Campaigners have praised the MP for the Cotswolds for supporting a bill which would allow people to sell electricity to their neighbours.

Power for People have thanked Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown for his advocacy for the Local Electricity Bill which, if approved, would see an increase in domestically generated clean energy, in turn helping to reduce the UK’s reliance on gas.

The Conservative MP has said he will do everything in his power to see the bill become law.

He said: “I am pleased to support the Local Electricity Bill which will empower and enable new community energy companies to sell energy that they generate directly to local people, helping to strengthen local economies.

“This would help accelerate our transition to clean energy and reduce our dependence on natural gas.

“In the future, we could possibly see a solar power installation providing all the energy needed for a nearby village or town, this would be a real boost to achieving our net-zero target by 2050.

“This is crucial in avoiding the potential economic and ecological devastation of climate change. I will do all I can to ensure it becomes law.”

The bill is one of the key recommendations made by the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee following their recent inquiry into community-scale renewable energy.

The proposed law is supported by a cross-party group of 280 MPs and would create a ‘Right to Local Supply’ of energy.

Currently, people can only purchase electricity from nationally licensed companies however this bill would allow communities to sell locally generated electricity to nearby households and businesses.

Supporters of the Local Electricity Bill say this change would help rebuild local economies.

Power for People are leading a supportive coalition of organisations in an effort to see the bill approved.

Community Energy England, Good Energy, WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the RSPB have all pledged their support as well as 87 local authorities.

The group’s director, Steve Shaw, said: “We thank Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP for supporting the Local Electricity Bill.

“If made law, the Bill would unleash the huge potential for new community-owned clean energy infrastructure, making our energy system more robust and boosting local economies, jobs, services and facilities in The Cotswolds and in communities across the country.”