We might be a quarter of the way through the 21st century, but our energy system in still stuck in the past, with distribution of power still reliant on the National Grid and few options for people to take control of their energy needs on a local level. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast, we speak to three guests who are looking to disrupt the status quo and empower people to collectively generate and use electricity within communities. We speak to artist and filmmaker Hilary Powell about her project Power Station, which saw many of the houses on her road in East London installing solar panels on their rooftops. We speak to Kayla Ente, MBE, about the work of BHESCo, which is helping communities across Brighton & Hove and beyond to decarbonise, and we meet Gareth Davies, whose organisation Aquatera led the ReFLEX Orkney project; a pioneering initiative connecting the dots between local energy generation and use on the Orkney Islands.

Listen now to hear:

• What inspired Hilary and her partner Dan to create Power Station.
• What the current legislation is and why it is still challenging to break free from the grid.
• What BHESCo is doing to help more people have access to renewable energy generation at no upfront cost.
• How the original ambition of the ReFLEX Orkney programme has faces challenges with outdated policy and systems.
• What communities can do to maximise the benefits of local power generation.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/use-decentralised-energy

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Show notes

• Find out more about using decentralised energy: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/use-decentralised-energy
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read about BHESCo on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/brighton-and-hove-energy-services-co-op
• Read about ReFLEX Orkney on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/reflex-orkney
• Learn more about Power Station and where you can see the film: https://power.film/
• Read Community Energy England’s State of the Sector 2025 report: https://communityenergyengland.org/news/2025-state-of-the-sector-report-community-energy-surges-ahead-24-5m-reinvested-locally-movement-poised-to-scale-and-shape-whats-next/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we head to Wales, to explore two fantastic examples of community hubs. Hwb y Gors is a newly opened arts and sustainability education centre in Cwmgors, Neath Port Talbot, which has been developed in an old Victiorian school building and is supporting the local community through a huge range of creative activities and wellbeing initiatives; and Tŷ Pawb is an impressive gallery, retail and event space in Wrexham, opened in 2018 and created in what was formerly a multi-storey carpark. Whilst on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of scale, both these initiatives are bringing huge positive impacts to their local area, economically, socially and environmentally.

Listen now to hear:

• How Hwb y Gors is helping restore community connectedness, and improving engagement with environmental issues through the arts.
• How start-up businesses are going from pop-up stalls to high street retailers through Tŷ Pawb’s support programme.
• How sustainability and community resilience are being improved by the repurposing of disused buildings.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/create-a-community-hub

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Show notes

• Find out more about creating a community hub: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/create-a-community-hub
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read about Hwb y Gors on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/hwb-y-gors
• Learn more about Awel Aman Tawe, the community energy organisation behind Hwb y Gors: https://aat.cymru/
• Learn more about Tŷ Pawb: https://www.typawb.wales/
• Listen to our episode on installing low-carbon heating: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/install-low-carbon-heating

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK has some of the lowest quality and least energy efficient housing stock in Europe, and the majority of our buildings are still heated by gas fired boilers. This is despite huge hikes in fuel prices in recent years, and the introduction of subsidies for greener alternatives. For many people, low-carbon heating is inaccessible due to high upfront costs or unsuitable due to poor insulation. In this episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast we explore two initiatives that are helping communities to embrace low-carbon heat: Power Up North London, which has helped Caxton House in Archway to decarbonise and become a warmer more inviting space for those that use it, and the UK’s first rural heat network in Swaffham Prior.

Listen now and learn:

• About the different approaches to decarbonising heat, and what works where.
• How partnerships and collaborations are vital to get projects off the ground.
• About the enormous savings – both in carbon emissions and financially – that can be made through switching away from fossil fuels.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/install-low-carbon-heating

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Show notes

• Find out more about installing low-carbon heating: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/install-low-carbon-heating
• Discover all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction
• Listen to previous episodes of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast
• Send us your feedback and comments: hello@carboncopy.eco
• Read about Heating Swaffham Prior on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/heating-swaffham-prior
• Read about Power Up North London on Carbon Copy: https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/power-up-north-london
• Learn about Power Up North London’s plans to create a decarbonised neighbourhood in Islington: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQBt2QIiLwv/
• Listen to a previous episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast – Insulate Our Homes: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/insulate-our-homes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.