Funding awarded to 31 organisations across Great Britain to support vulnerable households with energy bills and carbon reduction through Ofgem Energy Redress Scheme
In the eleventh round of the Ofgem Energy Redress Scheme, more than £9 million in grants is being awarded to 31 charities and community groups across England, Scotland and Wales. The funding will support projects aimed at helping vulnerable households with energy bills and advancing carbon reduction initiatives.
Fife-based charity Greener Kirkcaldy will receive £272,541 through the scheme to deliver its ‘Connecting Communities’ project. Utilising a community engagement approach, the project will support local residents, particularly those with literacy and digital barriers, by providing in-depth energy advice to 700 households.
Bruce McCall, Service Delivery Manager at Greener Kirkcaldy, said:
“This funding will allow us to reach the households in Fife most vulnerable to the impacts of fuel poverty. This will include people encountering language, numeracy or digital barriers, learning disabled people, and people who have difficulty engaging with digital technology and online services.”
Bruce McCall, Service Delivery Manager at Greener Kirkcaldy
Community Action Northumberland has been awarded £303,993 to deliver its ‘Powering People’ project, supporting off-grid households in the UK’s transition to net zero. The project aims to improve access to sustainable energy solutions, reduce reliance on diesel generators and showcase a scalable model for nationwide implementation in off-electricity grid areas.
Andy Dean, CEO at Community Action Northumberland, said:
“Powerless People’ was a short film produced in 2021, highlighting the plight of households in Northumberland currently living with no connection to the electricity grid – over 350 of them, with the majority relying on diesel generators to meet their basic electricity needs.
Andy Dean, CEO at Community Action Northumberland
“This funding will enable us, in partnership with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE), to tackle the issues faced by those households that need support the most.”
Pembrokeshire-based community benefit society, Cwm Arian Renewable Energy (CARE) will receive £246,724, to deliver its ‘Unlocker’ project. The project will support the energy transition by expanding CARE’s existing renewable energy generation, with revenue used to assist vulnerable households and enable new community-led renewable energy initiatives.
Michael Shakib, Renewable Energy Project Coordinator at Cwm Arian Renewable Energy, said:
“We’re hugely grateful for this support which will enable us to expand our renewable energy work across rural West Wales, assisting staff to deliver innovative community-led projects that cut carbon and build long-term local resilience.”
Michael Shakib, Renewable Energy Project Coordinator at Cwm Arian Renewable Energy,
Graham Ayling, Senior Project Manager for the Energy Redress Scheme at Energy Saving Trust, said:
“We’ve seen the positive impact of previously funded projects delivered through the Energy Redress Scheme, and we’re pleased to announce how this latest round of funding will benefit local communities.
Graham Ayling, Senior Project Manager for the Energy Redress Scheme at Energy Saving Trust
“This round of funding will support charities and community groups in helping those most in need to heat and power their homes. It will also enable the voluntary sector to scale up the UK’s transition to net zero, ensuring no one is left behind.”
Russell Ogilvie, Head of Enforcement at Ofgem, said:
“This funding, which is a direct result of Ofgem’s enforcement and compliance work, shows that when energy companies fall short, we hold them to account and help deliver tangible support for those who need it most.
Russell Ogilvie, Head of Enforcement at Ofgem
“From tackling fuel poverty to backing innovative carbon-cutting projects, the Energy Redress Scheme continues to empower communities across Great Britain. It’s inspiring to see such a diverse range of organisations using this latest round of funding to make a real difference on the ground, particularly for those in vulnerable situations.”
Since 2018 the Energy Redress Scheme has distributed more than £181 million in funding to support 721 projects in England, Scotland and Wales. The funding is collected through Ofgem’s enforcement and compliance activity, where companies that have breached energy rules agree to make a voluntary payment into the scheme. Energy Saving Trust manages the allocation of payments for the scheme.
Read more about all the funded projects here.