We help customers meet the financial and environmental costs of their energy
Embrace the energy revolution – join as a new investor or improve the energy performance of your home or business with a BHESCo energy survey.
Earn attractive financial returns and use your money to develop community owned energy projects in Sussex
Reduce monthly energy bills and enhance warmth and comfort by improving the energy efficiency of your home
Meet financial, regulatory and stakeholder expectations when you install energy saving and renewable energy technologies
As a result of the challenges posed by Covid-19, Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-op (BHESCo) have closed our office and all staff are now working remotely from home.
Please note that in the interests of both our staff and our customers we will not be carrying out home energy surveys whilst restrictions on movement are in place.
We will continue to offer the following services via phone or email:
For assistance with any of the above please email info@bhesco.co.uk or call 01273 284472.
We are continuing our work on various renewable energy and energy saving projects and although site visits may be not be possible at the moment we welcome new enquiries to start engagement either remotely or as soon as restrictions are relaxed.
For these and any investment application enquiries please email info@bhesco.co.uk or call 01273 284471.
How are energy suppliers responding to the crisis?
Please see the information below for details on specific energy suppliers’ response regarding prepayment meter customers:
British Gas has undertaken to contact all vulnerable customers without smart meters directly and has stated that they are prioritising vulnerable individuals who need to top-up. Vulnerability will likely be determined by inclusion on the Priority Service register.
If a customer has a smart meter, they can top-up by calling 0333 202 9612 or top up online.
Priority Service – register by calling 0800 072 8625 (credit customers) and 0800 294 8604 (PAYG).
EDF has announced that it is reallocating its hardship fund entirely to assist vulnerable individuals who are unable to top-up their meters. If a customer is at risk of losing supply, please call 0333 200 5110. This number can also be used if a customer’s smart meter stops working and they are unable to top-up.
Smart meters can be topped up by calling 0333 200 5108.
Priority service – register online here or by calling 0800 269 450
E.on has extended its emergency credit facility for customers with prepayment meters from £5 to £50 (nb – this is debt, not a grant, and will need to be repaid).
In order to access this emergency credit facility, customers must contact E.on on 0345 303 3040 and must then visit the shop at which they last topped-up and top-up by at least £1. This action can be undertaken by a trusted 3rd Party. E.on advises that this process may need to be repeated a further two times, before the facility will activate.
If a customer’s gas and/or electricity credit falls below 50 pence and they are unable to top up, they should contact E.on on 0345 303 3040 and they will send an engineer, who will ensure meters are topped up sufficiently.
If a customer is able to top-up physically, but cannot afford to, E.on will attempt to assist, but has not committed to a specific action yet.
Smart meter top-ups cannot be made by telephone. Customers require an online account.
Priority service – register by calling 0345 052 0000.
Npower advises customers who are running low on credit and unable to top-up to contact them on 0330 100 3000 and 0800 073 3000.
Npower requires physical top-ups for all prepayment meters.
Priority service – register online www.npower.com/priorityservices or by calling 0800 073 3000 or 0330 100 3000.
Scottish Power advises that customers who are unable to top-up physically should contact them on 0800 027 0072. Similarly, if a customer is unable to top-up due to a lack of funds, Scottish Power has said it can potentially support them.
Smart meters can be topped up using an app or physically by visiting a Payzone or Post Office.
Priority Service – register by calling 0800 027 0072 or by email contactus@scottishpower.com
SSE has advised that they are able to reduce PAYG meter repayments (where a debt is applied to the meter) and/or extend the emergency credit facility. SSE will do this if a customer is either unable to top up because of physical inability or because of lack of resource. Call 0345 072 9495.
Customers with smart meters can top up online. Guest payments can be made without a registered account.
Priority Service – register by calling 0800 622 838
Bulb has advised that they can assist customers who are unable to top-up – either an engineer will be sent to top-up or a preloaded card/key will be posted to the customer.
Bulb has requested that customers avoid using telephone services. Please email emergency@bulb.co.uk . If a customer is unable to use email, they should call 0300 30 30 635.
Bulb does not currently have smart top-up meters.
Priority service – register by emailing help@bulb.co.uk or calling 0300 30 30 635
Boost is now operated as a trading name by Ovo.
Boost advises customers who are unable to top-up to call 0117 332 3728 or 0330 102 7517. They have not committed to a specific remedy.
Smart meters can be topped using customer online accounts or by downloading the Boost app.
Priority Service – register by calling 0330 102 7517 or online here.
E Energy is a subsidiary of British Gas. E Energy’s website has no information on Covid-19 provisions.
It may be operating a similar policy as British Gas and working to identify vulnerable customers on the basis of the priority service register.
You can contact E. Energy by calling 0333 103 9575
Smart Meter customers can top up online here . Guest payment can be made.
Priority service – register by calling 0333 103 9575
Greenstar Energy is owned by Shell Star Energy.
Greenstar states on its website that, as a last resort, it is able to (1) increase emergency credit to £50, (requires a physical top of at least £1 to be activated), and (2) post preloaded cards and keys to customers (only if they have credit remaining on their meter at the time). Customers should call – 0800 012 4510.
Smart meters can be topped by calling 0800 012 4510 or online using customer accounts.
Priority Service – register by calling 0800 012 4510.
Octopus states that as a last resort customers can contact them if they are unable to top-up – call 0800 030 4567 or email hello@octopus.energy
Smart meters can only be topped-up physically.
Priority service – customers can add themselves to the priority service register by accessing their online account and looking in the priority service register section.
Ovo advises that if a customer is going to lose power they should contact them on 0330 303 5063. They do not commit to any specific action but say they will help as best they can.
Some smart meters can be topped up online but not all. Customers require an online account or they require a debit / credit card registered to their account.
Priority service – register by calling 0330 303 5063
Robin Hood energy states on its website that as a last resort prepayment customers should contact their customer services by email for top-up assistance – customerservice@robinhoodenergy.co.uk. Alternatively, customers can text Support to 80818.
Smart meters can be topped-up by guest payment at https://robinhoodenergysmartpayments.paypoint.com/Energy/guest-payment or by calling 0800 030 4567.
Priority service – register by email customerservice@robinhoodenergy.co.uk or calling 0800 030 4567.
BHESCo are seeking community investment to complete several new low-carbon energy projects across Sussex.
All investors are eligible for 5% annual interest and have an equal say in how our co-operative is run.
Shared Ownership – all of our projects are financed through a community share offer where investors become part-owners of our co-op and have an equal say in our governance
Be part of a thriving community– join hundreds of other members who are uniting to build the sustainable future we all know we need, with profits shared fairly and decisions made equally
Earn attractive financial returns – shareholders receive 5% annual interest and have a direct say in how our business is run
Join as an individual or as an organisation – we welcome individual investors as well as clubs and businesses to become members of our co-operative
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Making energy efficiency improvements to your home is quick and easy with Warmer Sussex.
For a limited time only you can register your interest for a Whole Home Survey at the heavily discounted price of £75 (usually £150+)
We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Co-op Energy.
Co-op Energy is the UK’s largest independent co-operative, built on co-operative values. They are committed to fair pricing, honesty and simplicity.
Co-op Energy have recently launched the UK’s only Community Power tariff powered by 100% community-owned electricity. This tariff features community generated power from local suppliers all over the country generating green energy from wind, sunshine and water.
By switching to this tariff, you will be helping localise your energy supply as well as supporting BHESCo’s community energy initiatives.
Switching is easy. Simply click below to complete a comparison or to find out more.
We are very proud to have partnered with eight local schools and colleges in Sussex to collectively install over 1,000 solar panels. Added together these projects have a combined generation capacity of 414kWp and will save the schools an estimated £423,951 on energy costs over the operational lifetime of the technology.
Furthermore, by enabling schools to generate their own on-site solar power, we expect to reduce carbon emissions by 2,442 tonnes of CO2 over the next 20 years – enough to offset more than six million miles driven by car.
Our Unique Business Model
All of BHESCo’s energy projects are financed through a community share offer paying investors a 5% return.
The upfront cost is repaid by the project customer over a number of years using a portion of the savings achieved from their monthly energy bill.
By meeting project costs in this way we are able to remove any financial obstacles that can prevent property owners from improving the energy performance of their buildings.
Community investors buy shares
Investments are used to develop clean energy projects
Project customer repays cost + interest using savings from energy bills
Interest is passed on to investors
Brighton & Hove produces hundreds of tonnes of food waste every day. Why not use it to create clean biogas for local properties?
There are an estimated 16,000 households in Brighton and Hove who are unable to adequately heat their homes over winter and who may be forced to choose between heating and eating.
BHESCo provides a number of free services to help keep residents of our city warm and healthy.
If you’ve worked with BHESCo to cut the cost of your energy and reduce your carbon footprint then we’d love you to leave a review. Whether we helped you install renewable energy or energy saving equipment, conducted an energy survey, or switched you to a cheaper tariff, we value all of our customers equally and would be delighted to hear your thoughts.
"BHESCo improves the quality of life for local families by reducing their energy use and encouraging the uptake of clean renewable energy"
"Our relationship with BHESCo helps lower our emissions and improve the atmosphere of our office buildings"
"I love this vision and would encourage everyone in Brighton & Hove to buy shares in BHESCo"
A sense of community has rarely been more important than it is now and communtiy energy groups are providing a key solution to tackling global climate change at a local level. Community energy can provide local residents with help with reducing energy use; managing energy more efficiently; and generating renewable energy.
Communities should take power into their own hands to build an abundant local clean energy supply to secure our future energy on a national scale.
Support for the UK renovation sector would create thousands of new high skilled jobs, make our homes warmer and help the UK achieve its net zero targets.
Michael Moore's new documentary "Planet of the Humans" is a blatant, misguided and damaging attack on the renewable energy industry.
While life has undoubtedly been severely disrupted by Coronavirus, what we’re currently demonstrating is how resilient and adaptable our society can be when faced with a crisis. Can we carry this willingness to adapt over to our climate change goals?
These three pillar principles must be adopted by all nations where governments support their people to realise a life in connection with our environment, not in the destruction of it.
