Helen Tandy, Founder Eco Communities
I am proud to share that Eco Communities UK CIC is now a member of Community Energy England, the national body for community-owned and community-led energy.
Who we are
Eco Communities started in 2018, off the back of the Plastic Free Chester campaign. For most of that time we were run by volunteers in their spare time, around full-time jobs. We’ve helped towns across Cheshire West become Plastic Free Communities, from Chester and Hoole to Neston, Frodsham and Ellesmere Port.
Today our Full Circle network runs community refill hubs where you can top up household essentials in your own bottles. We lend reusable party kits, run repair and sewing projects, and organise regular litter picks. We also campaign for clean water, and helped win bathing water status for the River Dee at Sandy Lane.
The thread running through all of it is simple: practical, local action that makes the sustainable choice the easy one.
Why community energy?
Refill, reuse and repair are about keeping resources in the local loop. Community energy can work on the same idea, clean electricity generated nearby, owned or shaped by local people, with the benefits staying in the area if used by residents. So when I was asked to work on a project looking at Energy Local Clubs, my first thought was why are all areas not doing this. .
The technology is often the easy part. The harder part is people. A local energy scheme only works if residents hear about it, understand it, trust it and sign up. That’s where years of stalls, hub conversations and community events come in.
We’re now putting that experience to work with Neston Community Energy. Together we’re researching Energy Local Club, a model that lets households buy electricity generated nearby. Our role is community engagement: explaining how it works, running drop-ins, recruiting members and making sure households who might find energy schemes harder to access aren’t left out.
Why it matters now
National support for climate action is under pressure. The Times reported this week that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is moving £2 billion to the Ministry of Defence over four years, and that heat pump subsidies may be cut to help pay for it.
Whatever your view on that trade-off, it’s a reminder that we can’t rely on national schemes alone. Community energy keeps decisions, investment and savings local. When budgets in Westminster tighten, communities that can generate and share their own clean power are better placed to keep going.
What membership means for us
Joining Community Energy England connects us with community energy groups across the country. We can learn from groups who have already set up local energy clubs, share what works on engagement, and keep up with funding and policy changes.
You’ll find us on CEE’s member directory as a North West member. If you’re part of a community energy group in Cheshire or the wider North West and want help reaching residents, we’d love to hear from you.
Free conference ticket: could you go in our place?
As a member, we have a ticket allocation for the Community Energy England Winter Conference 2026. Unfortunately I can no longer attend because of a diary clash, so we’d love someone from our community to go instead.
- When: Tuesday 24 November 2026, 9:30am to 6pm
- Where: The Spine Building, 2 Paddington Village, Liverpool
- Theme: Place, People & Partnerships, on building the connections that turn local energy ambition into action
It’s a practical, peer-to-peer day for community energy groups, local authorities and anyone helping their area act on clean energy. It’s an easy train ride from Chester.
If you’d like to go, please get in touch as soon as possible at helentandy@sustainablecheshire.uk. Places are limited and allocated first come, first served.
Read More – Government backs local and community energy with historic investment – Community Energy England
Sources
- Community Energy England Winter Conference 2026
- Eco Community UK CIC on the CEE member directory
- The Times Environment newsletter, 13 October 2026
