Grants / Projects we are funding

Using municipal energy to tackle the fuel poverty crisis: Platform (London)

Grant details

Amount:£15,000

Awarded on:01/11/2016

Status:Closed

Area of interest

Local economic resilience

Despite the UK-wide policy enthusiasm for municipal energy, there’s a gap in development work on how city energy can address fuel poverty. This project aims to deliver a targeted innovation process, involving key stakeholders and voices in developing viable and ambitious proposals.

What is the issue?

Our current energy system disadvantages the poorest households, exacerbating inequality and keeping millions in fuel poverty. It drains local economies of wealth, instead of reinvesting revenues for local benefit, jobs or infrastructure. The Big Six energy firms control 90% of the market, reliance on fossil fuels continues and the low carbon transition is too slow. Municipal energy can change the energy landscape – but needs to take bold steps.

What will the project try to achieve?

Platform aims to open a policy pathway for municipal energy companies in London to tackle the fuel poverty crisis. A public energy supply company could offer transformative pricing structures, engage the most vulnerable energy users, and invest locally into renewables and retrofitting homes.

Public institutions like councils and the Greater London Authority lack the capacity, resources, and political will to innovate. As the new municipal energy institutions in London are nascent, Platform has an opportunity to support officials and stakeholders in developing a successful strategy.

This project builds on established relationships with relevant decision-makers. It will engage them, bring in expertise (including that of people in fuel poverty) and advocate for the implementation of solutions to two fundamental challenges: energy-efficient retrofitting and fairer social tariffs.

Learning will be consolidated and disseminated nationwide – ensuring that lessons learnt are passed on to other municipal energy projects across Britain.

Who might be interested in this project?

Practitioners working on or interested in innovative solutions to fuel poverty, energy decentralisation and energy democracy, new business models for community energy, public utility structures and democratic accountability within the public sector.

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