People Owned Power project launched in Bristol

A new community energy initiative that aims to cut household bills while reducing reliance on fossil fuels is making inroads in Bristol. People Owned Power (POP) helps communities to generate, store and share their own renewable energy by installing solar panels, heat pumps and batteries.

Local people attend the Bristol launch

Already operational in East Sussex and London, with Bristol-adjacent projects set up in Frome and Yatton, the company has now located two team members in the city itself who are actively seeking five houses on each of ten streets to serve as demonstration projects for renewable infrastructure.

“Every year, Bristol households send approximately £500 million to fossil fuel companies,” said CEO Howard Johns, basing his figures on 200,000 Bristol households with an average £2,500 energy bill.

“This is money that does not stay in local communities, does not improve household quality of life, and that directly supports pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By coming together, households can bring more affordable, cleaner and fairer energy to their streets, bringing benefits today and for decades to come.”

Howard Johns

POP’s existing projects have reduced the grid reliance of households involved by up to 80 per cent.

The company is looking to work with local energy organisations and community groups, such as Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC).

BEC itself has installed over 20 solar farms and rooftop arrays in and around Bristol, helping to generate clean local energy while saving those sites thousands on their energy bills and delivering the profits back to local communities.

The organisation will be partnering with POP to find households that are keen to kickstart the shift to renewables, helping to lay the foundations for what the company calls “communities as power stations”.

People-owned power stations start as homes generating their own energy. POP is starting to connect homes into networks, known as Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). Software connects these energy sources, using data to sell power into the grid during times of high demand. This can make a profit for homeowners, with very little effort required. The network will get stronger as more households upgrade. 

Energy is generated where it’s used: a simple shift “that could change everything” according to the company.

“Everything” is more than lowering bills and controlling energy generation - it also means creating jobs for local people.

POP carefully curates a network of trusted and vetted neighbourhood tradespeople, training them on the systems it installs, and supporting them to deliver excellent work with minimal hassle or disruption.

“There is no time like now to upend the existing energy system and put people first,” said Johns.

“More than clean energy, renewables are about taking control of your bills and energy security. By working with streets and communities, we make sure households no longer feel alone in navigating this – they are part of a movement to keep money in their communities, instead of sending it to fossil fuel companies.”