Recent findings have positioned Cornwall as the premier county in England for embracing green energy solutions.
Conducted by renewable energy advocate iChoosr, the study reveals Cornwall’s standout status in the nation for households generating their own electricity or owning electric vehicles.
This in-depth analysis focused on the uptake of renewable energy sources like solar panels, wind turbines, and heat pumps in homes, alongside electric vehicle ownership. It delineated the top counties and cities in green energy commitment.
In Cornwall, one in seven households has adopted renewable energy systems. Additionally, one in six homes either uses renewable energy or has an electric car, placing Cornwall at the forefront. Other leading regions include Rutland, Herefordshire, and Cambridgeshire, where over 11% of households embrace renewable energy.
The top counties for green energy adoption are:
- Cornwall
- Rutland
- Herefordshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Somerset
iChoosr’s partnership with local authorities has led to the success of the Solar Together programme across the UK. This initiative has resulted in over 27,500 solar panel installations, anticipated to eliminate around 560,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in the next 25 years.
In Cambridgeshire, 23% of all MCS-endorsed solar panel installations are credited to Solar Together. These are projected to reduce CO2 emissions by about 48,500 tonnes in the next 25 years, aiding the county’s green energy shift.
A Solar Together customer from Cambridge, Anil Chhabra, expressed his satisfaction with his solar panels: “I’m very pleased with them. And they’re helping me in two ways. One is they offset my energy costs, making my bills cheaper. But also, I feel I’m doing my bit for the environment. I think the latter is becoming more important.”
The study also finds Winchester, the city associated with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s education, as the greenest among English cities. Here, over 17% of households have either an electric car or renewable energy installations.
Notably, the data indicates a pronounced division between the North and South of England in green energy adoption. Large cities like London and Birmingham, despite their size, show lower percentages of households transitioning to renewable energy.
The cities leading the way in green energy are:
- Winchester
- Peterborough
- Chichester
- Colchester
- Cambridge
iChoosr’s UK Country Manager, George Frost, states: “Higher household energy bills and growing desires for more sustainable lifestyle options mean rising numbers of UK households are turning to renewable and energy-efficient ways to power their homes. The days of renewable solutions being inaccessible and unaffordable are gone. Through new partnerships and initiatives, there are an increasing number of options that enable households to easily make the switch to renewable energy sources – and all the benefits that they bring.”
