A Birmingham City Council Community Energy Company

What you thought would be the barriers to you switching to a Community Energy Company and what you thought the likelihood of success would be.

ISSUES RAISED

Cost

Worries about incurring switching charges

The need for costs to be lower enough to make switching worthwhile.

Doubts as to whether a partnership with an existing company would deliver the greatest savings

The suggestion that the formation of a true municipal energy company, owned and operated by Birmingham City Council would be able to deliver the highest savings

Clear Pricing Structure with no hidden costs

Reputation

Uncertainty about the level of trust in the Local Authority Trusted Brand

No deals with “The Big Six”

Renewable Energy -

Renewable energy was a common issue

The need for the company to sell energy from the Tyseley Energy from Waste Plant

Satisfaction with a current renewable energy supplier and uncertain about the level of renewably-sourced power from the proposed company

Not sacrificing renewable content over cost – energy for the long-term

No fossil fuels or nuclear-derived power.

No fracked gas

Operating Model/Business Planning

Industry respondents have mentioned  

• The additional, non-fuel costs they incur
• The additional services customers might want (e.g. SMART Meters)

Comments about Birmingham City Council providing investors with financial certainty about investing in renewables

Questions about the business plan for the company

The lack of a single supplier that could satisfy the aspirations of the city

The need for community shareholding

The ability to make the scheme available to neighbouring areas

Learn lessons from Birmingham Energy Savers and the collective switching projects

Additional Services

The need for microgeneration, insulation metering

Other

Confusion of this proposal with an existing community energy company

We have carried out a detailed analysis of the responses and no equalities issues have emerged.

We are currently revising our proposals and approach to this, based on changes in the energy market and the emergence of new potential partners.