Funded Energy Redress Projects

The project will provide energy advice, advocacy, and practical solutions to vulnerable social housing residents in the Northwest, affected by high living and energy costs. Experienced, qualified advisors will provide tailored energy advice and signpost to wrap-around support to meet complex needs of tenants. The Energy Advisors will offer guidance on reducing energy consumption, identifying energy savings, and implementing low-cost energy-saving measures. Learning from previous successful projects funded by the Energy Redress Scheme, advisors will address both direct energy issues and underlying problems to create long-term solutions.

They will share their knowledge and best practices of delivering the project with up to 30 local charities, to enable them to build and grow their energy advice offer within local communities.

The project aims to implement a pioneering multi-site microgrid that explores the potential for three types of microgrid to support the transition to net zero. This includes microgrids for flats in Bexhill, for a neighborhood in Bexhill, and for a whole town in Battle. Their approach includes deploying cutting-edge technologies such as the Transmission Upgrade Avoidance (TUA) scheme to avoid grid connection delays and solshare to share solar power. Their solar farm’s innovative financial model and community-private ownership will show how solar farms can provide maximum benefit to local communities.

This project will continue to build on the successful delivery of a previous Energy Redress funded project, providing free, impartial advice to energy-vulnerable householders within the Telford & Wrekin Council (T&WC) borough. The project will work in partnership with Telford Crisis Support (TCS) and Citizens Advice Bureau Telford (CABT). They aim to support over 4,500 vulnerable households directly and make clear, reliable information available to thousands more. Energy advice will be delivered through home visits, telephone support, 1-to-1 appointments, and at community hubs/events. The project will also offer support to improve home energy efficiency, through the installation of low-cost energy efficiency measures, and signposting to grant funding.

Warmer Homes West Midlands is an ambitious partnership programme to provide a universal, top-level energy advice service for the fuel poor across the seven urban local authority areas in the West Midlands Combined Authority area. This is a large-scale energy advice programme will help over 7,000 vulnerable households, create nine new jobs and help secure a further eight jobs. The project aims to reduce fuel poverty and improve the health and wellbeing of people with pre-existing cold and damp related medical conditions, through energy saving advice, energy saving measures an income maximisation advice. Advice will be delivered by a team of qualified energy advisors by telephone, through case work, home visits and community events where it is safe to do so. A team of community outreach workers will ensure that as wide a range of people as possible will be able to take advantage of Warmer Homes West Midlands.

This project aims to develop an approach to renewable energy development processes that puts communities, and nuanced community conversations, that pro-actively include vulnerable and future consumers, at the heart of identifying and specifying how and where renewable energy projects are developed. 

Through the deployment and further development of the Future Energy Landscapes (FEL) methodology, the project will address critical gaps in community engagement that limits the number of renewable energy projects and opportunities to deliver benefits to local communities.

Direct benefits to local consumers include ensuring that: new renewable projects are consistent with people’s relationships with local landscapes, opportunities for co-benefits are maximised, local preferences for ownership, co-ownership and influence are explored, innovative options for local retail are considered and community members have the time, space and opportunity to specify their needs and priorities for community benefit funds.

The project aims to deliver a community heat network powered by local hydropower, solar panels, river water, and home retrofitting, managed under a Community Energy Services Company (CESCO) in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Following a feasibility study, the project will provide training to build the community's capability to operate the CESCO and establish a foundation for expanding the initiative across more villages in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Training community members to manage this network will empower them with valuable skills, create local jobs and strengthen community cohesion. Retrofitting homes for energy efficiency will improve living conditions, especially for at-risk households facing fuel poverty. The impact will be significantly reduced carbon emissions and energy costs.

The project will continue to build on successful delivery of a previous project, providing vulnerable residents with tailored in-depth energy advice. The project aims to help residents reduce energy usage and cost through long-term practical and behavioural changes, with follow-up support as needed.

They will expand access channels to advice in various locations. Continue in-person advice through drop-ins, pop-ups, and individual sessions based on built experience from the last two years. Deliver group talks and workshops in the community, and provide referrals to their specialist advice teams and other relevant services.