Seven charities to receive over £1.9M of funding

Energy Saving Trust announces today, that seven charities have been awarded more than £1.9 million of funding in the twelfth round of the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme (Energy Redress Scheme). The projects will support households with reducing their energy bills and carbon emissions across England and Wales.

Managed and delivered by Energy Saving Trust, the Energy Redress Scheme collects voluntary payments from companies that may have breached Ofgem administered rules. The funds are distributed to charities across England, Scotland and Wales, to deliver projects that support householders to reduce their bills, tackle fuel poverty and support the transition to net zero.

The successful charities will receive grants from £49,000 to more than £678,000 to deliver projects lasting up to two years. The charities who have been awarded grants include:

• PEC Trust who received a grant from the innovation funding stream, to deliver a project in partnership with Plymouth City Council to build 40 homes that achieve a net zero carbon emissions standard. The project will use a new approach that aims to demonstrate how net zero homes can be made more affordable.
• Citizens Advice Denbighshire will receive funding to deliver energy advice to 6,000 vulnerable veteran households across North Wales, working alongside veterans charities.
• Age UK Sheffield will use funding to continue delivering the ‘Reaching Out Sheffield’ project, after successfully delivering a project funded under the fourth funding round of the Energy Redress Scheme. They will provide energy efficiency advice to the city’s hardest to reach and most vulnerable residents, with a particular focus on black and ethnic minorities.

Steve Chu, Chief Executive at Age UK Sheffield, said:

“We know there are thousands of people already living in fuel poverty in Sheffield, and that is only going to get worse this winter with the price rises we’ve all seen in the news. With this Energy Redress Scheme grant, we will aim to reach the people and communities who need the most help in being able to afford their utility bills and making their homes energy-efficient.”

The full table of charities is located here.

Graham Ayling, Senior Project Manager at Energy Saving Trust said:

“This is a crucial time to fund the work of these charities. The support they provide can help those most in need through this especially difficult time. As world leaders meet for CoP26, these projects will also be demonstrating some of the things we need to do to ensure a just transition to net zero that leaves no one behind.” 

The new projects set to commence this autumn brings the total amount of funds awarded to energy projects through the Energy Redress scheme to over £31 million since it launched in 2018, with 180 projects delivered across England, Scotland and Wales.

Charles Hargreaves, Ofgem’s Deputy Director of Conduct and Enforcement, said:

“I am pleased that this funding will help vulnerable consumers to manage and save energy. Now in its twelfth round, the Energy Redress Scheme directly helps those in hardship to pay their energy bills while going greener too.”

Round 13 of the Energy Redress Scheme will open for applications in the next few weeks with an estimated £10 million available to fund new projects. Only charities that are registered with the Energy Redress Scheme and have passed the due diligence process can apply to the open funding rounds.