Grassroots football clubs are scoring big energy savings with new data showing four pioneer teams have cut their usage by 25% and saved nearly £10,000 through E.ON Next’s Greener Game programme.
The scheme, run with England Football, has pushed clubs to fit solar panels, add battery storage and improve insulation. The message is simple. Lower bills mean more money for players pitches and local communities.
Across the past year 250 clubs have joined the programme and 70 have already had free energy audits. Another 22 clubs will get solar and battery installations in the coming weeks as the initiative ramps up.
Fans clearly want this shift. Research from E.ON Next shows 41% of people in England think grassroots clubs need help with energy costs and 59% say clubhouse upkeep is essential for long-term success. Almost half want clubs on better energy tariffs.
That is why E.ON Next is offering eligible FA-affiliated grassroots clubs up to £100 in bill credit when they move onto its small business account.
Rob Green said: “Grassroots football clubs in England are at the heart of their communities and are where careers for players of all levels begin. To secure the future of these clubs it is vital that we support them in reducing one of their most significant overheads – energy.”
E.ON UK’s Scott Somerville said: “If clubs spend less on their energy bills they have more to invest back into what really matters to them and the communities that love them.”
The FA’s Phil Woodward added that the first year proves sustainability and grassroots football go hand in hand.
Local teams remain a community anchor with 38% of people engaged in their clubs and one in four visiting monthly.
Greener power for grass root footie appeared first on Energy Live News.