Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs

About the Portal

 

1. Why should I register my interest?

Register your interest if you would like to know more about becoming a member if an Energy Local Club.

Club membership will enable you to use locally generated renewable energy (you have to be a Club member to do this).

If there’s an Energy Local Club in your area (or one is being formed) we will send you more information about the scheme and what to do next. If there isn’t an Energy Local Club in your area, we will let you know if or when one is planned.

2. Who will see my contact information?

Initially, your details will only be available to Energy Local CIC and those helping to set up an Energy Local Club in your area.

Later, if you choose to join a Club, your information will be sent to the relevant electricity supplier. Your details would then be used by the electricity supplier to help you to switch your account. Your details will also be shared with a meter installer for them to arrange to fit a smart meter and certain other parties who are involved with your electricity supply and the management of the Club.

We do not give other third parties access to your contact information or personal details. We hold and use your information according to the Data Protection Act 1998 and our data protection registration number is ZA080052.

3. What do you mean by premises?

We mean any building or part of a building that is supplied through an electricity meter that has an MPAN.  You may want to include more than one premises in an Energy Local Club. When you register an Expression of interest, only ONE premises can be registered. BUT once you have registered, you can add more premises on to the same account.

4. What is my MPAN?

If you look at your electricity bill (even if it is online), there will be a grid like this:

MPAN

Your MPAN is the series of numbers as highlighted on the bottom line of the diagram. An MPAN has thirteen digits. In this case, the MPAN is 8901234567890

5. What if I am a small business or a non-domestic customer?

We can also accept small businesses and non-domestics. Please indicate that your premises are non-domestic. The local Club advisor will see if your use can fit into the Club.

If you are a small business, please click here for more information.

6. What do you mean by a correspondence address?

You may want correspondence sent to a different address other than the premises that are registered with your Energy Local Club. If so, you can add a different correspondence address after registering your interest.

7. How do I know if I am in a Club area?  What if I don’t know whether I am in a Club area, or outside the Club areas?

Each Energy Local Club has a dedicated web page that describes its area of operation, along with a map.

If you are not sure, tick the ‘I am not sure’ box rather than choose a Club and we will check.

If you are outside the existing Club areas, please register your interest. We can let you know when a Club may be formed in your area.

If you would like to consider starting a Club in your area, please indicate your interest on the Portal.

8. Are all Clubs recruiting?

Some Clubs:

  • are operational but need more members

  • are forming and would like you to register your interest

  • are at capacity and have enough members

The status of each Energy Local Club’s status is shown on its webpage.

9. What happens once I have registered my interest?

We will check the information you’ve supplied and confirm whether or not you are in the catchment area of an Energy Local Club. If you are not, we will let you know if a Club in your area may be formed in the future.

If you are in the Club area, we will confirm this and send you more information about Energy Local and invite you to events. If the Club registers sufficient interest we will invite you to take the next step. To join your local Club, you would agree to the membership terms, switch suppliers and have a meter installed.

Click here for a summary diagram and more information on the process.

10. How do we calculate your annual cost estimate?

When you first switch, we only know roughly how much power you will use in a year. We don't know when you are using it. We also don't know if it will be a very sunny, windy or rainy year which will affect the amount of generation. We, therefore, have to make some assumptions to estimate how much you will pay under Energy Local:

  • If you tell us how much electricity you use, we’ll use that. If not, we’ll make an estimate based on other information (house size, etc).
  • We assume that when you use power during the day, it will be similar to the national average usage pattern – and this is the same pattern for all other households in the Club.
  • We assume that a percentage of the power you use will be from local generation. This will be different at different times of day and will depend on the type of generation.

For example, if it is solar, it will be used during the day, but if it is hydro, it could be at any time of day.

We give you two estimates:

  1. From your total usage in a year, we estimate how much it will cost you per month (and the yearly equivalent) including the standing charge whilst you are on a flat tariff before your smart meter is fitted and you join Energy Local
  2. We then estimate how much power you are using at different times of day and how much it will cost to get a total value for a year on the Energy Local tariff. We also add on the standing charge and Club fee.

If you are on gas, then we estimate your gas for the whole year either from your previous usage or by estimating this.

Costs are estimated excluding VAT.

Remember this is just an estimate.

You can see the Time of Use Tariff and the Match Tariff on your Club page. Click here for a list of Energy Local Clubs.

11. Paying direct debits?

When you join the Club you will be automatically put on to a standard direct debit. This means you pay a fixed amount on the same day each month based on your estimated consumption. Once your account is set up with the supplier, you can log in to adjust the amount of your fixed direct debit. If you wish you change to variable direct debit, this means you will receive notification of how much you owe for that month and it will be taken out of your bank account a few days later.

12. How can I talk to the Club supplier?

For queries with Octopus, energylocal@octopus.energy. For queries with 100Green, use hello@100green.co.uk.

13. I am a generator. What do I need to know?

Click here for FAQ for generators.

14. What is an Energy Local Home Hub?

Using an Energy Local Home Hub can help you shift your high-level energy consumption to a different time of day by scheduling appliances in your home.

Read more on the Home Hub here

15. What is a CAD and do I need one?

CAD is short for Consumer Access Device. The CAD connects your smart meter to your supplier’s energy service via your home WiFi network.

You will need both a smart meter and a CAD fitted to benefit from the Energy Local Time of Use Tariff

Read more on the CAD here

16. How can I ask more questions?

You can see the key contact for each Club on the ‘Office holder’ tab on the Club’s webpage. You can email them if you have further questions.

If there is additional information available, there will be a website link.

More Information

general FAQs