Community energy business Younity is among the organisations backing Community Energy Fortnight and Co-op Fortnight (1-14 July) with a new support mechanism for the sector.
A joint venture between OurCoop and Octopus Energy, Younity works with communities looking to set up grassroots renewable energy projects through power purchase agreements (PPAs), grant and loan funding, volunteer management and project guidance. Its goal is to help community energy projects overcome the barriers in their way by giving them the certainty needed to invest, plan and grow.
It is now announcing the Community Power Club, a new product which offers community energy projects a higher price for the electricity they generate. The tool also offers a mechanism for community energy organisations to share this financial benefit directly with their members, domestic households or businesses who join their ‘club’, in the form of money off their energy bills.
The energy generated will go to EnergyCoop’s Community Power Tariff, which Younity says is the UK’s only tariff on the market that is 100% powered by community-generated electricity.
Related: Co-op Congress discusses community energy
Community energy organisations with PPAs can apply to Younity’s Powering Communities Fund, a grant scheme that supports social impact projects. After recently confirming its latest round of recipients, the fund has now awarded £95,000 to 27 different organisations to date.
Younity has also partnered with digital volunteering social enterprise Do It to build the UK’s only community energy volunteer matchmaking platform, Community Energy Connect. This connects groups with experienced volunteers to support their projects.
It says the platform has a 90% successful match rate, and over half of the volunteers it has placed are under 30, “helping engage the next generation and bring fresh talent into the sector”.
Related: US co-ops apex NCBA joins Congressional forum on energy
“Younity, alongside OurCoop and Octopus, now works with almost 100 groups on nearly 350 projects across the country, and we’re always eager to welcome more into the family,” said director Michaela Cryar.
“As energy costs remain a struggle for many households and businesses, the role of fully renewable community energy is even more important. This Community Energy Fortnight, we’re doubling down on our commitment to support community-owned renewable energy generation, and that’s why we’ve launched our Community Power Club, to help more Community Power Groups to grow while also helping to cut bills for local people and businesses.”
