We're here to guide you through the journey from interest in community-owned energy to applying for funding opportunities - while keeping your community in control.
Energy in Your Community helps local people explore community-owned renewable energy together. If you’re new to the idea, find out what community energy is and learn how other communities have made it work.
We guide you through a clear, step-by-step journey, at your pace, so you always know what happens next - from first conversations to funding applications.
At every stage, your community stays in control:
- you make the decisions that matter
- you choose how to spend the community benefit fund
Why community energy?
Community-owned projects aren’t like commercial energy projects, they're different:
- transparent and community-led - you make the decisions.
- tailored to your priorities - every project reflects what matters most in your area.
- profits reinvested locally - surplus funds support community projects.
- delivering community benefits - funding local initiatives, improving sustainability, and creating social impact.
- owned by the community - the power (and the benefit) stays in your hands.
How we can help
We’ll help you turn good ideas into real, deliverable projects by providing:
- clear, accessible information: You don’t need to be an expert
- expert support: From first ideas to strong funding bids
- funding guidance: We’ll help you find and apply for the right grants
- careful studies: Every project considers local heritage and wildlife
Many people in Bath and North East Somerset already support local renewables. We make it easier to join in.
Your journey
You don’t need to figure everything out at once. We’ll walk you through a clear, step-by-step journey:
- First conversations: exploring what’s possible
- Community workshops: making sure every voice is heard
- Funding applications: turning vision into reality
Our commitment to you
Energy in Your Community projects create space for everyone to be heard and move forward together. We care about what makes your area special, and we’ll help you build clean energy projects that benefit your community for generations to come.
Communities we’re already working with
Energy in Your Community is currently focusing on six communities in Bath and North East Somerset.
- Three communities were chosen through an expression of interest in 2025.
- Three others took part in a pilot workshop in 2022, and we're continuing to work with them through this project. You can read a summary of the discussions, ideas, and insights that emerged from those initial workshops in our 2022 Renewable Energy Conversation Findings report.
Together, they reflect a range of local priorities and opportunities.
These communities are:
- Peasedown, Wellow and Shoscombe
- Batheaston and St. Catherine area
- Stowey Sutton and East and West Harptree (project page coming soon)
- Temple Cloud and Hinton Blewitt (project page coming soon)
- Twerton and Whiteway (project page coming soon)
- Radstock and Westfield (project page coming soon)
If you live in one of the areas we're working with and would like to get involved, email us at Community_Energy@bathnes.gov.uk.
Get involved
Even if your area hasn't started its own community energy journey yet, you can still keep in touch with what we're doing and have your say:
- Join events and workshops, share your views and help shape decisions.
- Sign up to the Community Energy Network newsletter, and stay up to date with opportunities near you.