Ripple’s first wind farm is now fully funded and ready to start construction. The Welsh Government has supported the co-operative with a £1.1m grant.  A further £1.8m of commercial funding has been secured, which can be drawn down in the summer subject to certain conditions. 

So far more than 675 people have joined Ripple. They own the wind farm and once it begins operating in December, they’ll get the low cost, green electricity it generates supplied to their homes via the grid.  The electricity from the wind farm will be supplied to their homes by Ripple’s supply partner Co-op Energy, powered by Octopus Energy.

This is a huge moment in the move to a clean energy future. It shows household consumers – you and your friends and family – can now own your own source of green energy.  It shows that together, people can make a real difference. Your energy choices can make a genuine, long term climate impact.

Help for those in fuel poverty

The involvement of the Welsh Government means the wind farm will deliver real benefits to those in fuel poverty, as well as the Ripple members. 

Savings from the part of the wind farm funded by the Welsh Government’s grant will go towards the Community Benefit Fund.  The fund will help address fuel poverty in the local community as well as some environmental projects.  It will also help provide mini-grants to people in fuel crisis (people facing the choice of whether to eat or heat) via the Fuel Bank Foundation. 

This creates a double win. As well as tackling climate change, the wind farm will also help tackle fuel poverty.

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for!

Sarah Merrick, CEO and Founder of Ripple says: “This is the moment the whole Ripple team and our members have been waiting for. Come Christmas, Ripple’s members will be supplied with green electricity from their very own wind farm. This is a first for the UK. It shows people can play a really active role in the UK’s clean energy future.

Ripple’s mission is to make clean energy ownership affordable and accessible. We’re hugely grateful to the Welsh Government for its involvement in making that a reality.  For too long, people have been side lined; now they can share the benefits of green energy direct.  This is just the beginning of us putting the power in the hands of household consumers.”

There’s still time to sign up!

You can still be part of Graig Fatha. Simply head to www.rippleenergy.com for more information and how to join

For further press information or interviews please contact Ripple’s PR team at Eulogy: ripple@eulogy.co.uk