There’s still time to help make a difference to communities around the UK – join the campaign!

Our campaign to improve electricity rules to enable more local energy markets continues...

The ultimate goal is to help more communities benefit from lower bills and greener energy.

We’re asking supporters of local energy markets to write to their MP asking them to support a proposed change in the rules around electricity.

Click here to find:

• A draft letter you can personalise (and it has a lot more impact when it’s personalised)
• A two-page briefing paper further explaining the issue which we suggest you also send to your MP
• A link to help you find your MP’s contact details.

For those in Wales, where many of our clubs are based, there are Welsh language versions of the letter and briefing paper if you’d prefer to use them.

What is this all about?

Our Energy Local clubs have pioneered the concept of local energy markets in the UK—helping to lower bills, boost income for renewable generators, and empower communities. They also help better manage the efficiency and capacity of local electricity networks.

For some time, our founder, Dr. Mary Gillie, has been part of efforts to clarify UK electricity trading rules and make it easier to establish local energy markets so more can benefit.

She’s been instrumental in driving forward the P441 modification to the Balancing and Settlement Code, as a member of a working group for Elexon (which administers the code). Now we need decision makers in government and Ofgem to make this a priority.

You can really help by writing to your MP!

Look out for the public consultation

Additionally, a public consultation on the P441 modification will be opening soon—another key opportunity to push for change. We’ll be sharing updates so you can make your voice heard.

Thanks for your support!

More information can be found here.
 

‘Local people must benefit from renewable generation in their area’

In our latest blog, our new club development manager Mhairi Tordoff (who lives in the Highlands) looks at the massive potential of renewables in Scotland, against a backdrop of high levels of fuel poverty.

She explains why she has long wanted communities to get much greater benefits from local renewables. Read more here.

Rise in energy price cap driven by international volatility

The energy price cap will rise a higher-than-expected 6.4% on 1 April 2025 for a three-month period. People on a standard variable rate and paying by direct debit will pay on average:

• 27.03p per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity. The daily standing charge is 53.8p per day.
• 6.99p per kilowatt hour (kWh) of gas. The daily standing charge is 32.67p per day. 

Why has the price cap gone up, when the cost of energy remains such a severe problem for many households, businesses and the wider economy?

In the Ofgem press release, CEO Jonathan Brearley explained: “Our reliance on international gas markets leads to volatile wholesale prices, and continues to drive up bills, which is why it’s more important than ever that we’re driving forward investment in a cleaner, homegrown system.”

It’s another reminder of the importance of growing the UK’s renewable capacity to ensure greater energy independence for the country, and affordability for consumers.

Also crucial to this effort will be more efficient electricity grid management at a national and local level.

Local energy market arrangements like Energy Local clubs help balance local demand and generation. This in turn helps improve efficiency, and frees up capacity for connecting renewable generation. We think this can help reduce the UK’s dependency on gas, which is leaving the country’s energy needs vulnerable to international volatility.