NEWS: New programme to offer energy advice to vulnerable communities
Groundwork has announced a new programme that will inject over £636,000 of funding to support local communities take back control of their energy usage.
‘Energising Communities’ aims to deliver energy saving advice and establishing new and innovative ways of engaging and supporting the most vulnerable households to tackle fuel poverty.
The programme will fund Groundwork Green Doctors – independent energy efficiency experts – to support 2,800 households and offer tailored home-based advice on energy use, behaviour change, switching energy suppliers and benefits/debt support alongside small energy saving measures. Staff will also deliver energy awareness training to 150 community-based groups using a ‘train the trainer’ model to help support even more households and help to create a legacy for years to come. Findings and evidence drawn from the programme will also contribute towards future projects to help influence future funding models.
A household is in fuel poverty if it is on a low income and faces high costs of keeping adequately warm and other basic energy services. Fuel poverty is driven by three main factors: household income, the current cost of energy and the energy efficiency of the home.
Energising Communities will work in four regions, led by local Groundwork delivery staff in Stoke on Trent, Barnsley, Bolsover and Sunderland, Blackpool and Burnley.
The programme is funded by the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme: www.energyredress.org.uk
Graham Duxbury, national CEO of Groundwork, said: “By supporting local communities to take back control of their energy bills and usage, we can ensure that more people have the tools and support to be able to make better decisions that will help their health and purse strings.
“Tackling fuel poverty and supporting the most vulnerable to keep warm and well is a cause very close to Groundwork’s heart and being able to provide emergency support to those most in need will be invaluable.”
Delivery will start in March 2020 until December 2021. To find out more, please contact: contacts@groundwork.org.uk
Notes to Editors
For further information please contact media@groundwork.org.uk or call 0121 237 5815.