Centre for Sustainable Energy has been awarded funding through the Energy Redress Scheme Innovation Fund, to develop a community focused approach to renewable energy development. The project will put local communities at the heart of identifying and specifying how and where renewable energy projects are developed.

With funding from the Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund, the Environment Centre aims to deliver advice and guidance to more than 13,000 households through an independent retrofit advice hub, enhancing awareness of and confidence in the benefits of making homes more energy efficient.

In Scotland, Ardenglen Housing Association has received £49,875 for the Castlemilk Community Energy Advice Project.

This project will continue to build on successful delivery of a previous project, and aims to provide a programme of education, advice and advocacy on an outreach basis to those within the Castlemilk community. Energy education and advice will be embedded within existing community activities and services targeting those who are most in need and vulnerable to fuel poverty and fuel debt. Advice will be delivered through training sessions and a dedicated drop-in/appointment service.

The project will work alongside key local organisations to support the Castlemilk community offering access to personalised energy advice and advocacy and linking to wider services locally.

Elsewhere, Perth Citizens Advice Bureau has been granted £194,422 for the Perthshire Energy Saving Network.

This project is building on the successful delivery of a previous Energy Redress funded project. The project will continue to help householders lower bills, reduce energy use, provide small energy saving items, challenge incorrect billing and access grants and schemes to help with arrears and property improvements. They will also refer people to specialist colleagues within their organisation to tackle additional benefits, housing and debt issues, helping in an holistic way to address the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Energy Advisors will support their Perthshire Energy Support Network to reach the elderly, families, single parents and those living rurally. They will also inform and educate local partners, ensuring they are aware of the help the project can provide and how people can access their support.

Since 2018, the Energy Redress Scheme has distributed a total of £128m in funding to support 611 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.

Graham Ayling, senior project manager for the Energy Redress Scheme, said: “The funding will help organisations who are close to their local communities provide effective support to households struggling to heat their homes throughout winter. It will also contribute to projects focused on reducing people’s energy use and carbon emissions -a crucial part of the UK’s transition to net zero.”

Cathryn Scott, director of market oversight & enforcement at Ofgem, said: “Ofgem’s first priority is protecting consumers. Using money collected through compliance and enforcement action to support organisations doing exactly that is a great example of where our work has a positive, real-world impact.

“It’s never been more important to boost support for those struggling with energy bills, and I would encourage any organisations working in this space to apply for funding.”

Read more about all the funded projects here.