News From OilFiredUp
RSS
Davey Launches Cornish Energy Collective
23rd July 2012
Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Edward Davey today visited the Eden Project in Cornwall, launching a new collective energy supplier switching scheme 'Cornwall Together'.
The groundbreaking scheme aims to save Cornish households up to 20% on their energy bills - £240million - taking a significant step towards tackling fuel poverty and health inequality.
In a keynote speech delivered at the Eden Project, the Secretary of State spoke of his vision for energy collective purchasing and praised the Cornwall Together initiative. "I want the benefits of collective switching to be open to all communities. That's why Cornwall Together is such a fantastic initiative.
"Not just because this is the first time a county has joined together to help people save. Not just because it's coming from a new angle, by working with big employers in Cornwall, across sectors. Not just because it encourages people to think about more sustainable energy options. But also because this is the first collective switching scheme I've heard of that will actively target the hard-to-reach the households who most need help. And 1 pound out of every 10 generated will go into a fund for Cornish communities.
"This scheme really is the first of its kind. And I sincerely hope it's the first of many."
Building on the Cornwall Together initiative, Ed Davey has now written to Local Authority Chief Executives today to encourage them to consider how they might lead and facilitate community energy switching and bulk buying schemes. The Secretary of State also praised the "impeccable" low-carbon credentials of the Eden Project who held the first eco car show, have plans for an 80% cut in emissions by 2020 and a new, deep geothermal energy system, drawing heat from Cornish stone to warm the biomes and feed into the grid.
It is expected that an option to buy heating oil will shortly be added to the scheme, albeit employing a slightly different process compared with mains fuels.
