Western Power Distribution (WPD) is currently inviting applications via Bristol-based charity the Centre for Sustainable Energy from not-for-profit organisations to its Energy Affordability Fund for energy advice projects in the area served by WPD (i.e. South West England, and South and West Wales, and the Midlands. See map below).
The Fund is designed to respond to the cost-of-living crisis and escalating energy prices by supporting eligible organisations to provide in-depth and innovative local affordable warmth and/or Priority Service Register (PSR) services in autumn/winter 2022-23. All funded activities and project feedback should be completed by Wednesday 31st May 2023.
In order to apply, eligible organisations must be currently delivering one or more of the following 5 energy advice and outreach activities or be able to demonstrate that they have delivered them within the previous 18 months:
1. Provide an existing energy advice service over the phone.
2. Provide home visits for complex cases.
3. Run events, drop-ins and workshops on domestic energy management and tariff switching.
4. Work as part of an existing referral network with other organisations on a receiving and referring to basis, and
5. Work in partnership with and offer training for frontline workers, staff and volunteers from other support organisations and community groups.
Projects should include one or more of the activities listed below:
o Collaboration with food banks, mutual aid, or community groups (including. community energy schemes).
o Home visiting (including using video conferencing if needed).
o Extend existing referral networks to work with other support organisations, in particular where this extends the scope of existing activities, such as more in-depth benefits advice, to offer a more complete service. There is particular interest in partnerships or referrals which support communities who find it hard to access energy advice and support.
o Extend the geographical reach of an existing advice service into an area where similar services do not currently exist, and/or
o Providing remote or in-person in-depth home energy support and advice, such as online or telephone advice, working with volunteers to provide assistance, workshops, one-to-one training, attending community cafés and other events to promote services.
WPD particularly welcomes and wants to support projects that achieve one or more of the following:
o Provide support and advice to increase resilience of vulnerable customers to severe winter weather and advice on what to do in a power cut.
o Provide support to enable customers to take up and benefit from low carbon technologies in the energy transition.
o Respond to new themes for help and intervention, to assist vulnerable customers faced with higher energy prices, such as income maximisation through benefits and grant funding advice, and/or
o Target areas and groups which are often excluded and not easily able to access energy advice services such as communities faced with rural isolation and communities for whom English is not their first language.
Grants of up to £20,000 are available with no matched funding requirement. Projects must be based in the area served by Western Power Distribution, namely South West England, South and West Wales, East Midlands and West Midlands (see map below)
Further information, guidance and an application form, which is also available in the Welsh language, is available on the Centre for Sustainability Energy website.
The deadline for applications is Friday 30th September 2022. Applicants are expected to be notified in mid-late October 2022.
Please note that all successful applicants will be expected to attend a skill sharing workshop via Zoom on Friday 4th November 2022.
