A Hull financial co-operative has partnered with Co-op Energy to save energy and reduce bills.
Hull & East Yorkshire Credit Union (HEYCU) was established in 1999 by a group of volunteers, and has grown to 12,500 adult members and 1,500 junior savers with a combined total of £10m in savings. The organisation is now celebrating its new energy efficient status after installing 22 solar panels, LED lighting and internal insulation. Each solar twin peak panel has the capacity to produce up to 265w, meaning the new installation could create nearly 5,000kWh a year, the equivalent of saving up to £800 per year.
The scheme is part of Co-operative Energy Saving initiative by Co-op Energy (part of The Midcounties Co-operative), which aims to help protect the environment and combat climate change by helping individuals, community groups and small businesses to reduce their energy consumption and their bills for heating and lighting.
As well as offering energy saving advice and smart technology, the initiative actively supports community energy generation schemes through engagement with community groups. It also works with government funding schemes (such as ECO subsidies, the Feed in Tariff, and the Renewable Heat Incentive) and has launched an online shop where customers can purchase energy efficient LED bulbs.
“One of our main goals as a co-operative is to help create a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable world, and working closely with like-minded individuals, communities and organisations is an essential part of this,” said Martin Cook, affiliates manager at Co-op Energy.
“Our project with HEYCU, as well as the many more we support across the UK, shows what can be achieved when we work collaboratively to help shape the future of energy generation.”
John Smith, CEO of HEYCU, said: “The energy savings scheme is a fantastic initiative and made us realise that, even as a relatively small organisation, we can play an important part in tackling climate change. It is an issue that our member-owners are very passionate about.”
