Minister for local government and housing Kevin Stewart MSP visited not-for-profit energy supplier Our Power to hear of the progress and impact the company had made across Scotland since entering the energy market in 2016.

Backed by the Scottish Government, Our Power was created by social housing providers to make energy fairer for all members of society. As the first energy supplier in the UK to operate on a not-for-profit basis, the company is 100% asset-locked, with all surpluses generated reinvested to benefit its customers and their communities

Formed of 53 member Housing Associations and local authorities, Our Power offers one tariff irrespective of how a customer chooses to pay, whether ‘Pay As You Go’ or Direct Debit. Over the next few months Our Power will announce a number of new offers to accelerate its growth including the launch of a green tariff.

Our Power chairman Alister Steele said: “Our Power is on a journey to make energy more affordable and in doing so help to tackle fuel poverty. We have been operating for less than two years and now have 12,000 customers mainly living in social housing. We are about to launch exciting plans to give more people the opportunity to switch to Our Power and even invest in the company. We have only been able to do this because of the support we have had from the Scottish Government as a business start-up.”

While visiting the Edinburgh headquarters Mr Stewart said: “We know rising prices are putting too many low-income households in Scotland into fuel poverty. I am therefore pleased to see more and more housing associations and local authorities joining Our Power, as they can see the benefits of a quality service and lower tariffs for their tenants.”