The Government has announced a £1 billion “local power plan” to expand community-owned clean energy projects across the UK, from solar panels on public buildings to small-scale hydro schemes.
Ministers have called the plan “the biggest ever investment in community energy.”
A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:
“This boost for community energy has real potential to help bring down bills while keeping the benefits of clean power rooted in local places.
“For too long, households have been trapped paying the price of a broken energy system where profits flow out to major companies, while communities living in cold, damp homes see little return. Community-owned renewables can start to change that, cutting costs, strengthening energy security and generating income for vital local services.
“But clean energy should not just be about new generation, it must also be about guaranteeing warmer homes, lower energy bills and building a better energy system.”