We are in the midst of another fossil fuel price crisis – only four years after the last one. There is a true humanitarian crisis underway in the Middle East as civilians face a daily onslaught of bombing and there must be an end to this.
Here at home, ordinary people and communities are exposed to international oil and gas market prices because they feed though to power prices and bills as the national system is based on the highest cost of power generation (so-called ‘marginal pricing’). This means unwelcome price rises that no one can afford – even worse news for those in fuel poverty.
Cutting demand permanently, through energy efficiency ‘retrofit’ actions and generating electricity on-site with solar power, means more control of bills, as well as other benefits. Actions can be as simple as installing LED lighting. That’s why community energy is such a strong local solution, especially for schools and public buildings. SE24’s LED and solar PV projects at schools and community buildings save thousands of pounds annually and help protect those groups from price spikes – and solar will continue doing this for two decades at least.
Cutting demand permanently, through energy efficiency ‘retrofit’ actions and generating electricity on-site with solar power, means more control of bills
The case is compelling: we can reduce the cost of relying on fossil fuels, tackle climate change and expand the benefits of local power to all.
SE24’s latest successful community share offer illustrates the strong appetite for friends, neighbours and investors to be part of this, and new initiatives are springing up across London.
If we add in the opportunity to get the details right in the new national ‘Local Power Plan’ and a ‘Warm Homes Plan’, now is the time to build on growing momentum for local community energy as a foundation in wider energy system planning. SE24, other communities across London and UK as a whole – with your active involvement – are building this change from the bottom up.
Energy security continues to be vital as we look to what kind of energy system we want and how it accords with tackling climate change. The extra cost of a single fossil fuel price spike (e.g. when Russia invade Ukraine) is the same as the additional cost to meet the UK’s climate change goals – each year out to 20501!
Community energy works for all households and is a priority for those in fuel poverty. There is a 3 month price cap (April to June) which will provide short-term relief, but the uncertainty over price rises in June makes it imperative we act, so that we are insulated from this turbulence now and in the future.
- The independent Committee on Climate Change report, 11 March 2026 ↩︎