Switching gas and electricity providers to save money could become easier thanks to a scheme the council is exploring.

Sutton Council is looking into helping people change suppliers to get the best tariff by doing it in bulk.

Under the proposal people could register their interest in changing their supplier with the council who would then change everyone's policy over to save money for both the customer and the provider.

Speaking at Monday's full council meeting, Councillor Colin Hall said: "Switching your energy supplier can be a daunting process - possibly the energy companies make it harder than it needs to be - so the idea of collective energy savings is that an organisation can collect together the names of people who want to switch and do a bulk deal.

"It's like a reverse auction where suppliers would down bid each other to get a better deal for them and those who want to switch."

The idea was raised as the council pledged to work with other boroughs via the Greater London Authority to do more to help those who are in fuel poverty through energy efficiency in homes, the Government's Green Deal project and promoting energy supplier switching.

Coun Hall said the council will also continue to encourage developers to build well-insulated, energy efficient housing to reduce the 10 per cent of people in Sutton who live in fuel poverty - that is where a household spends more than 10 per cent of its income on keeping warm.