https://www.forestrowenergy.com/news Local energy news, grant updates and plain-English guides from Forest Row Energy Co-operative. en-gb Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/budget-2026-what-it-means-for-your-energy-billshttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/budget-2026-what-it-means-for-your-energy-billsWed, 28 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000NewsThe heat pump grant stays, a new loan scheme opens, and the £100 energy payment misses most Forest Row homes. The Budget's energy measures, checked. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/budget-2026-your-energy-questions-answeredhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/budget-2026-your-energy-questions-answeredWed, 28 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceDoes the £100 payment apply to you? Is the heat pump grant safe? Clear answers on the Budget's energy changes, and the next step for your home. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/warm-homes-loans-benefits-and-risks-step-by-stephttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/warm-homes-loans-benefits-and-risks-step-by-stepWed, 28 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceThe new government-backed Warm Homes loans can spread the cost of solar, batteries and heat pumps. Here is how they work, step by step, with the pros and cons. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/why-electricity-costs-more-than-gas-and-what-could-changehttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/why-electricity-costs-more-than-gas-and-what-could-changeMon, 26 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000NewsMPs want energy policy costs moved off electricity bills. Here is why electricity costs more than gas, and what it could mean for Forest Row homes. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/how-to-read-your-energy-bill-five-things-to-checkhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/how-to-read-your-energy-bill-five-things-to-checkSat, 17 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceHow to read your energy bill, plus today's rates for electricity, gas, oil, LPG, solar export and Feed-in Tariff, so you can check your deal. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/keeping-cool-and-warm-without-big-billshttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/keeping-cool-and-warm-without-big-billsFri, 16 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceFans, air conditioning, heat pumps, boilers and heaters compared, with clear running costs per hour and the cheap changes that make the biggest difference, from your local energy co-op. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/heat-pump-check-up-small-fixes-that-cut-running-costshttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/heat-pump-check-up-small-fixes-that-cut-running-costsMon, 12 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceNew audits of 92 heat pumps found simple, low-cost fixes that help systems run better. Here is what to check on yours this winter. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/what-heat-pump-owners-say-after-their-first-winterhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/what-heat-pump-owners-say-after-their-first-winterMon, 05 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceA new government evaluation asked thousands of heat pump owners about comfort, noise and bills after a winter. Here is what they said. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/heating-oil-this-winter-help-for-forest-row-homeshttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/heating-oil-this-winter-help-for-forest-row-homesMon, 28 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceHeating your home with oil? A clear winter plan for Forest Row: how much to keep in the tank, where local help is, and the longer-term options. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/30-million-for-community-owned-energyhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/30-million-for-community-owned-energySat, 19 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000NewsThis week the government announced the first 30 million pounds of a promised 1 billion pounds to help communities own and run their own clean energy. For a village with a community centre, a church, sports clubs and a lot of roofs, it is worth understanding properly. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/solar-pays-uk-households-earn-100-millionhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/solar-pays-uk-households-earn-100-millionWed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceThere is an inspiring number behind this week's newsletter, an exciting update for anyone thinking about a home battery, and a balanced look at what is happening with heat pumps nationally. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/electricity-vat-cut-what-forest-row-homes-savehttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/electricity-vat-cut-what-forest-row-homes-saveFri, 21 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0000Grants & fundingThere is good news on electricity bills this week, a government scheme that could bring solar to a school near you, and an idea worth knowing about if you ever wondered what those sheep are doing under a solar array. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/plug-in-solar-legal-from-the-27th-of-august-but-will-it-actually-help-in-your-homehttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/plug-in-solar-legal-from-the-27th-of-august-but-will-it-actually-help-in-your-homeWed, 29 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdvicePlug-in solar is legal from 27 August 2026. A plain English guide to what one panel powers, what it saves, and how to get the most from it. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/do-heat-pumps-work-in-winterhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/do-heat-pumps-work-in-winterThu, 18 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceIt is the question we hear more than any other in Forest Row: a heat pump sounds fine in spring, but will it keep me warm in January? Here is the plain answer first, then the detail for anyone who likes it.The short answer: yesA well-installed heat pump in a reasonably insulated home will keep you warm and comfortable right through a Sussex winter, including the cold snaps. Performance does dip a little when it is freezing, as you would expect, but a properly designed system is built with that i https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/heat-pump-grants-just-got-bigger-for-oil-homeshttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/heat-pump-grants-just-got-bigger-for-oil-homesMon, 04 May 2026 08:00:00 +0000Grants & fundingOn 28 April, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme was reformed. Oil-heated homes can now access up to £9,000. Here is what changed and what it means in Forest Row. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/plug-in-solar-forest-row-windy-day-discountshttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/plug-in-solar-forest-row-windy-day-discountsTue, 07 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0000AdviceThe energy landscape is shifting faster than ever. Following recent updates from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, two major innovations are coming to our doorsteps: "plug-in" solar kits and discounted power on windy days.As your local cooperative, we want to help you cut through the national headlines. While these technologies offer exciting ways to "Power Up" your home, they come with specific "Truths" that every Forest Row resident should consider before reaching for their wall https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/local-power-plan-forest-row-community-energyhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/local-power-plan-forest-row-community-energyTue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000NewsWhy This Matters for Forest RowThere is a major shift happening in how we think about energy in the UK, and it is one that puts our community right at the heart of it. While we have recently discussed the broader £15 billion Warm Homes Plan to upgrade five million homes, a specific and transformative part of this strategy has just been unveiled: The Local Power Plan.Backed by up to £1 billion in new funding from Great British Energy, this plan represents the biggest public investment in communit https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/warm-homes-plan-2026-grants-sussexhttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/warm-homes-plan-2026-grants-sussexThu, 22 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000Grants & fundingJanuary 2026 UpdateThe headlines this week have been dominated by the government’s confirmed £15 billion Warm Homes Plan. For households in Forest Row and across East Sussex, this is arguably the most significant energy announcement in a decade.But if we have learned anything from past green energy schemes, it is that the devil is in the details.At Forest Row Energy, we want you to have the full picture-not just the glossy brochure. Below is an extensive breakdown of the new grants, the unexpect https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/energy-grants-2026-forest-row-guidehttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/energy-grants-2026-forest-row-guideTue, 20 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000Grants & fundingHere is your definitive guide to what funding is available right now and why 2026 is the "use it or lose it" year for many households in Forest Row. https://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/air-source-heat-pumps-uk-guidehttps://www.forestrowenergy.com/post/air-source-heat-pumps-uk-guideThu, 15 May 2025 08:00:00 +0000AdviceThe UK is committed to achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a target that necessitates significant changes across the economy, particularly in how homes are heated.