Meg's Hackney Gazette Column: Government follows Hackney's energy lead

Hackney does not wait for change to happen elsewhere – we lead it. And when it comes to pushing for the change needed to tackle the climate emergency, Hackney is leading by example.

Take Hackney Council’s Community Energy Fund as an excellent case in point. It supports groups including schools, faith groups, and charities to partner with community energy groups so that they can improve the energy efficiency of their publicly-used buildings. Already it has awarded nearly £1 million in grants – one of the largest investments any council has made in community energy. This has seen solar panels installed at London Fields Primary School, solar panels and an air-source heat pump installed at Laburnum Boat Club, and a whole package of works at Hoxton Hall and Hoxton Works upgrading the heating controls, radiator fluid, destratifiers, and LED lights.

And when we remember that energy use in Hackney’s buildings account for around a fifth of our borough’s total emissions, it is easy to see why this matters: cutting bills, saving energy, tackling the climate emergency.

It is one reason why the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband MP, chose Hackney to launch the Government’s Warm Homes Plan. This is the £15 billion initiative that marks the single biggest investment this country has made investing in homes. If you’re a low-income household you can receive a free package of upgrades that can include solar panels (and battery), insulation, and heat pumps. And no matter your income, everyone can now receive a government-backed zero or low-interest rate loan to get solar panels onto their roof or a £7,500 grant for heat pumps (which includes, for the first time ever, ‘air-to-air heat pumps’ that also cools your home in the summer).

Alongside this sits the Government’s new Local Power Plan – another record-breaking investment, this time in community energy. It will give communities the chance to take control of their energy by investing in community-owned projects such as rooftop solar, onshore wind, and hydropower. A leaf straight out of Hackney’s Community Energy Fund. With the Warm Homes Plan and the Local Power Plan, the Government is backing the kind of practical, community-led solutions Hackney has championed for years. Where Hackney leads, the Government is following.