Funding for Energy Advice Initiatives

Not-for-profit organisations working in the Western Power Distribution network area can apply for a grant to run energy advice initiatives, but they will need to hurry as the application deadline is later this month.

Western Power Distribution (WPD) in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is running a grant competition within its network area to support not-for-profit organisations to undertake local affordable warmth and/or Priority Service Register recruitment activities in winter 2018-19 and beyond.

Grants of up to £20,000 are available to deliver new activity in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. All funded activity must be for projects for a minimum of six months long, taking place between December 2018 and May 2019.

The fund is open to all not-for-profit organisation types currently delivering energy advice and outreach activities (or those who have done so in the recent past).

The funding can be spent on reasonable costs associated with meeting the following objectives in new and innovative ways:

• Identifying new registrants for the Priority Service Register and offering support to households already registered.
• Helping Priority Service Register eligible households to lower and manage their bills.
• Providing advice and support to enable vulnerable households to carry out home energy efficiency improvements.
• Target home energy advice and support to householders who are in areas of higher deprivation and areas not connected to the gas network, potentially using WPD’s vulnerability app.
• Working with healthcare providers to raise awareness of the links between cold, damp homes and poor physical and mental health.
• In addition to the objectives above, these two objectives can also be funded:
• Training frontline worker who do home visits (ie, healthcare professionals) to look out for signs of vulnerability and make appropriate referrals.
• Training for staff and volunteers, such as City and Guilds for Energy Advisors, or home visit safety training.

The deadline for applications is 26 October 2018 (5pm).

Full details…