But can you imagine if thousands of us, their customers, signed up to switch our gas and electricity companies as one group? If we all join together, we will have enough bargaining power to demand a cheaper price.

Here’s how it will work:

1. Sign up – join other 38 Degrees members to get a fair deal on gas and electricity
2. Share it with your friends – the more of us involved, the stronger our bargaining position
3. Bargain – we work with Which? experts to negotiate with gas and electricity companies
4. Switch – If you like the deal we negotiate, switch easily online

This will be the first time British customers have joined together to bargain to get a better deal on our gas and electricity bills – sign up to be part of it by clicking here.

There are nearly one million 38 Degrees members. Together we can use our customer power to get a fairer deal. That will help drive down prices for everyone. We’ll save ourselves some money. But we’ll also help all those who are struggling to afford to keep their homes warm.

38 Degrees has joined forces with consumer experts Which? on this campaign. Which? are experts in the gas and electricity market and consumer rights. 38 Degrees members know a thing or two about people power! Together we could be the perfect team to turn the tables on the gas and electricity companies.

If you haven’t switched gas or electricity company before, don’t worry, working together like this makes it hassle free and signing up at this stage doesn’t commit you to switching. Sign up here.

A few weeks ago 38 Degrees members came together to shame gas and electricity companies in to passing price cuts on to their customers. Our massive people-powered petition started making the news and the big companies started to feel jittery. They announced small price cuts. But our bills remain too high – as do their profits.

Usually when we come together to make change happen through 38 Degrees, our reward is making the world a better place – knowing that we have helped protect our woodlands or our health service, or that we’ve stood up to the power of Rupert Murdoch.

This time as well as challenging the injustice of rip-off bills, we can each save some money too. So please join in now, click here to be part of it.

Over the past year, we’ve had some big successes in the Save Our NHS campaign. We helped force the government to delay introducing their changes and launch a “listening exercise” which reigned in some of the dodgiest parts of the plan. We raised money to bring in expert lawyers, helping to push the House of Lords to demand further amendments. Over half a million of us have been involved in the campaign so far – signing petitions, sending e-mails, donating money, meeting up locally – and the difference we have made has been huge.

Andrew Lansley’s plans look different to when we started. We’ve helped force him for example to row back from scrapping his legal responsibility for providing health service. But at the same time, the plans still look pretty bad – just last week, the Royal College of GPs warned that they will “cause irreparable damage to patient care and jeopardise the NHS”.

So, what should 38 Degrees members do together next? Should we continue to focus on trying to amend the plans, zooming in on dangerous proposals to extend competition and privatisation in the NHS? Or is it instead time to change tack and campaign the whole plan to be scrapped – a longshot, but possibly more in line with what we’d like to see in an ideal world?

We can do more than one thing at once, but we can’t do everything. We have the most impact when we focus. So please share your thoughts by doing the 2 minute survey here.

Welcome to an awfully big adventure. This could be the start of something very significant indeed. For years now, we’ve felt helpless and shocked as the latest even-more-sky-high-than-the-last energy-bill has landed on our kitchen table.

Five hundred and forty what ??!?’ was the cry last quarter, I recall (But with a few more colourful adjectives thrown in). For millions of home owners in the UK, gas and electricity bills are now the biggest monthly outgoing – even more than the mortgage payments. 38 Degrees members agreed – we need to  do something about it, together.

So we are! All you need to do is sign up and then we can [[use our power as a group to bargain with the gas and electricity companies->Q+A]] to give us the best deal and then we switch suppliers – it should be hassle free.

The more of us that sign up to this campaign, the more power we will have in our collective negotiations with the energy companies. Think Groupon: but without the fishy foot massages.

So how did we get here? Well, it’s pretty simple. Our energy bills are higher than they should be, because energy companies aren’t being run for the  benefit of the customers – us, in other words –  but for the benefit of the shareholders. Their raison d’etre is to make their investors as rich as possible. And they are doing just that. Recently, British Gas and its parent company Centrica made record profits of £2bn pounds in one year. So tell your friends , family and everyone you know about this project. Tell them that we are taking back the power and saving money on our gas and electricity companies. The fun, and hopefully the lower bills, start here.

The idea is simple: individually we don’t have much power to change the prices of big gas and electricity companies, but by bargaining together we can put ourselves in a stronger position to get a fair deal.

2 How does it work?
First you sign up online to register your interest in taking part in The Big Switch. You’ll get an email confirming your registration. It would be great if you could share with as many people as we can to make sure we have as much bargaining power as possible – so please invite your friends and family.

You’ll then be emailed asking to give a little bit more information, such as who your current gas and electricity supplier is. This information is needed for the deal to be struck with gas and electricity companies.

Registration closes on the 31st March. The expert negotiators at Which? will then start bargaining with the energy companies using a ‘reverse auction’. This normally takes place over a day and companies compete to give us the lowest price per kilowatt of electricity and cubic meter of gas.

Once the deal has been secured, you’ll be notified via email and you can choose whether or not to accept it. There’s no commitment or obligation to sign-up with the new supplier, so if people decide to stay with their existing gas and electricity company, that’s absolutely fine too.

Accepting the switch is really simple. No one needs to visit your house and it takes effect within 4-6 weeks.

3 Why should I take part?
By working together we’ll challenge the power of the big gas and electricity companies and make sure that everyone can get a fairer deal. We can shake up the market and help end the confusing number of tariffs and rip-off prices. You’ll can also get cheaper bills and help your friends and family save money.

4 What do I have to do to take part?
It’s very easy – you just need to visit the 38 Degrees Big Switch signup page or the Which? site and fill in your name, postcode and email address before 31 March 2012. You’ll then be contacted by email with a few more questions about your current gas and electricity supplier(s) and tariff(s) so that experts can negotiate the best deal with the gas and electricity suppliers.

Finally, once the new deal has been negotiated with a gas and electricity company, you’ll be be emailed to let you know exactly how much you can save by switching, and the next steps to switch.

5 If I sign up do I have to switch?
No – there’s absolutely no obligation to switch after you’ve registered your interest. Once we’ve got an offer from a gas and electricity company and you’ve provided a bit more information about your current bills, you’ll get an email with an estimate of how much money you will save – so you can decide whether you want to switch or not.

6 Will I definitely save money?
At this stage there’s no guarantee how much people will save, but with enough people power we’re aiming to secure one of the best deals in the market, so we’re hopeful most of us will be able to save something.

Once the deal has been secured we’ll be able to provide you with information telling you if you will save money.

7 How much will I save?
It depends on what type of tariff you’re already on, and what deal the gas and electricity companies offer. However, we’re aiming to secure a market leading deal, so we’re hopeful most people will be able to save something.

Once we’ve got an offer from the gas and electricity company and you’ve provided a bit more information about your current bills, you’ll get an email with your tailored savings estimates – so you can see how much money you’ll save by switching.

8 How long will it take?
The 38 Degrees office team and Which? can’t say for sure. Sign up will close at the end of March and we expect that the deal with the gas and electricity company will happen in April.

9 Has this ever been done before?
Which?’s sister organisation in the Netherlands, Consumentenbond, has successfully tried the concept of ‘collective switching’ using a reverse auction. They successfully negotiated a gas and electricity deal for 20,000 consumers. This is the first time it’s been done in the UK – that’s why it’s so exciting.

10 If you can save money by switching tariffs, why don’t more people do it?
Lots of us find it tricky to switch gas and electricity supplier. We know that 60% of consumers have never switched supplier, and 75% are currently on their supplier’s ‘default’ Standard tariff. The number of different tariff options available is baffling, and Which?’s investigations have shown that people can’t work out how much they should be paying from their gas and electricity bills.

11 Do I have to be willing to take up an online tariff to take part?
Not necessarily. The 38 Degrees office team and Which? can’t confirm the type of tariff that will be on offer until we’ve negotiated with the gas and electricity suppliers so it’s well worth signing up with the Big Switch so you’re to be in with the chance of securing a cheaper deal on your gas and electricity bills.

12 Do I have to pay my bills by Direct Debit to take part?
Not necessarily. The 38 Degrees office team and Which? can’t confirm the type of tariff we’ll be able to offer until we’ve negotiated with the gas and electricity suppliers so it’s well worth signing up with the Big Switch so you’re to be in with the chance of securing a cheaper deal on your gas and electricity bills.

13 Do you make any money out of this?
38 Degrees does not make any money by running this campaign. We are a not-for-profit that relies on donations from thousands of 38 Degrees members all over the UK.

Which? receives a small fee for each new contract switched to a new gas and electricity supplier. These agreements do not affect who the deal is negotiated with. Which? is a not for profit and the fees go towards Which? campaigns to make individuals as powerful as the organisations they face in everyday life.

14 What happens if the gas and electricity companies don’t particpate?
There is no guarantee that the gas and electricity companies will participate, however there is a strong incentive for them to do so. The more of us that are involved the stronger that incentive is.

15 Will there be a “green tariff” option?
We’ll be seeking to negotiate with all the energy companies, including those who focus on producing energy from renewable sources like ecotricity and good energy. We really hope that they will decide to take part and offer us a good deal.

16 38 Degrees campaigns to tackle climate change – so shouldn’t you be in favour of higher bills to bring down fossil fuel use?
38 Degrees members regularly take action to push the government to tackle climate change – most recently campaigning for Nick Clegg to block efforts to import oil from Canadian tar sands into Europe.

38 Degrees members have also voted to challenge rip-off gas and electricity prices. We’ve seen that gas and electricity prices are rising, even when wholesale prices fall. We’ve seen huge profits from gas and electricity companies. And we’ve seen rising levels of fuel poverty. If, with more and more families in the UK unable to afford to heat their homes.

Most 38 Degrees members don’t see a contradiction between wanting to tackle climate change and wanting to tackle rip-off gas and electricity bills – because we don’t believe that the way to bring down carbon emissions is to allow the big energy companies to make excessive profits stop poor people being able to afford to heat their homes.

Tackling climate change shouldn’t mean cold homes. Buildings need to be better insulated. Investment in renewables will reduce our vulnerability to fluctuations in global gas and oil prices. 38 Degrees members will continue to campaign for things like this to happen alongside campaigning against energy company profiteering.

17 Will you negotiate on criteria other than price?
Not this time, but maybe in the future. This is the first time a big switch has been attempted in the UK. So we need to keep it simple this time and focus on driving down prices. But one of the reasons this campaign is so exciting is it could prove  that people powered switching can force companies to change their behaviour. If that works, then in the future we can talk together about other criteria we want to use for future big switches – for example green credentials, specific types of tariff, customer service standards. We can also think about other industries that might need the big switch treatment. This is only the beginning!

18 I’ve chosen the deal based on green credentials, not price – are you suggesting I switch to a “dirtier” supplier?
We will be approaching all the energy companies including those with green credentials, and hope they’ll offer a good deal.

In the end whether you switch or not will be up to you. But if you are happy with the deal you have got from a greener supplier, then possibly this particular campaign isn’t for you.

Most people in the UK aren’t currently on green tariffs, 60% of consumers have never switched supplier, and 75% are currently on their supplier’s ‘default’ Standard tariff.

This campaign aims to challenge the power of the “big six” energy suppliers, not to encourage people to shift away from green tariffs.

19 I’m signed up to a tariff for a fixed time period, with a penalty charge for leaving early. Will the Big Switch work for me?
Possibly. The 38 Degrees office team and Which? can’t confirm the type of tariff that will be on offer until we’ve negotiated with the gas and electricity suppliers. It’s well worth signing up with the Big Switch so you hear more and can work out whether it will save you money.

Once we’ve got an offer from the gas and electricity company and you’ve provided a bit more information about your current bills, you’ll get an email with your tailored savings estimates – so you can see how much money you’ll save by switching and whether it’s worth paying the penalty charge for leaving your old deal early.

38 Degrees members get together in Glasgow

At the start of last year, 38 Degrees members helped make sure some people in Aberdeenshire weren’t evicted from their homes to make way for Donald Trump’s giant golf course.

Since then, a few of 38 Degrees biggest campaigns have been about issues that directly affect only England, like the Save the NHS campaign, and the successful campaign to stop England’s woodlands from being sold off.

With this in mind, David and Marie from the office team decided to head north to meet up with 38 Degrees members in Scotland, as well as some people from Scottish charities like Poverty Alliance and Friends of the Earth Scotland, and Members of the Scottish Parliament.

The idea was to get an idea of the kind of things that are happening in Scotland that 38 Degrees members might want to take action on in 2012.

Quite a few 38 Degrees members from Glasgow agreed to come along for a curry and to chat about what matters to them and what kind of change they want to see.

Re-nationalising the railways, saving Glasgow’s Accord Centre for people with learning disabilities, making sure there’s a second question about giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament in the independence referendum, the Scottish Government’s plans for gay marriage, and a possible new coal power plant at Hunterston – it was great to chew over some ideas.

This conversation’s only just getting started.  What do you think? Should 38 Degrees do more campaigning in Scotland?  If so what do you think we should work on together?

A few hours ago the Government published their latest amendments to Andrew Lansley’s NHS Bill. These changes could be fantastic news – or just clever spin designed to pull wool over the eyes of those that want to protect our NHS.

Over the next few days our lawyers are going to look at the Government’s proposed changes line by line to find out what improvements, if any, have been made.

Once the facts are clear the 38 Degrees office team will create a list of things we could do together next. The list will be emailed as a poll for members to vote on or add new suggestions. It looks like we’ll be ready to launch that poll early next week.

Any thoughts on what we should do next? Please do share any ideas in the comment box below.

Late last night, RBS chief Stephen Hester said he would not take his £1 million bonus after all. That’s a huge turnaround – and we helped make it happen.

When we launched the petition on Friday calling on Hester to refuse his giant bonus, it looked an uphill struggle. David Cameron and George Osborne were both claiming their hands were tied. Many thought it was a done deal.

But in 48 hours over 80,000 38 Degrees members signed the petition. The public outcry grew in volume across the internet and in the press. More and more politicians started to join in. By the end of the weekend, we’d got Hester to back down.

This latest breakthrough is yet more proof that people power matters. When enough of us speak up together, we can help change things for the better – even when politicians claim there is no alternative.

Remember when the government said there was nothing they could do to stop Rupert Murdoch taking over BSkyB? Or that selling off England’s forests was essential? Or that the NHS changes would be done and dusted by the middle of 2011? Time and again 38 Degrees members work together to prove there are alternatives.

Is the more we could be doing together to tackle the scandal of bankers bonuses and skyrocketing executive pay? You can share your thoughts on this  on our Facebook page or by commenting below.

Here’s what some other 38 Degrees members are saying so far:

Deborah: “Way to go! 82K people signed in 48 hours! Well done 38 Degrees!”

Shaun: “This is great news, i like to think that our petition and facebook protest on here and on the RBS facebook page had a hand in making him change his mind on the bonus”

John: “A small enough victory but I hope a significant one. On to chasing tax dodgers and saving our NHS”

Anthony: “We need to remember this was not brought about by any pressure whatsoever by the government or the board. Both backed the bonus, the board siding with him and the government limp in their glaring lack of condemnation. The more we speak up the louder our voice.”

Wendy: “The arguments in favour of high salaries for bankers are as obscene as the salaries and bonuses themselves.”

Sylvia: “We pestered Hester – and he crumbled!”

What do you think?

But what can you do if you work for the NHS and are worried?

If you haven’t already don’t forget to sign the Save our NHS petition here. Then why not write to your royal college or professional body and let them know your views.

It’s quick and easy to do. Below is a long list of Associations, Academies, Societies and Colleges. If you’re a member of any of them please write to them now and ask them to highlight the huge opposition within the NHS to Andrew Lansley’s plans.

• Association of Clinical Scientists (ACS) – Contact: Magali Fontaine, President c/o admin@assclinsci.org
• British Academy of Audiology – Contact: Mr Gareth Smith, President c/o admin@baaudiology.org
• British Society of Audiologists – Contact: Dr David Baguley, Chair c/o contactcouncil@thebsa.org.uk
• British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists -Contact: Mr Peter Honeycombe, Chair, c/o enquiries@bapo.com
• British Psychological Society – Contact: Dr Carol Allan, President: thepresident@bps.org.uk
• British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists -Contact: Julia Scott, Chief Executive: CEO@cot.co.uk
• British Dietetic Association – Contact: Andy Burman, Chief Executive, a.burman@bda.uk.com
• British and Irish Orthoptic Society -Contact: Lesley-Anne Baxter, Chair: lesleyanne.baxter@btinternet.com
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapists – Contact: Phil Gray, Chief Executive: grayp@csp.org.uk
• College of Paramedics - Contact: David Hodge, Chief Executive c/o membership@collegeofparamedics.co.uk
• College of Operating Department Practitioners - Contact: Bill Kilvington, President: bill.kilvington@codp.org.uk
• Doctors – Contact your Royal Colleges via: http://callonyourcollege.blogspot.com/
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists -Contact: Kamini Gadhok, President: kamini.gadhok@rcslt.org
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society – Contact: Martin Astbury, President: president@rpharms.com
• Society for Chiropodists and Podiatrists -Contact: Joanna Brown, Chief Executive: jb@scpod.org
• Society of Radiographers – Contact: Richard Evans, Chief Exec c/o info@sor.org
• Institute of Biomedical Science - Contact: Derek Bishop, President c/o president@ibms.org
• Association for Perioperative Practice – Contact: Tracy Coates, President: president@afpp.org.uk

If you don’t see a college listed, or get a response from a college, do share it in the comments below.

The results are in the infographic below – and they’re pretty shocking.

Once you’ve looked at the infographic please spread the word by Facebook or Twitter.

You can also join the campaign to protect the NHS here.

Poll details: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,601 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17th – 26th January 2012. The survey was carried out online. Full results available as a Google Doc here.

Have you seen the news today? Stephen Hester, chief of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), has been awarded a bonus worth £1 million.

We’ve already had to bail out RBS to the tune of billions of pounds. Since then, it has failed to meet targets set by the government for lending to small businesses. And now we’re expected to cough up £1 million to reward the chief executive for good work.

Politicians have failed to stop RBS awarding this bonus to Stephen Hester. Today, lots of them are speaking out, asking him to refuse to accept the money. A Foreign Office minster, Jeremy Brown MP, said that Mr Hestor earned more in three days than a soldier fighting in Afghanistan earns in a year.

If we all add our names to a huge petition telling Stephen Hester to refuse his bonus, we can shame him into doing the right thing.

The gap between the have and have-nots in our society is getting bigger all the time. Many wealthy bankers, politicians and businessmen seem to live in a different world from the rest of us. In their world, it’s the done thing to make as much money as possible for yourself while watching others struggle to get by.

Government ministers have done nothing to stop this massive payout – so let’s tell Stephen Hester directly that tens of thousands of us are disgusted at his bonus and demand that he do the right thing.

We’ll deliver all the signatures to him at RBS offices. He might decide that the money means more to him than his sense of what’s right and wrong. Or he might bow to our pressure and refuse to accept the payout.

One way or the other, we can send this bank boss a clear message – tens of thousands of us believe that it is wrong for him to take this money.