SOUTHAMPTON City Council is to launch its own gas and electricity company today.

Civic chiefs in the city are ready to do battle with the county’s biggest energy firms as they launch CitzEn

Energy.

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.

As previously reported, the brand was criticised by Taxpayers’ Alliance, which branded it “ludicrous”.

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

Council leader Chris Hammond said: “CitizEn will be putting people before profits and reinvesting surpluses back into energy efficiency projects for residents who’re living in fuel poverty. Where we collectively spend our money makes a difference and together we can work towards being a city where no one has to choose between food or fuel.”

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

And added: “This investment has helped to save our most vulnerable residents money on their energy bills. We’re taking this commitment further by setting up CitizEn Energy.”

The authority said more than 400 people in the city have already expressed an interest in signing up and it is now hoping other energy suppliers will be forced to reform and cut their prices to compete.

In order to provide the power, the council is teaming up with Nottingham City Council’s company, Robin Hood Energy, R a not-for-profit energy supply company launched in 2015 and country’s first local authority-owned energy supply company to be launched since nationalisation in

1948.

Robin Hood was recently listed third from the bottom in a customer service ranking.

The CitizEn Energy website www.citizenenergyuk.co.uk will go live today at 10am.