill, with a collective saving of over £ 15million.

And Chris was one of the community involved in this auction in May.

“A collective auction was held to find out the best tariffs from the energy suppliers, “said Chris.

“The idea is that the more people who join these schemes, the better the deal you get and although this sounded too simple for me, I thought it was worth a shot.

“I made the switch to British Gas and I am thrilled to say I have saved £ 509 through that scheme, I cannot recommend iChoosr enough to people and the money I have saved is a welcome boost the household.”

Stuart Doig saved £ 238 on his energy bills by signing up for iChoosr through the Big Community Switch.

He couldn’t believe how easy it was to sign up and get involved in the community auction.

“You can register your details online for free in a matter of minutes,” said Stuart.

“A personal offer will be made, letting you know the best tariff and how much you can save. It’s then up to you to decide whether to accept the offer and what I liked about it was there was no pressure just advice.

“iChoosr and the new supplier oversee the switch so all you have to do is decide how to spend the extra cash you will save.

“What’s good is that you are always kept up to date with what was happening and it was all a very straightforward process.

““By joining a group auction, iChoosr can hopefully secure a much better deal for gas and electricity – the more people who join, the better deal you’re offered. “They compare the costs on your behalf,