10/12/07 - Cllr Justin Tomlinson, Promoting Local Green Energy

Cllr Justin Tomlinson - Action On The Environment

Power to the people: promoting local green energy and saving money - Help homes, schools, hospitals and firms across Swindon go green

Local residents across Swindon could find it easier to generate their own green energy under major new plans announced by Conservatives. Policy proposals have been unveiled to promote ‘decentralised energy’ and microgeneration, as part of a strategy to fight climate change, make our energy supply more secure and help consumers save money.

The plans would enable small businesses, local schools, hospitals and homes across Swindon to generate low-carbon energy locally through small-scale and eco-friendly means. The announcement comes at a time when more hikes in gas and electricity bills for local households are in prospect.

The proposals include promoting small-scale solar and photovoltaic systems, small wind turbines, biomass generators, micro-hydro and combined heat and power (CHP). The new policy ideas, welcomed by Cllr Justin Tomlinson -  North Swindon Conservative Prospective MP would seek to:

·          Create a new retailing culture in which anyone could walk into a supermarket or showroom and buy a micro-generator in the same way as people now buy white goods and mobile phones.

·          Introduce a system of ‘feed-in tariffs’ – this means a price is paid by the energy companies for electricity generated by the low-carbon, local energy source. Consumers would pay no more than at present and, in the long term, they would start making savings on their bills. 

·          Promote the take-up of ‘smart meters’ which enable the householder or business user to have a much clearer idea of how much electricity they are producing and how much they are consuming.

Justin commented:

“At a time of rising fuel costs, I believe that more microgeneration in Swindon could play a major role in combating climate change, reducing dependency on imported fuels, and informing people about their own personal use of energy.

“Just as we believe in the benefits of decentralising political power – devolving decision-making to local councils, neighbourhoods and individuals – Conservatives are also committed to decentralising power in its literal sense: the generation of electricity. This will help households and firms across Swindon to play their part in tackling climate change.”