Ministers under fire as campaigners say local energy could slash bills and claw back profits from greedy corporations

With bills soaring and climate deadlines looming, campaigners say it’s time to hand control of Britain’s energy back to local communities, saving them £108 billion in the process

Britain is being urged to reclaim control of its energy future, and who better to hand it to than ordinary communities? A new nationwide campaign, led by Community Energy England, is calling on the Government to turbo-charge support for community-run renewable energy under the rallying cry: Up the Energy.

Under the plan, local groups would build and manage everything from solar arrays on village halls to wind turbines or small-scale hydro plants, putting power (quite literally) directly into the hands of the people. Profits and savings stay local, not lost in tangled red tape or handed off to big energy companies.

Support is strong with a Common Wealth poll showing 62% of the public favourable to a community-owned renewable energy project in their area, compared to 40% for a privately-owned project.

The economic case is clear too. UKRI/PwC analysis finds that a locally tailored approach to deliver net zero could save consumers up to £108 billion, while requiring less investment than a national one-size-fits-all approach.

Why now?

After years of energy crunches, soaring bills, and mounting climate pressure, community energy is not a fringe hobby: it’s fast becoming a no-brainer. The Up the Energy campaign insists that with minimal bureaucracy and a bit of political backbone, Britain could slash household costs, cut carbon emissions, and even create thousands of local jobs.

CEE argues that official promises about making Britain “the cleanest, greenest” nation ring hollow if they don’t include real grassroots power. They say that instead of waiting on distant ministers and fossil-fuel giants, communities are ready now, with the ambition and the know-how to make the energy transition a democratic, people-powered success.

What’s stopping it?

For all the goodwill, there are still big obstacles. Regulatory red tape, lack of long-term policy backing, and financial uncertainty have left many community energy projects stalling—in some cases dying before they even begin.

Actual investment has fallen from £157m in 2023 to £53m in 2024, leaving many volunteer-led groups struggling to keep going, and projects delayed or stuck in limbo.

Back in 2014, ministers promised a push to get one million homes powered by community energy by 2020. Instead, fewer than a tenth of that target was met. The old dream now hangs on new hope, but only if the Government backs the pledge with more than just warm words.

Meanwhile, recent government efforts, including a £10 million Community Energy Fund, have been widely criticised as a drop in the ocean compared to what’s really needed to unlock the sector’s potential. Critics say that token support amounts to yet another missed opportunity to electrify Britain’s future under community control.

The alternative: keep letting big corporations cash in

Opponents might argue that large-scale wind farms and commercial renewable projects are enough. But if past decades have taught us anything, it’s this: handing over control to multinationals means profits vanish, and communities get left with the bills.

The campaigners behind Up the Energy say that local energy isn’t just about clean power, it’s about fairness. It’s about local accountability. It’s about putting profits where they belong: with the people who live where the turbines stand.

The verdict: it’s time to demand more than promises

With energy bills stretching families thin, climate deadlines looming, and communities waiting for a real chance to take control, the Government must step up. The Up the Energy petition isn’t just a plea; it’s a warning shot. Either ministers get serious about enabling community power, or they risk leaving Britain dependent on a broken, expensive, and inequitable energy system.

If nothing changes soon, we’ll be left stuck in a fossil-ridden past, while Our Fair Future powered by the people stands ready to be plugged in and turned on.

Sign up here to support the campaign.