In 1991, Peter and Martin Edwards, father-and-son farmers, began a long and pioneering association with wind power. What began as a wild idea over the kitchen table ended with the family selling its 150-strong dairy herd and milk quota in order to part fund the investment needed to set up the UK’s first commercial wind farm at Delabole, Cornwall. In 2002, Good Energy bought the wind farm, which gave the Edwards’ the chance to become shareholders and Martin became non-executive director of Good Energy Group. Shares were distributed to all members of the family, including Peter’s five grandchildren who are all avid supporters of renewable energy. Martin Edwards said: “As a family we believe in the need for a 100% renewable energy future, so putting our money where our mouth is the best way of making this a possibility, while still getting a reasonable return. Our children have all been given shares to stimulate their interest in a sustainable future.”
Another of our shareholders is Stewart Dodd, who runs the sustainable architecture practice Satellite Architects. Stewart is a long-standing Good Energy customer, who first switched his home supply to us in 2005, and subsequently his business. “We are concerned about all aspects of our business being sustainable, we design low carbon, low impact sustainable buildings so it’s imperative that we practice what we preach,” Stewart explains. “All the projects we specify are environmentally conscious and we suggest to every client that they sign up to Good Energy on completion of the project, as the only way to be truly sustainable is to have a green grid. Good Energy is the closest thing we have to this in the UK.”
From being a customer it was a short step to becoming a shareholder – Stewart and his wife, Kristin, bought shares in the company in our third share offering in 2007. “As a small ethical company with a good product, investing in Good Energy felt like an opportunity to make a difference - and it fits with our ethos. We try to invest ethically as much as we can, including our child’s trust fund,” he says. “Being both a customer and a shareholder gives you a sense of commitment and there is no doubt that I recommend Good Energy more because I'm a shareholder, as I feel invested in more than just the good cause.”
