Last Thursday we welcomed Natasha Irons MP and Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey MP to Good Food Matters to see Croydon Community Energy’s new solar panels and tour the site. The visit also celebrated Labour’s Local Power Plan, a £1bn boost for community-owned power: helping Croydon cut bills, keep profits local, and fund vital support like cooking classes and the food bank.

The sun delivers an extraordinary amount of energy to Earth—around 173,000 terawatts reach the planet’s atmosphere at any moment. In theory, just one hour of sunlight contains enough energy to power the world for an entire year, highlighting the vast potential of solar power as a clean, abundant energy source.

End Fuel Poverty Coalition estimates suggest that over 25% of Croydon households experience fuel poverty, with rising to over a third of households in some parts of the borough.

This article goes on to discuss a few broader challenges of reducing energy bills and explores potential actions to address them.