The energy crisis has been anything but a crisis for the fossil fuel giants and their shareholders. Companies like BP and Shell have posted bumper profits since Russia invaded Ukraine and sent gas prices soaring. Meanwhile, a record number of households have slipped into fuel poverty – 6.1m and counting in the UK, according to the charity National Energy Action – with bills set to rise further.
Against this backdrop, a quiet revolution has been taking place in the UK, where communities are, literally, taking back the power. Emboldened by the falling cost of renewables, groups across the country are beginning to meet their own energy needs, making them less vulnerable to price spikes and trade tariffs, while reducing their carbon emissions at the same time.
According to the latest Community Energy: State of the Sector report, by Community Energy England, Scotland and Wales, there are around 398MW worth of citizen-led renewable energy projects across the UK – enough to power around 280,000 homes – with another 209MW planned.
In south-east London, one pioneering community energy co-operative has taken on the dual task of expanding the amount of local solar power and tackling the growing issue of families being forced to choose between heating and eating.
