The funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, will empower communities to come together and address the everyday challenges of energy generation and rising prices.

The projects have been awarded through the Energy Round of the 10-year, £100m Climate Action Fund, the cornerstone of The National Lottery Community Fund’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The news follows the announcement by the Government that it is to invest £3.4 billion in its Warm Homes Plan over the next three years, which aims to transform 350,000 households into low energy homes.

The projects will offer advice on changes people can make to be more energy efficient, improve access to retrofitting to reduce household emissions and energy bills, and work with young people to create the next generation of green energy champions.

Changeworks has been awarded almost £1.5 million to work with communities in Scotland to support the decarbonisation of homes and empower communities to work towards a greener future.

Its Highland Energy Community Partnership project, which includes Changeworks, with support from partners in the Highland Council, University of the Highlands and Islands, and Home Energy Scotland, seeks to increase access to the domestic retrofitting of green energy technologies, while upskilling rural communities by providing local tradespeople with greater access to training in the area.

The project aims to support communities that have historically struggled to access appropriate support and advice around energy efficiency. Research from the Scottish Government’s latest House Condition Survey shows that 25% of homes in rural areas of Scotland are suffering from fuel poverty, compared to 17% in urban areas. 

Last year Changeworks provided energy saving advice to 64,000 households across Scotland, helped over 13,000 households install energy-efficiency measures and renewable technologies, and, through its Affordable Warmth team, achieved over £1 million of savings for households.

Josiah Lockhart, chief executive at Changeworks, added: “We know that working alongside trusted community partners significantly increases the impact of our work within communities, whether this is increasing engagement around energy efficiency, or supporting communities to undertake the measures they can take collectively.

“We know that rural Highland has some of the poorest housing stock in Scotland, which is exacerbated by difficulties accessing the local green energy supply chain. The size of this project means that learning can now be shared across communities.

“With the help of this grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, we can continue to support communities in their efforts to lower emissions and increase energy efficiency within their homes.”

Among the organisations to benefit is East Durham Trust, which has received almost £1.2 million to support its project, Energising East Durham, which aims to reduce household energy footprints by 20% in 22 town and villages in the area over five years. It will establish ten local ‘Energiser Hubs’, as well as a flagship Beacon Hub in Horden, which will provide advice and direct support to households in need, including guidance on how to access Government programmes such as the Green Deal.

Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) is another project to benefit from National Lottery funding, after receiving £1.25 million to work in partnership with schools and universities across the country to position students as a major force for energy efficiency.

The funding will target the gap in support and advice for students moving into higher education, as well as improving awareness among landlords around current legislation and the energy efficiency solutions available to them. 

The National Lottery Community Fund has committed to dedicating 15% of its funding to environmental projects. It is now welcoming applications from partnerships for the next round of the Climate Action Fund – Our Shared Future, which links climate action to the everyday lives and interests of local communities. The deadline for applications has been extended to Spring 2025, with the funding amount available also increased by £10 million to £30 million.