Community-powered projects receive National Lottery funding to help lower bills and create a greener future

Sixteen community projects around the country that are helping households lower their energy bills by reducing how much energy they use, have received almost £20 million in National Lottery funding.

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.

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.

The project compliments the Horden mine water scheme, which is exploring how water from former coalmines can be used to heat homes, schools and businesses.

With up to 29% of households in East Durham currently considered to be in fuel-poverty, compared to the national average of 13.1%*, the project aims to pave the way for a greener, more energy efficient future for the area.

Graham Easterlow, CEO of East Durham Trust, said: “This is a game-changer for our communities. Many people in our area face extreme energy poverty, and it’s vital that they are not left behind in the green transition. This project will not only reduce energy costs, but ensure our communities are part of the solution to the climate crisis.”

Another organisation to receive funding is Changeworks, which 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, said: “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.”

Students Organising for Sustainability ambassadors

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.

SOS-UK has also partnered with National Energy Action, the UK’s leading fuel poverty charity, to upskill students and staff to drive their own awareness campaigns.

A previous project by SOS-UK included a peer-to-peer home energy audit of over 1,700 students, with 91% reporting to have made positive changes to their energy use, and 88% feeling confident about encouraging others to act on sustainability.

Joanna Romanowicz, Director of Engagement at SOS-UK, said: “Engaging students about energy efficiency during a major moment of change, such as moving away from their childhood home and living independently for the first time, can have a critical impact on their future habits.

“We are very thankful to have received funding through the National Lottery and are excited about what transformational changes the project will bring.”

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.

Nick Gardner, Head of Climate Action at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “How we look at energy production and consumption is critical in the fight against climate change, and local communities have a key part to play. With the help of this funding, organisations are not only raising awareness of the issues around energy consumption but are empowering groups and individuals to make positive changes to their lives, lowering their household bills and moving towards a more sustainable future.”

For more information or to apply for funding online visit tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Date published: 2 December, 2024
Region: UK-wide

Notes to Editors

Projects funded through the Climate Action Fund - Energy round

Students Organising for Sustainability – Project: Student Energy Action for Life (UK wide, £1.25 million)

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council – Project: Sefton Climate & Retrofit Action Project (£867,000)

Bath & North East Somerset Council – Project: B&NES Community Energy Network (£1.5 million)

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea - Lancaster West Low Carbon Community (Lancaster, £667,000)

Repowering Limited - Repowered Communities (London and Glasgow, £1.5 million)

Community Energy South - Community Energy People (England wide, £1.5 million)

Community Energy Plus - Cornwall Low Carbon Energy Advice Network (£986,000)

Advice NI - Sustainable Energy Communities (Northern Ireland, £849,000)

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council - Walsall Energy Action Project (£1.5 million)

Severn Wye Energy Agency - Collaborative Climate Communities (Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Wales, £1.5 million)

Ashden Climate Solutions - Energy Learning Network (UK wide, £1.5 million)

Community Action Northumberland - Rural North East Climate Action (Northumberland and Durham, £1.3 million)

East Durham Community Development Trust - Energising East Durham (£1.2 million)

Enfield Voluntary Action - Energy Champions (North London, £1.1 million)

Third Sector Leaders Kirklees - Energy Neighbours (£935,000)

Changeworks Resources for Life - Highland Energy Community Partnership (Scottish Highlands, £1.5 million)

About the Climate Action Fund

The Climate Action Fund is our commitment to help communities tackle climate change. We're supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable. With Climate Action Fund – Our Shared Future we want to involve more people in climate action. And we want to inspire bold and exciting change. 

 We’ll fund formal partnership projects that reach more people by either: 

· Linking climate action to the everyday lives and interests of local communities and inspiring them to take action. 

· Influencing communities at a regional or national level. Like linking up groups across locations. Or a campaign that inspires change across one country, or the whole UK. 

You do not have to be a climate or environment focused organisation to apply 

We want to reach people who are new to climate action by funding other types of organisations too. And by using people’s everyday activities as a starting point for climate action. We're particularly interested in projects that involve people, places and communities experiencing poverty, discrimination, and disadvantage. 

 Formal partnerships, working across sectors. Led by community and voluntary organisations or public sector organisations. The minimum you can ask for is £500,000. We expect to fund most projects for between £1 million and £1.5 million over 3 to 5 years. We may fund a small number of larger or longer projects. We aim to fund up to 25 projects. You’ll be able to apply until at least the end of 2024. We plan to close to applications in early 2025. We will announce the final deadline nearer the time. 

 www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/climate-action-fund-our-shared-future  

 About The National Lottery Community Fund  

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision, and name.  We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.  

 We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.   

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:   

 1. Come together  

2. Be environmentally sustainable  

3. Help children and young people thrive  

4. Enable people to live healthier lives.  

 Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute over £600 million a year through 13,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4 billion of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £49 billion has been raised and more than 690,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.

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