Katie Hughes

Plymouth Energy Community

Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) is an independent charity established in June 2013 to empower our community to create a fair, affordable, zero carbon energy system with local people at its heart. Its mission is: - To increase local ownership and influence over local energy solutions - To increase community confidence to engage in energy issues - To enable people to heat and power their homes affordably - To reduce greenhouse gas emissions - To ensure these activities benefit the fuel poor and most vulnerable - To bring local people and organisations together to tackle fuel poverty and the climate crisis. Working in partnership with a number of energy-related organisations, PEC has been able to facilitate Plymouth communities to take action to change their own energy future. The society offers a range of services including an Energy Team providing support and energy advice in the home, office and at events, insulation grant programmes and training programmes and opportunities to participate, as well as enabling locally-owned renewable energy installations. In 2014, PEC set up PEC Renewables, a professionally managed Community Benefit Society owned by its Members, to deliver locally owned renewable energy installations that could reduce bills, save carbon and generate income to support other local energy and fuel poverty projects across the City. There are now 33 community-owned solar installations and PEC is currently venturing into community-owned energy efficient and affordable housing. All companies in the PEC family are run by volunteer Trustees/Directors and are staffed through a service level agreement with the Low Carbon CIty Team at Plymouth City Council.