SidEnergy launch... at the Observatory.......................... Thursday 14th November

More details on a big event coming up:
Futures Forum: Back to the Future: SVEAG at the Observatory: Thursday 14th November
which is all about local energy production:
Futures Forum: "Support communities who want to install renewable energy systems"

A Community Energy Cooperative

Press Release 21 October 2013 

Energy Price Rises Hit the Community

Once again the energy companies are hitting us with unjustifiable price rises. Over the next year around £15 million will leave the Sid Valley community to end up in the pockets of their owners and shareholders.  

But it was not always like this.  Up until around 50 years ago energy was produced locally.  Sidmouth Museum staff have kindly researched their records to find that coal was delivered by sea to the beach and distributed into the town for use in local heating and gas. This continued until the railway reached Sidmouth in 1874 when it is assumed sea deliveries ceased.  To enable gas to be delivered, gasometers were constructed in 1870 and 1926, and the town had gas lights by 1905.  Then, to take advantage of the coal deliveries by rail, the gas works was moved to the station site in 1939.  It remained in production until 1956 when the town switched to town gas and then to North Sea gas in 1971.  

Installation of electric lighting in the town led to the construction of the electricity works in 1923 producing power for the locally owned East Devon Electricity Company which was nationalised into SWEB in 1947 and then privatised to the French company EDF.  There were five water mills in the valley; Sidbury (which produced electricity), Sidford, Merrifield Mill (at the ford in Mill Street), Town Mill (where the main Post Office now stands) and Milltown Lane.  These energy generation and distribution activities gave employment to local people and kept a portion of energy revenues in the community.

Sid Valley Energy Action Group want to go “back to the future” by creating Sidenergy, a community owned energy company that will promote energy saving, local generation, and group purchasing of gas, electricity and oil.  If you want to secure your future energy supplies and cut your bills then come to the launch of Sidenergy at the Norman Lockyer Observatory at 7:00pm on Thursday 14^th November.

Vision Group for Sidmouth - Sidenergy
Vision Group for Sidmouth - SVEAG meeting
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