[135] THE LOCAL ELECTRICITY BILL AND HOW YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

A Sustainable Life with Jen Gale

In this episode I'm chatting to Steve Shaw who is the Director of Power for People, a not for profit organisation campaigning for the UK to rapidly transition to 100% clean energy and for this to benefit local communities.
Steve has been on the podcast before, way back in Episode 44, talking about how to get your MP to take action on the climate crisis. If you haven't listened to it already, do - it's especially helpful if you're a bit like me and not entirely sure how parliament works and how new policies and laws become a reality.

Power for People's latest campaign is called The Local Electricity Bill, and I know that that has the potential to sound a teensy bit dull. BUT IT'S NOT! Local energy production is actually super interesting, and feels really very relevant in the light of the gas price crisis we're currently experiencing.
AND this episode gives us all ONE simple easy thing to do: Write to our MPs to ask them to support the bill.

I know that sounds super grown up, and it can sometimes feel totally pointless writing to your MP, especially if they're in a safe Tory seat like mine, but it only has to be a couple of lines, and whatever reply you get back from your MP, forward it to People for Power and they'll help you follow up.

Here's what I've written to my MP:
Dear Dr Murrison
I am one of your Warminster constituents and I'm writing to you to ask you to give your support to The Local Electricity Bill.
The bill currently has cross party support from 300 MPs, with David Johnston and Peter Aldous, both Conservative MPs, sponsoring it.
Community renewable every schemes have huge potential to enable access to not only lower cost clean energy, but also to create green jobs with local economies. However it is currently hampered by huge costs and unfair regulations, making it very difficult for such schemes to be economically viable.
Allowing community energy schemes to start up and run more easily will go a long way to helping us to meet out climate goals, and it feels especially pressing at the moment with the war in Ukraine to do everything we can to help the UK gain as much energy independence as possible.
There is an MP briefing provided here which you may have already seen, and which should hopefully answer any questions that you have.

This bill really does feel like the proverbial 'no brainer' in terms of climate wins for the government - I would love to know that it has your support.
Kind Regards
Jen Gale

Honestly, this has the potential to be HUGE.
So often the climate crisis feels overwhelming, and often it seems like the government are moving in entirely the wrong direction, but we feel very powerless to do anything about it. THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT!!
With the support of just a few more MPs this bill could really get some traction and become a reality, helping to transform the energy landscape across the UK and make it much easier for communities to set up local renewable projects that have benefits for local people in terms of job creation and lower energy bills. Total win win right.
Let's make it happen.
Please please please do write to your MP after this episode - I think we usually have about 1000 downloads - 1000 letters to MPs would make a HUGE difference.
If you're not sure who your MP is, you can find out here.

Do leave a comment to let us know if you do write to your MP - and also share that you've done it on social media (do tag me, @sustainableish) Share this episode with friends, family and colleagues and ask them to write too.
Let's do this!!

---

LISTEN...

---

CHECK OUT...

• Power for People
  - Website
  - Facebook
  - Twitter
  - IG
  - Sign up to support the campaign
• They Work for You - website to find out who your MP is and how to get in touch
• [044] - How to get your MP to take action on the climate crisis (podcast)
• [112] - Community Energy with Brighton Energy Co-operative (podcast)
• The Sustainable(ish) FB group

---

DO...

• **WRITE TO YOUR MP TO ASK THEM TO SUPPORT THE BILL!**
• Share with friends and family and ask them to do the same
• Sign up to support the campaign on Power for People

---

Have your written yet...?!!
Let me know in the comments!

KNACKERED
BUT WANT TO
'DO SOMETHING'..?

Join the Sustainable(ish) e-mail list and kick off your imperfect eco-action with my
'5 easy Sustainable(ish) things you can do from your sofa'!

By signing up you'll also receive my weekly sustainable(ish) newsletter. You can make use of the unsubscribe link in every e-mail at anytime

SIGN UP NOW!

[…]