Community energy ‘ignored and abandoned’ by government

Government policy is limiting work undertaken by community energy groups, according to the trade body representing them.

Community Energy England has accused the government of ignoring and abandoning the organisations, of which there are more than 400 across the country.

Emma Bridge, the trade body’s chief executive, said it is “frustrating” to see so much work by community energy organisations go “unsupported and often limited by government policy”.

Community Energy England said in recent net zero policy announcements such as the Ten Point Plan and the Energy White Paper, community energy organisations were “left in the lurch”.

A statement from the organisation added: “In the recent Net Zero Strategy, the government accepts that ‘community energy’ is an example of how communities can come together to reach local and national net zero targets,’ but offers no new financial or policy support for the sector.”

Furthermore, it added, the strategy did not contain the plan for the future of community energy promised by the secretary of state, nor did it remove any barriers or put in place “practical support measures to harness the potential of community energy” as was advised by the Environmental Audit Committee in April last year.

Bridge added: “We were promised a plan for the future of community energy, but this has not been forthcoming. We are calling on the government, in particular Kwasi Kwarteng and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to provide community energy with the support it needs to drive the UK forward towards a net zero future.

“This includes funding in imminent departmental budget allocations and a level playing field for community energy organisations to compete with large energy providers.”

Kayla Ente, Brighton and Hove Energy Services Cooperative chief executive, said: “In 2014, the government released its community energy strategy in recognition of the power of the people living in communities across the country to work together to tackle important social and environmental issues, like the climate crisis and fuel poverty.

“This strategy is being ignored, if not undermined by the current government’s propensity to allocate all decarbonisation/energy funding, with the exception of the Green Heat Fund, specifically to local authorities and other government institutions while creating overly prescriptive terms that has been part of the reason they’ve failed.

“Conservatives claim to be for the market, yet, they are spending more than ever on failed programmes, like the Green Deal and the Green Voucher Scheme as well as a lack of transparency in how funds collected, like the Climate Change Levy, are being spent.”

In response, a spokesperson for BEIS said: “Community groups have a key role to play in our efforts to eliminate our contribution to climate change and they are doing excellent work to help us achieve this goal.

“We are enabling local areas to tackle net-zero goals in ways that best suit their needs through our UK-wide funding schemes, such as the Community Renewal Fund and the Towns Fund. Ofgem also supports these projects through its Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme which, from February, will allow groups to apply for funds to deliver energy related projects.

“We encourage community energy groups to work closely with their local authority as part of these schemes.”