A new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research, released today, shows how energy generated by cities could transform Britain's energy market Commenting on the report, entitled ‘City energy: a new powerhouse for Britain’ released today, Thursday 17/07/2014, John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “If you look at historically high bills, record-high customer complaints, and the dismal failure to tackle energy waste there’s no doubt our Big Six-dominated energy market is failing us.

This report shows how Britain’s major cities can be the game-changer we’ve been waiting for by opening up the energy market and driving investment in low carbon energy. “Turning our cities into energy suppliers could help bring bills under control, slash fuel poverty by systematically insulating thousands of homes, and start to fill the gap in clean energy investment left by the Big Six. People would get their energy from a trusted source and profits would be reinvested locally. Dynamic cities like Bristol and Manchester have already started to take a lead in delivering clean energy for local people. Now it’s time for national government to do its bit to support a movement that can bring a more accountable, affordable, cleaner, and smarter energy system.“

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council and chairman of the Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub, said: "This report highlights something we have known for a long time - that the energy market needs to be shaken up and city regions can provide a serious alternative to the big six. A series of collective energy switching schemes organised by the Greater Manchester authorities recently helped thousands of people reduce the size of their bills, while innovative air source heat pumps are also being installed in hundreds of homes across the region to reduce the amount of electricity used at the most expensive times of the day. Schemes like this demonstrate that local authorities can play a crucial role in providing clean sources of energy while helping people who are struggling to pay their bills."

The report documents both the progress made by cities across Britain towards providing their populations with energy, and the steps both local and national government can take to build on these achievements.