What do community energy groups do?
Community energy groups across the UK are involved with a variety of different activities but central to all these groups are local ownership and control and community benefit. These activities include:
- Community-owned renewable electricity installations such as solar PV panels, wind turbines or hydroelectric generation.
- A community group supporting energy saving measures such as the installation of cavity wall or solid wall insulation.
- Awareness raising within the local community on what individuals can do to reduce their energy costs and save energy.
- Deliver initiatives to relieve fuel poverty at a local level
- Collective purchasing of heating oil for off gas-grid communities
- Collective switching of electricity or gas suppliers.
Community Energy in the UK
- There are currently around 230 community energy groups involved in 270 energy related activities
- These organisations own 121 MW of energy capacity, which has generated 265 GWh of energy since 2002.
- A further 74 organisations are actively providing energy efficiency interventions in their communities.
- This has resulted in a reduction in CO2 emissions of 110,00 tonnes.
- Organisations have leveraged over £190m in project finance from £1.9m of project development funding
- In the past year £680,000 income for community benefit funds has been generated in the last 12 months for local economic, social and environmental benefit.
Want to learn more?
Community Energy England is the sector body for community energy in the UK. See https://communityenergyengland.org/