麻豆约拍

Are local solar energy projects the solution to reducing household bills? Sangita Myska meets Afsheen Rashid MBE, co-founder of the community energy project, Repowering, and chair of Community Energy England.

According to the government's top advisers, 鈥淭his is a key moment for the 3.2 million households suffering from fuel poverty鈥� in England. In a new report, they argue now is the time to act if we want to stop around 15% of UK households being plunged into poverty because they鈥檙e struggling to heat and light their homes.

And it鈥檚 not just those on low incomes who struggle. Recent news that energy bills will rise for millions of households, as the regulator Ofgem raises the price cap, has made finding cheaper sources of energy that will meet the government鈥檚 net zero carbon emissions target by 2050 even more urgent.

So, are community energy projects the solution?

Contributors include:

Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy.
Louise Sunderland, senior advisor at energy think tank the Regulatory Assistance Project and director of SELCE, a community energy project in south east London.
Dr Rose Chard, who holds a PhD in fuel poverty, and is lead of the Fair Future programme at not-for-profit Energy Systems Catapult.

Producer: Dom Byrne
A Whistledown production for 麻豆约拍 Radio 4