 At CREW Energy, tackling fuel poverty is at the heart of everything we do. That's why this year, as with every other, we want to raise awareness of this ongoing challenge for Londoners.
We believe that everyone deserves to live in a warm, healthy home, regardless of income or circumstance. Through our community-led approach, we deliver free energy advice, home visits, and tailored support to vulnerable households across south-west London. Read on to hear more about fuel poverty and how we're working to alleviate it for our community.
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 For the third year in a row, CREW Energy has teamed up with Wandsworth Council and Richmond Council to provide Warm Home Packs for eligible residents this winter.
These free packs are designed to help households reduce energy bills by as much as £250 a year and make homes more comfortable during the colder months. Packs include items such as draught excluding tape, a smart plug, and a shower timer.  South London community energy organisations like ours are delivering cleaner and cheaper energy for South London in a wide variety of different ways! We work with partners and funders including local authorities, local and national businesses, government and other third sector organisations to create change in our local area.
Our latest batch of projects with Wandsworth Council is a shining example of just what groups like ours can achieve when we have the support and financial backing of local authorities.  Chances are you already have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your home. But when did you last check it was working properly? A recent report found that 95% of CO alarms were not tested in 2024, meaning thousands of households are unwittingly putting themselves at risk of CO poisoning.
Why not take a minute to read some of our tips for CO safety in your home. It could save your life!  Fresh off the back of yet another heatwave, we have a few more tips to help keep your home cool this summer – this time, some recommendations for affordable energy-saving equipment that can help keep out the heat, so you can keep your cool!
 As promised, June was a big month for events in the energy world! We hosted events across Richmond, Wandsworth and Kingston where lots of lovely local people came along to learn more about energy efficiency and the power of community energy.
Our solar event in Ham was attended by 28 locals interested in learning more about a community solar, followed by another 26 Kingston residents who headed to St Andrew's Church in Surbiton to get started on their decarbonisation journey. We topped it off with a community energy event to celebrate London Climate Action Week, where 45 of us headed to the Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park to showcase the work of South London community energy groups! Some key takeaways from us:
Our Pathway Zero events are coming to a close now as we had into summer, but we'll be taking part in some community days across Roehampton this summer, so keep your eyes peeled!  Heatwaves can be dangerous, particularly for the elderly, babies, young children, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions. People who live in urban areas and on the top floors of buildings can also be vulnerable.
So it’s important to make your home a place to escape from the heat - but it’s not as simple as just opening a window. Here’s our guide to keeping your home cool with some easy to achieve and cost-effective tips  Nope, that's not a typo. This month, we've been out on the lake!
You may recall that last autumn we spoke about our work to power the Victorian cascades in Battersea Park. This month, we've spent a lot of time out on the lake for the latest phase of the project. You might not have realised a lake even USES power. But, as a matter of fact, not only does this small body of water use energy... it uses a whopping 90,000 kWh of it every year! To put that into perspective, that's the equivalent of heating 8 homes for a year. To try and reduce this, we're getting creative with when and how this aeration system is used, taking our learnings from building management systems.  “We’re trusted. We’re here. We can train local people. With investment, we can do this right." As England looks to tackle climate change and make homes warmer and more affordable to run, there’s a growing spotlight on something called retrofit. While the word might sound technical, it’s really about improving buildings – mostly homes – so they use less energy. This could mean anything from better insulation and windows to more efficient heating systems.
But who’s actually doing this work? Until recently, retrofitting has mostly been the domain of large contractors or small businesses. However, a new report from the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) shows that charities and social enterprises like CREW Energy – non-profit organisations that work for the good of communities – are quietly stepping up. And they may just hold the key to a fairer, greener future.  Sylvie Fifer, 88, speaks to HEAT energy advisor, Meg More than 1,000 residents have been supported to manage their energy consumption and reduce their bills, thanks to a partnership between Hackney Council, CREW Energy and community organisations across the borough.
The Hackney Energy Advice Team (HEAT) offers fuel poverty and energy-saving advice to residents in the borough’s community spaces. It has so far helped 1,256 people since launching in April last year. |
