Bristol Energy


Bristol Energy is a municipally owned energy supply company, founded in September 2015 by Bristol City Council. The company supplies gas and electricity to domestic and business customers across the United Kingdom.

History

Bristol City Council made a decision in principle to create such a company in 2010, as part of its Climate Change and Energy Security Framework. In February 2015 a business plan was produced, which was approved by the council cabinet in July 2015. The company began taking customers in February 2016.
In spring 2018 it lost the contract to supply energy to Bristol City Council after British Gas marginally undercut them on price.
In December 2018, employee number one and CEO Peter Haigh stood down and was replaced by Marek Majewicz, the company's finance director. In November 2018 Bristol Energy began supplying gas to Bristol City Council again, winning back part of the business it had lost to British Gas.
In January 2019, Bristol Energy announced it had received a €1.9m grant from the European Investment Bank and the European Commission to fund renewable energy, in partnership with Plymouth City Council. In that year, 79% of the company's energy supply was generated from renewable sources. In February 2019 it regained the contract to supply electricity to Bristol City Council.
In May 2019, Bristol Energy began a partnership with The Big Issue. In August 2019 the then CEO revealed the company had employed and continued to employ two people who were previously homeless.
In July 2019 the council's risk register entry on 'Long term commercial investments and major projects capital investment' which includes Bristol Energy had a high level risk rating, no comments were given on any risk treatments needed for the Bristol Energy part of the investments.
, the company had received some £37.7 million of funding from Bristol City Council and was not expected to be profitable until 2024.
In March 2020, Marek Majewicz departed as Managing and Finance Director and was replaced by Allan Booth, who has in the past listed his occupation as "turnaround expert". Booth's most recent directorship is at The Towcester Racecourse Company Limited, which entered administration in 2018 and was liquidated in 2019.
In May 2020, the company was put up for sale by Bristol City Council.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Since its creation in 2015, the Social Value Portal estimate Bristol Energy has delivered over £12 million of social value back into Bristol. The company measures the amount of social value they have delivered using the National Social Value Measurement framework.
Bristol Energy delivered £7 million of social value back into Bristol in 2018/19.
Bristol Energy set up its Fuel Good Fund in a bid to help tackle fuel poverty. Since 2015, the energy company has raised over £50,000 through the Fuel Good Fund.
In November 2017, Bristol Energy established the 'No Cold Homes' initiative to help tackle fuel poverty in Bristol. Led by Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Bristol Energy and Western Power Distribution, brought together charities, business leaders and influencers from across the city to share knowledge and develop an action plan for collaborative work.
Donations include:
Numbers are the number of meter points served at the financial year end, 31 March, as published in the annual accounts and filed at Companies House.

Financial structure

Bristol Energy is wholly owned by Bristol City Council through an intermediate holding company, Bristol Holding Limited.