£500,000 to kick-start community energy projects

The Government has awarded £500,000 for a dozen community energy projects that help manage energy usage and reduce bills. It said that while the community energy sector is growing, smaller […]

The Government has awarded £500,000 for a dozen community energy projects that help manage energy usage and reduce bills.

It said that while the community energy sector is growing, smaller energy groups often work in isolation, with no formal networks for skills sharing or mentoring with larger more established organisations.

The chosen projects will be given between £10,000 and £50,000 so they can form consortia, giving larger groups the resources to mentor others.

Projects include a community forum that provides workshops to communities to generate power using hydro energy and training volunteers to reduce energy use so they can make home visits to older people and audit their home energy use. Another project also trains volunteers to help the Somali community in Birmingham switch to solar energy and use energy-saving light bulbs to reduce fuel poverty.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: “This new fund will give aspiring communities access to the cash they need to help kick start hundreds of clean, green energy projects.

“Not only can community energy projects boost local economies and drive forward green growth, they can also help save money on energy bills too.”

The funding is provided by the Cabinet Office and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

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