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Located in rural Cheshire, Ashton Hayes is a well knit community of about 1000 people that is aiming to become England's first carbon neutral community. We started our journey in January 2006 and since then we have already cut our carbon dioxide emissions significantly - by working together, sharing ideas and through behavioural change. We now have our community owned renewable energy company.
This website encapsulates our journey towards carbon neutrality and offers free advice and guidance. Please feel free to use anything from our website (we'd like a credit if you can).
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 3:26PM The Community Energy Online site run by DECC is featuring us this month. See the following link for details.
http://ceo.decc.gov.uk/en/ceol/cms/case_studies/case_studies.aspx
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 4:40PM 
Residents of Ashton Hayes can now see how much energy the village is using thanks to an innovative monitoring system installed around the village by our technical supporter, ScottishPower Energy Networks (SPEN). The company has set up a web portal that will soon be giving us detailed data on electricity use across the community. The initial site is currently fairly brief but over the next couple of weeks we should be in a position to upload the community reports for October, November, December and January. The aim of the research will help SPEN see the impact that PV panels, electric cars and other renewables have on their network and help the community plan for the future.
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 7:14PM We are delighted to have been selected by DECC for funding under its LEAF programme. Well done to all the team especially Dr Mary Gillie and Ashton Hayes Community Energy Company. Thanks to the community shop and Parish Council and all who supported our bid. For more click here
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 2:39PM ;)
Children line up quietly and wait for Chester Mayor Eleanor Johnson (in red) to open the new low carbon classrooms built with CWAC funding and PV panels provided by the community. The school gets free green electricity when open with the village Community Power Company generating revenue from the surplus.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 10:18AM 
People across the village are taking advantage of the Feed in Tariffs and installing impressive PV arrays. Martin (left) & Jane Colville selected a 'black pinstripe' design for their array and are pleased with the generation and happy to 'do their bit' to make Ashton Hayes a more sustainable village. The Savil family have installed PVs on the barns (right)
The newly created Ashton Hayes Community Energy Company has also registered the PV arrays on the low carbon pavilion and primary school roofs and will use the FiTs income to invest in more sustainability projects in the village.
