A total of £22 million is available as grants to charities and community energy groups that support households most at risk from cold homes and high energy bills, or that work on innovation and carbon emissions reduction across England, Scotland and Wales.

Ofgem’s enforcement and compliance activity collects voluntary payments from companies that may have breached Ofgem administered rules. Energy Saving Trust has been managing the allocation of payments for the Scheme which has been in place for four years. The priorities of the scheme are to support energy consumers in vulnerable situations, develop innovative products or services and empower consumers to reduce their carbon emissions.

Since 2018, the Energy Redress Scheme has funded 404 projects across England, Scotland and Wales and awarded over £55.8m in funding. The projects have included:

• Impartial energy advice services supporting vulnerable people
• Digital media to engage (hardly-reached) audiences with energy issues and the support that is available to them
• Research projects aimed at ensuring that the needs of elderly people and people with disabilities are met by new energy technologies
• Boosting the supply chain of retrofit professionals and uptake of whole-house retrofits.
• Trialling new business models or interventions to enable households to use more locally generated energy

Charities can apply for grants to deliver energy-related projects through four different funding streams. Funding is also open to community energy groups – including community interest companies, co-operative societies and community benefit societies – who can apply to either the Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund or the Innovation Fund.

• The Main Fund contains £14.4m - aimed at projects seeking grants between £50,000 and £2m that will support households in vulnerable situations.
• The Small Project Fund contains £1m – aimed at projects seeking grants between £20,000 to £49,999 that will support households in vulnerable situations.
• The Innovation Fund contains £3.3m – aimed at projects that will develop innovative products or services to benefit households. Applicants can apply for grants between £50,000 to £1m.
• The Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund contains £3.3m – aimed at projects that empower householders to reduce their carbon emissions and engage positively with the transition to net zero. The fund awards grants between £50,000 to £1m.

Nearly one thousand organisations are already registered with the Energy Redress Scheme and can apply to the open rounds.

Organisations that have not yet registered with the scheme must do so 10 working days before the closure of the relevant Fund to allow time for eligibility checks to take place.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Thursday 6 October 2022.

Graham Ayling, senior project manager for the Energy Redress Scheme, said: “These funds come at a crucial time and will help charities in local communities to scale up activities to support those most at risk from unprecedented energy costs this winter. As a result, more people will have someone to turn to who can help them through this exceptionally difficult time.

“The funds will also help towards projects which will explore new ways to ensure that everyone benefits from the transition to a Net Zero future.”

Organisations that are registered with the Energy Redress Scheme and have passed the due diligence process can apply to the open rounds. Organisations who have not yet registered with the scheme, must do so at least 10 working days before the application deadline to allow time for eligibility checks to take place.