On Tuesday, 28th of June, I participated in a community event held by the Fair Energy Campaign. Over the course of the day, several panels were held, and I, along with other young people who were part of the campaign, interviewed participants for an upcoming podcast.

During the two panels, we heard various speakers, ranging from community leaders and activists to university professors and researchers. They spoke about different ways the government could aid households with the cost of energy bills; goals for Net-Zero emissions; and various projects that they had been involved with, among other things.

I was lucky enough to speak with one of the experts, Clementine Cowton, after the panel, and we discussed what she would most like to do within her role as Director of External Affairs at Octopus, if money and other barriers weren’t a factor. She spoke to us about how many of the initiatives she and her team have worked on could be extremely valuable for the UK as a whole, if it were possible to roll them out on a larger scale.

Following the panels, we saw a presentation from a group of local primary-school students who had created a community garden within their school. They spoke about research they did into pollution in their local area, and I was impressed with their dedication to the project.

Over the course of the day, I spoke to a few more people for the podcast, including a university lecturer and researcher, Dr Anna Rebmann, who looks at community energy groups. We talked about why we’re both so passionate about the issues of fuel poverty and climate change, and she gave some valuable advice for anybody interested in getting involved with, or starting, a community energy group – to find out what’s already being done in your local area, to speak to people in your community, and find out the best way for you to help, because it will be different in every community.

I also spoke with the group who had performed earlier that day, Living Song, and we spoke about what inspired them to write the song they’d performed, about raising our voices as young people and making a stand for our future. Overall, I thought that song really encapsulated everything the event was about – being heard, making change, and celebrating young people.

I really enjoyed the day, and it was great to see that although it was a relatively small event, a lot of people did show up, including policy-makers. It was a really friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the Fair Energy Campaign!

Marianne, Fair Energy Champion