New Good Energy partner C Mobile is a revolutionary pay-as-you-go mobile phone network fresh into the market. Determined to make a difference to climate change, the company has chosen Good Energy to supply its electricity and promises to pledge 20% of its profits to environmental projects in local communities, schools, clubs and non-profit groups. And all this while being 30% cheaper than every major UK mobile network. We caught up with founder Jon Lobb to find out more.
How did C Mobile come about?
I worked for the National Trust for 10 years managing woodlands and working on nature conservation so I’ve always had a passion for environmental issues. And then I got into the mobile phone business. It was the start of the dot-com boom and I got involved in a start up that we built into a company with a £20 million turnover and franchises all over the world. I decided to combine this knowledge with my ongoing passion for protecting the environment.
My first thought was, what do we all use? Mobile phones and energy – and probably far too much of that! People aren’t going to get rid of their mobile phones, they are a modern necessity. So why can’t we use them as a driver to do some good? And that good was to fund local renewable projects for community based and non-profit organisations. Vital to us was proving that it is possible to be a sustainable business in a very competitive sector.
How did you hear about Good Energy and what made you decide to become an affiliate partner?
It’s clear that we are on the same page. Microgeneration is about a lot of small changes giving you the long-term gain. And that’s directly influenced by my work in conservation. You might be looking after a two acre paddock and managing the habitat for butterflies. But taking the attitude that a two acre paddock doesn’t make a difference could mean you lose a whole butterfly species.
Tell us a bit more about your Advisory Panel.
The Panel help us to be as sustainable as we can within the business, but more importantly they assess potential renewable projects for us, providing a balanced view on how we can gain the greatest environmental impact for the money that we spend.
One project that particularly inspired us was right on our doorstep. St Andrews Primary School in Dorset recently secured the rights to use a nearby ancient disused mill race to generate hydro power. Once up and running the turbine should produce enough electricity for the entire school during term time. And in the holidays it will be earning them money thanks to the excess power exported to the grid.
Starting a business takes a lot of dedication. What gets you and your team up in the morning?
Being pioneers in such a well-established industry. It’s great to feel like you are creating something new from nothing and have the courage to look at something huge and try to change it for the better. That gives us the buzz when we wake up. But it also keeps us awake at night!
