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09 Jul 2019
Today, Energy Saving Trust has awarded £291,795 to six charities based in England and Wales under Round four of the Energy Redress Scheme – an initiative that redistributes voluntary payments from UK energy companies.
The funding will be used to deliver projects that provide support to vulnerable energy customers across Great Britain. The successful charities, such as Age UK Sheffield, Saltley Community Association in Birmingham and the Environment Centre in Southampton, have been awarded grants between £38,000 and £63,000.
The successful projects all aim to help vulnerable energy consumers to save energy and money in their homes, with some focussing their work in specific neighbourhoods, whilst others help those in poor health or those who privately rent their homes. The fourth round of applications had 40 submissions from a wide variety of charities across England, Scotland and Wales, seeking over £2.6 million in funding.
The charities who will receive funding from the Redress scheme are:
| Charity | Location | Funding | Project summary |
| ACE - Action in Caerau and Ely | Wales | £45,980 | Warm and Safe Partnership: The project will see ACE and Care & Repair Cardiff and Vale work together to deliver energy advice to over 200 vulnerable households across Cardiff. They will work with the local health sector to support those at risk from cold related illnesses and use a mapping tool to target areas of high fuel poverty. The advice will be delivered via home visits, weekly drop in sessions in community venues and at community events. |
| Age UK Sheffield | Sheffield | £63,740.60 | Older Sheffielders WIN: Age UK will develop their capacity to deliver energy advice through their health based home visiting service, to reach 864 vulnerable older people in Sheffield. The charity will train two members of staff to become Energy Advisers and the project will fund small home energy saving measures that will be installed by their handyperson. |
| The Agnes Smith Advice Centre (Blackbird Leys Neighbourhood Support Scheme) | Oxford | £38,165 | Money and Power - Reducing Fuel Poverty: This project will reduce fuel poverty in Blackbird Leys, an area of multiple deprivation on the southeastern edge of Oxford. The advice team will support 500 households with money and power advice appointments over the 2 years and will also refer people on to local charity, Better Housing Better Health, for more intensive energy advice and support. |
| Groundwork West Midlands | Birmingham | £59,313.75 |
There's no place like home: Groundwork West Midlands and Home from Hospital Care will work together to deliver affordable warmth support to people returning home from hospital. 500 people will receive in-depth advice and advocacy support, a further 800 people will receive energy literacy information and 400 households will benefit from the installation of small energy saving measures. Two of Home from Hospital Care's 'After Care Coordinators' will become trained energy advisers and 20 of their volunteers will be trained to identify energy related issues when working in people's homes. Two of Home from Hospital Care's 'After Care Coordinators' will become trained energy advisers and 20 of their volunteers will be trained to identify energy related issues when working in people's homes. |
| Saltley Community Association | Washwood Heath Ward In Birmingham | £41,161.50 | Supporting vulnerable energy consumers in Saltley: The project aims to help 600 households within an inner city area of Birmingham with personalised energy and income maximisation advice over the phone, face to face at events and via 200 home visits. The advice will be offered by qualified energy advisors and the team will work with local pharmacies to target vulnerable and hard to reach energy consumers. |
| the Environment Centre | Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester, Test Valley, New Forest.
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£43,434.75 |
Raising Standards for Southhampton Tenants: The project will raise awareness amongst privately renting tenants about their rights, in particular around Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) and empower them to report issues, which can then be enforced. The project will also explore how incentives for landlords to make energy efficiency improvements can benefit tenants, through funding offers, with mandatory terms and conditions. Tenants and landlords will be engaged through face-to-face advice at events on their rights and responsibilities and the support available for improving the energy efficiency of properties. Tenants will be offered energy literacy. |
Mike Thornton, group director of operations at Energy Saving Trust said: “The rich and diverse range of projects being invested in will make a difference to local communities up and down the length of the country and support vulnerable consumers with energy efficiency and other advice.”
The redress scheme has funded 34 projects since launching last summer, awarding over £3.1 million in funding to charities to enable them to deliver projects lasting up to two years. With 380 eligible charities registered to apply, it is showing no signs of slowing down as new rounds are announced quarterly.
The fund is administered by Energy Saving Trust and aims to distribute funds to support energy consumers in vulnerable situations and the development of services and innovative products, which would provide a benefit to those most in need.
Officially named ‘The Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Fund’, the scheme is regulated by Ofgem – the independent energy regulator for Great Britain – and collects voluntary payments from energy companies to make reparations for the effects on energy consumers.