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This past year has seen a huge change in the way many of us live and work. With more people working from home, there has been a significant increase in energy bills, and many are struggling.

The Merseyside Collective Switch helps local people find cheaper energy tariffs, and reduce their energy bills.

Set up in 2013, the Merseyside Collective Switch is one of the longest running Local Authority Collective Switches in the country. Together, we’ve helped people across the Liverpool City Region save over £1.5 million on their energy bills.

Run by local charity Energy Projects Plus, in partnership with your local authority, the Merseyside Collective Switch uses the power of the group to negotiate cheap energy tariffs, available exclusively to its members. Anyone can join and it’s completely free.

The winning tariffs have often been the cheapest on the market. Previous winners have included Big 6 suppliers such as British Gas, E.on, SSE and EDF Energy as well as Ovo and Green Energy.

The Merseyside Collective Switch also includes a full market comparison, so if the winning deals aren’t right for you, you can find one that is.

Once you’ve registered, you will be able to access exclusive offers time and time again, and can make sure you’re not missing out on a great deal on your energy.

Plus, by switching with the Merseyside Collective Switch, you will be helping to support Energy Projects Plus, who provide vital support to local people who are living in fuel poverty.

Switching your energy tariff with the Merseyside Collective Switch is both quick and easy, and it could save you hundreds of pounds a year.

Peter Owen, CEO at Energy Projects Plus said “We are proud to have been offering this switching service, which is specifically designed to benefit people across the Liverpool City Region, for eight years now. The Merseyside Collective Switch is here to support everyone, including those working from home, through the switching process to make sure you’re not paying more than you need to, particularly at this challenging time”.

As exclusive deals are only available to members, you will need to register to be eligible. Registration is completely free and your data will only be used to provide you with information about the winning energy tariffs.

Registration for this round closes on 16^th February.  

You will be contacted with about the deals that have been negotiated for the group.

To join the Collective Switch visit www.lcrenergyswitch.co.uk

or call the local Save Energy Advice Line on freephone 0800 043 0151, where you can also get other free and impartial support to help reduce your energy bills.

Sefton saw heavy rainfall this week across the Borough which resulted in flooding across parks, highways and properties.

There may still be standing water in areas and residents are advised not to walk or drive through any floodwater. Council officers have now moved to a recovery phase and continue to support residents affected by the severe weather this week.

To help with future flood risk management, incidents of flooding should be reported to the Council. Find out more about this here.

Public Health advice

Public Health advice encourages people to wash their hands regularly if they have been in contact with flood water and not to eat any food that may have touched the water.

When cleaning up after floods, people must ensure that they do not put themselves at any risk and it is vitally important to remember the following:

• Ensure good ventilation if using portable indoor appliances to dry out rooms. The exhaust fumes from such generators can contain carbon monoxide which can kill in a confined space such as a home.
• Never use outdoor generators indoors even in the event of a power cut.
• Also, remember not to turn on gas or electrics until they have been checked by a qualified technician, and check with your local water company if you notice a change in your water.

A flood recovery toolkit is available on the Flood Hub website.

Seek support

Those impacted by flooding may be feeling tired and anxious, and unable to see family or friends at this time due to coronavirus restrictions.

Speak to friends and family for support, as it can take a long time for life to return to normal, and if necessary call NHS 111 or visit your GP for medical advice.

Further health guidance and advice following flooding can be found on the government website.

Sefton Council has worked with its partners over the last 48 hours responding to flooding as a result of heavy rainfall from Storm Christoph.

Yesterday the River Alt burst its banks resulting in standing water in properties in Maghull and Lydiate, with Council teams working alongside members of the emergency services and volunteers to help and support the residents affected.

Later on Wednesday, water levels reached dangerously high levels and a severe flood warning was put in place in the Maghull area by the Environment Agency.

The Council established a temporary rest centre at Meadows Leisure Centre. Ten residents affected by the flood warning were supported at the centre before safely returning to their homes in the early hours of Thursday morning, as the threat level was dropped by the Environment Agency.

Today, the Council’s flood officers have moved into recovery phase and continue to check in on members of the community as well as assessing the affected areas as to the immediate and longer-term impact of the flooding.

Sefton Council’s Leader Cllr Ian Maher, Chief Executive Dwayne Johnson and Andy Martin from the Council’s flood team met with colleagues from the Environment Agency to thank them for their hard work over the past couple of days, and to check on the worst affected areas of Maghull.

Leader of Sefton Council Ian Maher said: “From local councillors and volunteers knocking at doors to inform and mobilise residents, to colleagues attending different scenes in the area to help tackle flooding, it was really impressive to see the speed with which all of the organisations came together over the past 24 hours in a highly critical situation.

“The amount of rainfall we’ve seen across Sefton in the past few days has really been unprecedented, causing issues right across the Borough. Our dedicated staff, alongside many local partners, continue to assess what needs to be done in the immediate aftermath and will be looking to address longer-term concerns in the affected areas.

“Thankfully the weather conditions have calmed, and it will be a relief for our residents to know that there are no longer any severe warnings in place.”

The Council has distributed its sandbag supplies to as many residents as possible, and is urging anyone with flood water in their property to report this to flooding@sefton.gov.uk with any photos they may have.

Reporting incidents will ensure that the Council can understand the extent and location of properties affected by the most recent flooding and allow officers to work with other flood risk management authorities to help reduce the risks and consequences of such incidents.

Some roads remain closed or impassable across the Borough, and people are urged to only go out if it’s absolutely essential. Accidents happen in fast flowing water so avoid walking or driving near floodwater and residents are reminded that there could be hidden dangers like sharp objects or raised manhole covers beneath the water. 

Anyone concerned about flooding can find further advice on flood risk and what to do to protect their property on the Flood Hub website.