Drones, driving and decarbonising schools: how Coventry is leading the way in energy innovation

The Guardian

28-03-2025

High above the Hillfields area of Coventry, thermal camera drones have been identifying heat loss and poor insulation across thousands of homes.
A drone survey takes a few minutes compared with the hours needed for an energy efficiency home visit. This bird's-eye view shows where heat is escaping and which buildings would benefit the most from improvements, meaning resources are targeted effectively.
Although still at the pilot stage, the thermal drone project, operated by the tech startup Kestrix, is just one example of how a pioneering 15-year 'strategic energy partnership' between Coventry city council and E.ON could transform the way local energy is generated, consumed and managed.
'Local authorities don't have the power or the levers to make all the changes that will [have an] impact on climate change,' says Jim O'Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry city council. 'It requires everybody – the public sector, the private sector, the third sector, residents, businesses – to come together and say: 'We need to do something here.''
This kind of collaboration is essential if Coventry is to achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. In fact, reaching net zero against a backdrop of inefficient housing stock, skills shortages and financial constraints is a huge challenge for every city. 'We see an opportunity to help the council across all of those problems,' says Natalie Robinson, head of new city partnerships at E.ON.
The company has deep links with Coventry, home to its UK headquarters for more than 30 years. 'We have a heritage, a legacy in the city … but as a global company we obviously have huge experience in other cities, in other regions, that we can harness and deliver at a really local level,' says Robinson.
Taking actionO'Boyle and Robinson both stress that the strategic energy partnership is focused on action, not just talk. 'We're going to learn a lot as we go,'' says Robinson.
In the first year of the partnership, established in 2023, new electric vehicle chargers were installed across the city centre, with hundreds more planned in coming years. In fact, Coventry has more EV chargers than any city outside London – almost 500 charging points per 100,000 people. By the end of 2025, it is also set to be the UK's first all-electric bus city.
Meanwhile, low-income families have warmer, cheaper-to-heat homes thanks to energy efficiency measures installed under the government's Home Upgrade Grant scheme. As 20% of Coventry households are classed as low-income, compared with 13% nationally, providing access to such schemes and informing people of the benefits has been another key part of the partnership.
E.ON is also piloting free battery installations in homes to help vulnerable customers make the most of time-of-use tariffs, which provide cheaper electricity when supply outstrips demand. Robinson says this pioneering scheme is a step away from the usual short-term approach and will provide a long-term benefit for those who 'typically can't afford these solutions' by giving them the capability to store lower priced energy for use at peak times.
Other E.ON projects under way include green energy upgrades for four of the city's community buildings and, over time, a more detailed programme to decarbonise school estates.
Seeing the benefitsAlong with supporting the city's decarbonisation efforts, many of the projects planned by the partnership are designed to create more green jobs and regenerate the local economy. 'Decarbonisation comes with massive opportunities,' says O'Boyle, 'particularly around economic growth.'
Over the next few years, E.ON aims to recruit and train at least 25 apprentices, with five local residents from underrepresented communities already recruited in the first year of the partnership. Additionally, the company will be offering work placements to young people from across the community to help them develop employable skills and experience.
A programme offering sustainability and renewable energy workshops has been introduced in local schools. 'Inspiring that future generation and showing them the pathways into the energy industry starts at a really young age,' says Robinson.
Coventry Building Society Arena, a venue for business, sport and live events, recently entered into a sustainability partnership with E.ON that will drive the arena's continued decarbonisation. Further collaborations with local businesses should ensure that Coventry's wealth of automotive, industrial and creative talent plays a major role in the city's decarbonisation efforts over the next decade.
'Britain was the birthplace of the industrial revolution. It should be the birthplace of the green industrial revolution,' says O'Boyle. 'We've got all the skills, all the opportunities, all the businesses, all the people. We just need to make it happen.'
E.ON hopes the strategic energy partnership will act as a blueprint for how cities can transition to net zero emissions, while also providing economic and social benefits for residents. 'We are already seeing interest from other cities in what we're doing,' says Robinson.
Find out more about E.ON's pioneering work to create a more sustainable world