SOUTHAMPTON residents can look forward to a “warm and cosy” Christmas this year.

It is believed that around 12,000 households struggle to keep their homes warm over the festive period.

Many residents face the difficult choice of paying an energy bill or putting food on the table.

However, energy provider CitizEn Energy has now pledged a warm Christmas for all.

It is the local energy provider launched by Southampton City Council.

The firm says it is about people and not profit, which is why it is giving away free gas and electricity credit to those in need this Christmas.

CitizEn Energy will be topping up the SMART pre-payment cards with £10 for customers who regularly “self-ration” or self-disconnect for Christmas Day.

The energy provider claims this is a small gesture to help keep the “Christmas tree lights twinkling and the Christmas dinner cooking”.

Cabinet Member for Green City and Environment at Southampton City Council, councillor Steve Leggett said:

“At CitizEn Energy we’re proud to be working with charities all year round.

“We help support vulnerable households and offer our customers advice on everything from fuel debt to energy

efficiency.

“At this time of year, it is especially important for us to do all we can to help those for whom a hot meal and the warm cosy surroundings of Christmas are not a given.

“That’s why CitizEn Energy are giving away energy credit to those most in need this Christmas.”

CitizEn Energy is a “green, ethical” gas and electricity provider that was set up with the simple aim of tackling fuel poverty.

It reports to plough every penny of profit back into projects to help those who need it most.

A CitizEn Energy spokesperson said: “Our ethos makes a big difference to the way we do business.

“We don’t have private shareholders and so can keep our gas and electricity tariff prices fair for everyone.”

Citizen Energy was set up by Southampton City Council last year and is part of a wider group of local authority energy providers.

It reports being proud of working with charities to help support vulnerable households and offering customers advice on everything from fuel debt to energy efficiency.

As previously reported by the Echo the not-for-profit brand aims to offer “fairly priced” gas and electricity to residents of Southampton and other parts of the south, south-west and the Midlands.

It has come under fire from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, which branded the scheme as

“ludicrous”.

The city council claims the firm could help lift some of the city’s 10,000 poorest residents out of fuel poverty.

Council leader Chris Hammond said the council had spent £33.7 million in the last six years on energy efficiency projects.

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