Benefiting local communities through electricity discount schemes

Over 10 years ago we established our unique and innovative Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS) to ensure local communities were at the heart of the development process. LEDS offers direct cost savings to the local community through an annual discount on the electricity bills of properties closest to a participating operational project, without the need to change energy provider. Since its launch, LEDS has become a renewables success story, with schemes now operating at more than 35 projects across the UK. 37,000 participants £7 million in electricity bill discounts.

Direct, tangible impact

In 2024 alone over 6,500 properties benefitted from almost £1.5m in LEDS payments, delivering direct and tangible benefits to local communities at a time of higher energy prices. The scheme is open to all residential, business and community buildings with an electricity meter within the eligible area. LEDS is a tried and tested benefit which has been warmly received within communities and is a great demonstration of the wider benefits renewables projects can have for host communities.

Robust governance and lasting relationships

A key strength of LEDS lies in its governance. We manage the scheme with rigorous attention to data privacy, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other regulatory standards. Payments are made directly to electricity suppliers, or through vouchers for pre-payment meters, ensuring the benefit is always received as intended. This robust approach has helped build strong, long-term relationships with major UK energy providers.

A core part of our ESG strategy

LEDS is also a core part of our ESG strategy – helping to ensure our projects deliver a net-positive contribution to society. With many schemes operating for the full 25-year lifetime of a wind farm, LEDS plays a valuable role in delivering sustained, practical community benefit aligned with our goal of powering positive change.

Meikle Carewe was the first wind farm in Scotland to deliver our innovative Local Electricity Discount Scheme. Residents living close to this Aberdeenshire wind farm have celebrated a decade of discounted electricity bills. In 2024, a total of 180 households, businesses and community buildings located within 3.5km of the Meikle Carewe turbines received a discount of £163 each. Totalling nearly £250,000 of bills savings through our LEDS over the ten years, annual payments to eligible properties will continue for the lifetime of the project.

Our experience delivering LEDS over the past decade has also attracted interest from clients with international portfolios, seeking to replicate this model in other countries. As the first developer in the UK to implement this type of scheme, we continue to set the standard for meaningful, practical community benefit.