'Energy cafes' help Londoners cut bills and care for the climate

(Reuters, 30 Sep 2020) South London co-operative CREW Energy advises communities on powering their homes more efficiently, while promoting low-carbon technologies.

Maria Soria, 52, a hospitality worker living in west London, sought advice from a community energy group to save money on her utility bills, after struggling to keep up with payments in her new home during the coronavirus pandemic.

"For me it came as a surprise. I knew nothing about saving or managing my energy costs," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Many times, energy companies misled me into paying more money than I could afford."

She received help to deal with those problems from social business CREW Energy, which was offering its services at a foodbank in her old south London neighbourhood.

Founded by members of green group Friends of the Earth in 2014, CREW works with residents in three south London boroughs to find ways to reduce their household energy consumption, save money and boost green energy.

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Reuters, 30 Sep 2020: 'Energy cafes' help Londoners cut bills and care for the climate