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Community Energy Fortnight 2015
Press release template
For immediate release: [date]
[Community
group/project
name]
joins
UK-wide
celebration
of
community-owned renewable energy generation. [Your headline should be
catchy without trying to be too clever. The example here is only a suggestion, so please
change if you think of something better.]
** PHOTO OPPORTUNITY **
[Put details of any specific photo opportunities/stunts, if there are any, or include a generic message
like, “Please let us know if you would like to take photographs either at or before the event, and we
will do everything we can to accommodate you.” – if going down the latter route, put this bit as the
first part of Notes for Editors (see below)]
[Community group/project name] is proud to be holding a [brief description of activity/event]. Our
event is being held on [date] September 2015 at [location of event] and is one of many special
events being held throughout the UK as part of Community Energy Fortnight 2015.
Community energy projects are schemes owned by the local community and have the potential to
strengthen the local economy, reduce carbon emissions, and lower fuel bills. Now in its third year,
the Community Energy Fortnight has already established itself as the highlight of the community
energy calendar and showcases some of Britain’s best locally-run projects.
By inviting members of the public to [visit / participate / get involved] we are giving them a unique
chance to [experience / get involved / learn new skills etc. ]. We hope our event inspires others to
generate and/or save energy for the benefit of their own local communities, themselves, and our
environment.
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Since starting our community energy project in [month/year] we are proud of our achievements,
which include [outline your achievements, or success story, for example:

100% community owned

generated x amount of energy / saved x amount of money

x number of homes are benefitting from green energy

energy efficiency programme has helped alleviate fuel poverty in the community

organising meetings in the community to discuss energy options

inspiring others to take action through demonstration]
[if possible, include a short quote (two to three short sentences) from a relevant member of your
community group/local councillor/MP etc stating why you are taking part; why it’s important to your
local area/community; or why anyone should be interested in attending. Ensure you include their full
name and position.]
The Community Energy Fortnight gives people the chance to visit community projects in their local
area, all of which are actively engaged in generating and/or saving energy for the benefit of local
people. From visits to wind farms and solar parks to energy efficiency workshops, the events bring
community energy to life and give people up and down the country the chance to see how they can
get involved in this growing sector.
For the second year, Co-operative Energy is sponsoring the Fortnight. Following the success of last
year, Co-operative Energy will also be hosting the opening event for the Fortnight with Community
Energy England – the second Community Energy Conference on Saturday 5th September in Oxford.
The conference will give Community Energy groups access to the support they need; from planning,
financing and selecting the best technology, to marketing, launching ownership models and ensuring
the community really benefits from renewable energy.
The conference will give Community Energy groups access to the support they need; from planning,
financing and selecting the best technology, to marketing, launching ownership models and ensuring
the community really benefits from renewable energy.
Ramsay Dunning, General Manger at Co-operative Energy said:
“We are delighted to sponsor the Community Energy Fortnight. It's vital that the UK better
encourages the hundreds of community groups who want to generate energy locally. We will be
encouraging our hundreds of thousands of customers and members to get involved. We know they
are strong supporters of Co-operative Energy’s low carbon sourcing policies, and would like to see a
more vibrant co-operative and social economy in the UK.”
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To find out more about our event/your local event please visit [insert URL for your own website, or
include URL to the Fortnight events page ukcec.org/fortnight ]
Keep up to date with news on our event follow [include your own hashtag] and look out for #CEF15
on Twitter.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
For more information on our event and to arrange interviews and photo opportunities, please contact
[insert name/key contact, telephone and email]
[Insert full location details of the event if not included above, such as postcode]
[Insert a short paragraph about your community group]
About Community Energy Fortnight and Community Energy Coalition
The third Community Energy Fortnight runs from 5th and 20th September 2015 and is organised by
the Community Energy Coalition (CEC). CEC is a group of 36 trusted civil society organisations and
sustainable energy experts, working together to champion community energy both politically and
publically. Their aim is to ignite an energy revolution which places communities at its heart and
strives for a clean, affordable and secure energy system for all.
The CEC has already made significant progress towards scaling up community energy.
Most
noticeably, the CEC was a key contributor to the Government’s first ever Community Energy
Strategy, launched last year, which featured a number of potentially break-through policies.
The CEC has a shared vision for 2020 of "communities across the UK owning, generating and
saving energy together for the benefit of all”.
For more information visit www.ukcec.org.uk or email communityenergy@forumforthefuture.org
About Co-operative Energy
Co-operative Energy is an energy provider supplying gas and electricity to domestic customers
across England, Scotland and Wales. The business is committed to fair pricing, lower carbon energy
and is wholly owned by its customers, who are rewarded twice a year with a share of profits.
Co-operative Energy is committed to providing energy with an easy to understand tariff and a
commitment to fair practice. The business is also helping to tackle climate change by supporting
renewable energy and has pledged that the carbon content of its electricity will remain less than half
the national average. Co-operative Energy avoids energy generated through coal due to its high
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carbon content.
Co-operative Energy is part of The Midcounties Co-operative, the largest independent cooperative in the UK, owned by over 507,000 members. Co-operative Energy is a national
business, covering the whole of England, Wales and Scotland.
In February 2014, as part of the Midcounties Co-operative Group, Co-operative Energy became
the first energy supplier in the UK to receive the Fair Tax Mark; the world’s first independent
accreditation scheme to address the issue of responsible tax.
See www.cooperativeenergy.coop for further details.