The cover of Energise Sussex Coast’s ‘Impact Report 2024’. Image: ESC

Energise Sussex Coast celebrates a year of community action

Local community benefit society Energise Sussex Coast (ESC) has just published its impact report for 2024. ESC’s Gabriel Carlyle takes a look at some of the work that it’s been doing.

Founded in 2012, ESC works to tackle the climate crisis and energy injustice through community-owned renewable power and energy-saving schemes.

Energy Champions Jill and Andy at an energy advice stall in Eastbourne. Photo: ESC

£440,000 of benefit

As part of this work it runs a free Energy Advice service to help local residents bring down the cost of their electricity, gas and water bills: 01424 390062.

Last year, this advice service responded to 9,700 calls and completed 3,669 energy advice support sessions, including 227 home visits. In total it provided over £440,000 of financial benefit to over 1,200 households across East Sussex in 2024.

Seventy-two percent of the people who ESC helped in 2024 with full energy advice appointments had a disability or a long-term health issue, with 82% living in rented accommodation. (For comparison: at the time of the 2021 census, 28.6% of households in Hastings were renting privately.)

Community-funded solar

ESC also launched a new retrofit advice service, trained 75 local volunteer ‘Energy Champions’ and helped to develop community solar projects in Bexhill, Battle, Crowhurst and Rother.

The Energise South solar panels on Hastings Academy. Photo: ESC

ESC’s sister co-op Energise South now has nine community-funded solar installations, with an installed capacity of 636 kW. These projects are currently saving five local schools (Baird Primary Academy, Churchwood Primary Academy, Dudley Infant School, Hastings Academy and St Leonards Academy) a total of £82,000 a year in energy costs.

Last year, ESC worked in partnership with Rother District Council to commission community energy solar installations for village halls in Pebsham (Bexhill) and Tilling Green (Rye), and with the Egerton Park Indoor Bowls club in Bexhill on a project to install 317kW of solar panels on its roof. It also worked with the newly-launched group Battle Solar Town on its project to use community-funded solar power to ensure that at least 25% of the electrical energy used in Battle is generated in Battle.

The launch of Battle solar town, June 2024. Photo: ESC

It is currently waiting to hear about planning permission for a proposed 6.3MW biodiversity solar farm in Crowhurst, which (if agreed) could end up generating millions of pounds for a local community benefit fund.

Another ESC-supported community energy project, ‘The Belmont’ – a block of sheltered flats in Bexhill that received a £300k solar retrofit, saving residents up to 50% on their energy costs – won a national Energy Efficiency Award in 2024. ESC is now promoting this project as a possible template for other blocks of flats across the County.

ESC’s director, Kate Meakin – who herself won a national award last November for ‘outstanding contribution to the advancement of the community energy sector’ – told me: ‘We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together with our amazing community this year. From helping people tackle unfair bills, to supporting new local energy groups, it’s all about building a fairer, greener future—powered by people. This report shows the power of community action in tackling the climate and energy crisis, and we’re excited to build on this momentum for the year ahead’.

The Energise Sussex Coast team on Hastings beach, February 2024. Photo: ESC

You can download Energise Sussex Coast’s Impact Report 2024 here.

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