What ACOCKS GREENER CIC does

Acocks Greener CIC is a Birmingham-based Community Interest Company (founded 2022, headquartered at 18 Malvern Road, Birmingham B27 6EH) that delivers free energy advice, home retrofit support, and community energy programs to households, faith groups, schools and community organizations in the Acocks Green, Tyseley and Hay Mills wards of South-East Birmingham. Its core services include free home energy assessment visits from trained advisors, grant-application support (notably Green Homes Retrofit Grants, where it generated 451 applications in 6 weeks with 220+ successful outcomes and £2M of facilitated retrofit work), and bespoke energy audits and retrofit planning for local institutions such as Yardley Road Baptist Church, Fox Hollies Forum and Kimichi School.

The organization operates two notable technology initiatives: a "Living Lab" platform that allows energy-tech vendors (V-Lab's Thercom, Veritherm's H.E.A.T app, Purrmetrix sensors) to trial products in real households with measurable outcomes, and the BrumBIRD project with the University of Birmingham and MECC Trust, which uses drone-mounted infrared cameras to map heat loss across approximately 50 homes in Acocks Green, Balsall Heath and Sparkhill. A planned Community Hub will centralize advice, retrofit support, mental health access and employment help.

Commercially, Acocks Greener is primarily grant-funded, with revenue streams from the Community Energy Fund, Midlands Net Zero Hub, Birmingham City Council (Route to Zero and East Birmingham Inclusive Growth teams), Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust, and the National Garden Scheme Community Garden Grant. The organization is developing a secondary revenue line through the SEBrum Energy Local Co-op (launching February 2025 with 100Green and Energy Local CIC), enabling households with rooftop solar PV and energy-poor households to trade surplus electricity locally. Services to residents are free; no pricing models are publicly disclosed.

Name

ACOCKS GREENER CIC

Legal name

Acocks Greener CIC

Website

https://acocksgreener.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Acocks Greener CIC is a Birmingham-based community interest company delivering free energy advice, retrofit support, and community energy programs to households and local organizations in Acocks Green, Tyseley and Hay Mills, funded primarily through grants with a nascent community solar-trading co-op.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Energy Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) & Clean Energy Standards Compliance (EUAMANAF)

Keywords

• Community energy advice
• Home energy retrofit
• Energy efficiency services
• Community energy co-op
• Green homes grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Community Interest Company operating primarily through grant funding from government and charitable sources including Community Energy Fund, Midlands Net Zero Hub, and National Garden Scheme Community Garden Grant.
2. Community Energy Co-op (SEBrum): Plans to set up SEBrum Energy Local Co-op enabling members to buy and sell surplus electricity locally, generating revenue through energy transactions within the community.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Acocks Greener CIC is a community interest company that supports local residents and organisations with free home energy advice, retrofit project coordination, grant application support, and community sustainability initiatives. It facilitates access to insulation upgrades, solar PV installations, and energy bill savings, and operates a Living Lab for testing new energy technologies and a community energy co-op (SEBrum) that enables local electricity sharing between solar-equipped households and those in energy poverty.

Product overview

Acocks Greener CIC offers a portfolio of interconnected community-focused services centered on sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental initiatives for the Acocks Green and Tyseley communities in Birmingham. The core offerings include Energy Efficiency Solutions (insulation upgrades and funding support), Environment Saving Technologies (residential energy storage testing via Living Lab), and Green Mobility Options (electric car-sharing programs). Key project-based services include the Living Lab program for testing new home technologies (V-Lab Thercom, Veritherm H.E.A.T app, Purrmetrix sensors), BrumEnergy free home energy advice, BrumBIRD drone-mounted infrared surveys for heat loss detection, SEBrum Energy Local Co-op for community electricity sharing, and Green Homes Retrofit Grants. These services are delivered through partnerships with organizations including Warmer Homes West Midlands, Birmingham City Council, University of Birmingham, BVSC, and MECC Trust, supporting households with energy audits, retrofit planning, and funding applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Living Lab A real-world testing programme for energy efficiency technologies such as smart radiator management apps, heat transfer measurement tools, and fabric performance sensors, deployed in households across Acocks Green to measure and demonstrate benefits.
• Help to Local Organisations Energy audits and major retrofit planning for local community groups including churches, schools, and community buildings to reduce energy use, carbon footprint, and improve comfort.
• Warmer Homes West Midlands (Act on Energy) Partnership service providing advice and support helping residents live in warmer, more energy-efficient homes, delivering savings and enhanced quality of life, delivered with Warmer Homes West Midlands and Act on Energy.
• SEBrum Energy Local Co-op A community energy co-op enabling households with solar PV to sell surplus electricity to neighbours and supporting energy-poor households to access cheaper power through membership with Energy Local CIC and 100Green.
• BrumEnergy

Quantifiable outcome

• £2M retrofit work to private homes facilitated through Green Homes project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Birmingham Footsteps (Faith Groups for a Low Carbon Future)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Faith-based environmental coalition working with Acocks Greener on energy audits and retrofit planning for low carbon future. Partnered on Yardley Road Baptist Church project.
• Warmer Homes West Midlands Act on EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring advice and support helping residents live in warmer and more energy efficient homes, delivering savings and enhanced quality of life.
• Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) - BrumEnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrumEnergy project providing energy-saving advice targeted at hard-to-reach populations and those most in need. Includes training for energy advisors.
• Energy Local CICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that has set up about 18 similar community energy clubs around UK. Providing expertise and framework for SEBrum Energy Local Co-op.
• University of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrumBIRD (Building Inventory for Retrofit: Demonstrator) project led by Dr Joe Day, using drone-mounted infrared cameras to identify heat loss in homes.
• MECC TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning independent charity providing help for vulnerable households. Project partner in BrumBIRD and Green Homes Retrofit Grants.
• Birmingham City Council (Route to Zero Team)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Green Homes Retrofit Grants, generating £2M of retrofit work to private homes and facilitating solar PV installations.
• Birmingham City Council (East Birmingham Inclusive Growth Team)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting Coalition for Impact (C4I) project, providing framework for sustainable, locally-driven economic projects in Tyseley area.
• 100GreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company partner working with SEBrum to enable community energy sharing where people with solar panels sell extra power to neighbors.
• Tyseley Energy ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with Tyseley Energy Park on community engagement around Tyseley Green Energy Innovation Quarter (£100 million industrial investment expected).
• Electrify BritainminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK-wide organization visiting Birmingham to share experiences and knowledge about home retrofitting and energy efficiency with local residents.
• Fox Hollies ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity building serving Acocks Green and Tyseley, hosting energy advice sessions and site of solar PV installation (54 panels) for future energy co-op.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Centre for Sustainable Energy: Well-established Bristol-based charity delivering national-scale energy advice, retrofit programs, and policy work. Comparable energy advisory and community engagement model but with much broader geographic and program scope than Acocks Greener's hyperlocal focus.
• Community Energy England: National membership body representing community energy organizations across England. Provides industry-level comparability for Acocks Greener's SEBrum and Living Lab activities within the broader UK community energy sector ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC): Birmingham infrastructure body running the BrumEnergy project with Acocks Greener. Operates overlapping energy-saving advice programs targeted at hard-to-reach households across Birmingham, sharing the same target population and delivery model.
• Birmingham Energy Coop (BEC): Birmingham-based community energy co-operative developing renewable energy installations and local energy projects. Geographically and mission-aligned with Acocks Greener, but focused more on supply-side generation rather than demand-side retrofit advisory.

Direct peers

• Carbon Co-op: Manchester-based community energy co-operative running member-led renewable energy, retrofit, and energy-saving projects. Directly comparable community-energy co-op model with similar grant-funded retrofit advisory services in a UK urban setting.
• Repowering London: London-based community energy non-profit developing community-owned renewable energy projects and energy co-ops on social housing. Comparable urban community-energy and rooftop-solar activation model with strong resident engagement.
• Energy Local CIC: UK non-profit that has set up ~18 community energy clubs enabling households with solar PV to sell surplus to neighbors. Acocks Greener is partnering with Energy Local to launch SEBrum, making it the most directly comparable peer by model and mission.
• Act on Energy: Warwickshire-based charity delivering energy advice, home assessments, and retrofit support to households across the West Midlands. Acocks Greener partners with Act on Energy via Warmer Homes West Midlands and addresses the same vulnerable-household energy-poverty segment.
• MECC Trust: Award-winning Birmingham charity supporting vulnerable households with energy efficiency and retrofit. MECC Trust partners with Acocks Greener on the BrumBIRD drone survey and Green Homes Retrofit Grants, sharing an identical Birmingham-focused vulnerable-household mission.

Regional players

• Severn Wye Energy Agency: Gloucestershire-based charity delivering home energy advice, retrofit programs, and community energy projects. Comparable advisory and retrofit facilitation services but operating in a different UK region from Acocks Greener's Birmingham focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACOCKS GREENER CIC