Ripple Energy Reviews 710

Very disappointed with Ripple. The Kirk Hill Windfarm has seen numerous delays, and unlikely to produce a return on my investment until May 2024 at the earliest, when initially dates as early as November 2023 were mentioned. In the early stages of the development, Ripple were very keen, sending numerous emails, but the latest delay was not communicated by email.

Power to the people, for the people! Great to join a community of like minded people, whether their investment is small or big to cover 120% of their electricity consumption. Its a green way to go, as a London flat dweller, I had no roof to put up solar. By investing in boths Kirkhill Wind Farm and Derrill Solar Park, my home will be truely Zero Carbon in heating, cooking, hot water and sundry. Feeling good about that with all the bad news around about the future of the planet.

We too invested when Ripple was just planning the first collective wind turbine in Wales - Graig Fatha. We found the information provided and process of investing to be open, honest and caring. If energy prices continue high and the turbine keeps turning, then this will be by far the best financial investment of my life.

When I heard about Ripple I was enthusiastic, spread the word, and several of us put down a deposit wanting to have a share in a windfarm. Having done so there have been no wind projects to join! Just solar farms which we are not impressed with, as however much reassurance is given they remove large areas of land, whereas had they been projects on warehouse rooves, or suspended over car parks they would be so much better. Search for rooftops-can-provide-over-half-our-solar-energy-targets-report-shows

So, there are loads of folk getting returns from wind farms, so come and join them. Trouble is I can't as only solar farms are boing offered. By the time a wind farm is offered, then built and eventually connected I shall be dead. So much for getting early access for £25. All it will have done is help the wrong sort of solar farms (in my opinion) be built.

Since the cost of energy to domestic consumers is largely due to non-generating costs (tax, grid, etc.) this is like getting someone to grow your crops abroad and having to pay them for delivery to the UK. I toyed with the idea of investing in a Ripple project when they were still able to develop onshore wind capacity. Such projects don't help the fact that the grid lacks capacity for dealing with surges of production (wind turned off to turn gas turbines on!) but the crop analogy is with something you can't grow yourself and which doesn't take up much land. Now, presumably Ripple have had to diversify into solar because of Government-enabled nimbyism. But solar projects do make land unproductive and - by the crop analogy - many people can "grow" it themselves and save on delivery costs! A genuinely "green" initiative would be to reduce the cost of getting solar installed on the myriad roofs that are otherwise going unused. The payback time for such installations is far lower than Ripple's estimate, they're not uglifying parts of the countryside, and they make a public statement that you recognise the importance of renewables.

In response to the point made below Ripple continue to misrepresent the relative cost/benefits of domestic solar. On their website, for example, they maintain that “Ripple's cost for the same generation amount 2,700kWh is approximately £2,492, making Ripple 62% cheaper than rooftop solar.” As ever the devil is in the wording: “cost for generation” is not cost to consumer because it doesn’t include grid costs etc. I pointed this out to Ripple a year or so ago but they continue to use this figure. To continue with my analogy, it’s a company telling you they can grow crops cheaper for you than you can grow them yourself but not telling you that you’ll be charged for delivery!

Great community owned solar or wind farm cooperative. UK Government we need to encourage these programmes

What went wrong?
In may 22 I paid my £25 reservation fee and received regular emails until 15/11/22 (titled, "3 things before project 3). Since then NOTHING. Not even the announcement of project 3, and no email invitation to buy the shares that I had reserved. So I missed that opportunity, thank you so much!
Since then, more NOTHING. By chance I checked your website today and lo and behold Project 4 reservations were closed in nov, and share buying notifications were due out early Dec, so no doubt I have missed them as well, all because of your non existent communications.
Your customer service and my experience of your company could not possibly be worse. Since this issue has been since Nov 22 I cannot date it.

We joined Ripple when it was just an idea - that of a community owned energy provider. This seemed to be a better solution than leaving all the job to the big corporations. You need to be patient as setting up a new site takes time and unforeseen delays are bound to occur.
Once the site really gets going the our account has run like clockwork. Once Ripple had renegotiated the production payments in line with escalating energy prices the returns are very good. Our monthly payment to our energy provider have been set at £1 for some time now thanks to Ripple basically paying the bill.

Great investment project - love the regular updates and seeing the progress!

My partner invested in Derill Water Solar Park with Ripple and the communication has been awful, I don't think we have received communication as to what is happening for over two months. The "community forum" boards are left totally unanswered by Ripple and it does make you totally question the company

Just been informed Kirk Hill delayed again, 99% likely to miss the April deadline for generating electricity. Very poor project management & blaming every stakeholder for the delays apart from themselves.
Think twice before handing your money over.

Hi I've been reading about how your company works so I was wondering whether British gas is one of your partners as I'm with British gas if so would I be able to stay with them and still invest in your company.
Regards Pete

Been in from the start, delighted to see how things have grown. My share from Graig Fatha has financed the running of my EV for 12 months now. Good for the Earth, good for the Soul! Excellent customer support from Ripple.

Great progress at Kirk Hill. Very satisfying to observe.

Investing in Ripple to generate clean, cheap, home-grown electricity has been a joy from start to finish. A quick and simple process, with great communication from the team throughout. We're at a really exciting stage with the turbines being constructed at Kirk Hill. Love the regular, wind-swept video updates from Jamie on site. They clearly picked a windy spot!
The saving will start to kick-in from early 2024 and continue for decades even if we move. So cheaper, more convenient, and longer-lasting benefits than installing your own solar panels.
So all good - very proud to be part of the Ripple club.

Ripple have enabled me have my own wind turbines and solar panels. No need for a garden or a roof. No costly installation or maintenance at my home. All servicing, maintenance and insurance etc. included !
A brilliant idea being facilitated by a brilliant company.

My energy is transferable if I move home and its transferable to my family when I die.

Its great knowing all the electric coming to me is green and mostly produced by my ( cooperatively owned) equipment.
My energy account is like a virtual battery too!

Well worth a little patience for the projects to be built.

Thanks to all the staff at Ripple Energy... Live long and prosper!

Invested in one wind and one solar project. Easy to understand and a good ethical investment for long term sustainable energy.

Quicker ways to invest and make money but few that support a green future in the same way. Will invest in future projects offered.

Brilliant idea, making rapid progress to already making back my investment into the Craig fatha project, years before I expected to even though this was not the reason for getting involved. Brilliant way to take an active step to reducing our emissions whilst moving between properties.

As a passionate supporter of renewable energy, i was delighted when I first heard about Ripple Energy. So i became a co-owner of the Graig Fatha wind turbine for part of my electricity supply, and have completed it with shares in the next two projects.
I compliment Ripple on this brilliant idea, their professional help and communication skills. I really hope that the idea spreads and spreads, because it makes it possible for everyone to participate in the benefits of transitioning to a greener and cheaper energy supply, regardless of whether they own or rent.
And the cost savings i am currently making from my Graig Fatha wind turbine have been phenomenal due to the current energy costs, proving that the Ripple concept works.