The Welsh government is diverting the income generated by its share in a south Wales community-owned wind farm to households facing fuel poverty.
Ripple Energy’s flagship project, the Graig Fatha wind power plant near Coedely in Wales, received investment from 900 members of the public. Under Ripple’s model, these people save on their electricity bills in return for their share in the site.
The Welsh government provided a £1.1 million grant to support the project and will direct the income generated by its portion of the wind farm to two charities, the Fuel Bank Foundation and Interlink RCT.
Since the wind power plant began generating power in early 2022, over £700,000 has been raised and distributed to those facing fuel poverty. Since July 2022, Interlink RCT has awarded 313 grants totalling £258,521 to grass roots community and voluntary groups throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Fuel Bank Foundation, which supports people who have lost or are at risk of losing access to energy at home, has to date awarded over 3,000 fuel vouchers.
The Welsh government has set the target of producing enough renewable energy in Wales to meet the country’s needs by 2035. Welsh government economy, energy and planning cabinet secretary Rebecca Evans said the government is “determined that people will see the benefits from [the energy] transition”.
Sarah Merrick, Ripple Energy founder and CEO, said: “Britain’s transition to clean power must work for everyone. At Graig Fatha, we’re proving that community-owned renewable energy can both reduce the cost of electricity for members and generate vital funding to support those facing fuel poverty. Nobody should be left behind, and this project shows what’s possible when communities, companies and governments work together.”
Ripple works with suppliers to apply savings generated by their renewable energy sites directly to energy bills so customers can choose to power their homes or businesses with up to 100% clean energy.
Since the end of April this year, Ripple partners cover 70% of households in Great Britain, meaning customers will not have to switch energy providers to sign up with Ripple. The company recently signed an agreement with developers BayWa r.e., securing the 14-turbine wind farm at Whitelaw Brae in the Scottish borders.
Community energy is carving out an increasingly prominent role within the UK’s energy transition, and the UK’s Energy Security and Net Zero Committee is seeking input into the best strategies to realise the potential of community energy in the UK.
