Bright sparks who want to slash their electric and gas bills - and reduce their carbon footprint - are being urged to attend a Staffordshire event to pick up tips on saving energy and switching suppliers.

Housing association HomeZone Living, based in Lichfield, has joined forces with Energyextra to stage a drop-in session at its Stowe Road headquarters from 10am to 12pm on Friday, June 18th. The event forms part of a new initiative designed to help HomeZone's employees and tenants become more environmentally friendly.

Visitors will be offered energy advice and tips. Energy expert Anne-Marie Neenan has invited visitors to bring along their bills so she can show them how to use energy consumption information on comparison websites to find the best energy provider. She will also discuss the social tariff for reduced energy rates. 

Energyextra is a partnership of 13 housing associations and local authorities. It was set up to give tenants easy access to cheaper gas and electricity. As part of the service offered to its members, it arranges for gas and electricity to be supplied at competitive rates by energy partner, Scottish & Southern Energy. Energyextra also provides a whole range of additional services, all aimed at reducing the amount of money tenants spend on energy.

Julie Walker is director of housing at Homezone Living, part of the Bromford Group which owns more than 26,000 homes and employs around 1,000 people.

She said: "The Energyextra drop-in event provides residents with a great opportunity to find out if they are paying too much for their gas and electricity and, if so, how to locate cheaper suppliers. We'll also be telling people how to reduce their energy consumption through simple measures such as switching off appliances when they are not being used, fitting low-energy lightbulbs and improving home insulation.

She added: "At HomeZone and throughout the Bromford Group, we are reducing our carbon footprint by decreasing energy consumption through energy plans for our offices. By the use of modern technology, we are reducing the need to travel and promote sustainable transport to work, and between places of work. We also continue to invest in our homes, providing improvements that increase energy efficiency and reduce running costs so that our customers can enjoy affordable warmth."

Determined to improve their green credentials, HomeZone employees have responded to previous eco-friendly initiatives with real enthusiasm by boosting recycling, cutting back on waste and conserving energy wherever possible. Their efforts have also helped local charities.

Last year, HomeZone sent 192 bags of shredded confidential and general paper waste for recycling - estimated to save 73 trees. They cut the number of reams of paper used from 2,079 to 1,645, a reduction of more than 26%. And they collected more than 1,150 kilos of used clothing which raised £132 for charity.

HomeZone Living is committed to the provision of affordable housing and support services, serving the communities in and around Lichfield District and surrounding boroughs. Its key role is to develop and manage rented, leasehold and shared ownership homes for customers. It is dedicated to achieving high levels of customer satisfaction through continuous service improvement and by engaging with customers to understand their needs. 

Established following stock transfer in 1997 and gaining charitable status in April 2006, HomeZone Living is the largest Registered Social Landlord in the district, managing around 4,500 homes, shops and garages. In March 2007, HomeZone Living became a member of Bromford Group.