Formation | September 2015 |
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Type | Not For Profit Energy Company |
Purpose | To provide low cost energy to all households |
Headquarters | Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG |
Location | |
Parent organization
|
Nottingham City Council |
Website | robinhoodenergy |
Robin Hood Energy is a Not for Profit Energy Company launched in September 2015 by Nottingham City Council as a competitor to the Big Six Energy Suppliers (UK). The company operates as both an energy generator and supplier. Nottingham City Council wholly own the company making it the first local authority energy company in the UK. Prior none had existed since the UK energy system was nationalised in 1948 under the Electricity Act 1947 and subsequently privatised in 1990 under the Electricity Act 1989.
The aim of the organisation is provide low cost energy to all households and address fuel poverty. It provides special tariffs to residents within the boundaries of the Nottingham City Council and provides a socially orientated pricing structure to the entirety of the UK.
The company operates Not for Profit by keeping overheads as low as possible, does not pay bonuses to staff and none of the organisations directors are paid. This makes the company rare within the UK energy market as a Not For Profit company.
The company generates electricity from the city’s incinerator, solar panels and waste food plants while also buying in gas and electricity from the UK electricity and gas markets. The mixture of energy generated and bought from markets to be sold to consumers has not been revealed at this time. Robin Hood Energy will publish its first Fuel Mix Disclosure in the summer of 2017.
Robin Hood Energy partnered with Leeds City Council to establish as of September 2016 White Rose Energy, an iniative to provide affordble energy to residents in Leeds and Yorkshire.
Robin Hood Energy was announced on March 10, 2017 as the new supply partner for Not For Profit energy provider and registered Social Enterprise Ebico. This began a transition of Ebico customers who opted in to be transferred to the new Ebico Zero Tariffs provided by Robin Hood Energy. In the decision to opt for a relationship with Robin Hood Energy Ebico stated "we wanted to ensure our supply partner shared the same values as us; something Robin Hood Energy does in its mission to provide its customers with low-cost energy."
The decision by Ebico to end its partnership with its former supply partner SSE plc was due to SSE deciding to close Ebico's EquiGas/EquiPower tariffs to new sales.
The partnership was welcomed by a number of prominent politicians including Jesse Norman MP - Minister for Energy and Industry, Dr. Alan Whitehead MP - Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change and Callum McCaig MP - SNP Spokesperson on Energy.