New Funding Window Opens
Britain’s communities can now access the first £30 million of the Government’s planned £1 billion Local Power Plan. The money supports solar on schools, local wind turbines and hydro schemes, with the aim of backing more than 1,000 projects overall. Younity, the joint venture between Octopus Energy and OurCoop, is already working with almost 350 community groups — nearly four times the number from five years ago.
Support on Offer
Younity provides fast loans of up to £1.5 million through its Community Energy Kickstart Loan, plus the Powering Communities Fund that has already handed nearly £95,000 to 27 groups. It also arranges Power Purchase Agreements so projects can sell their electricity and offers the free Community Energy Connect platform to match groups with skilled volunteers.
Who Benefits and What Next
The funding targets local authorities and community organisations that want to own and run their own clean generation. Projects already deliver bill savings of £1.86 million a year for households while powering the equivalent of 200,000 homes. Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Customer Officer at Octopus Energy, said: “This is a huge opportunity for communities to take control of their energy. Younity can help to kickstart projects with cash, connections and know-how to turn bright ideas into real clean energy projects. The power is in people’s hands – now let’s get it generating.”
If you’re reviewing your own bills while these schemes grow, our energy comparison tools show the latest tariffs side by side.
