We’re helping to keep energy bills down in UK community buildings by offering them energy efficiency grants of up to £4,000 as part of our Community Benefit Programme.
With support from Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), eligible buildings can now apply for the funding which can be used to cover energy saving measures including insulation, draught proofing, improved heating or lighting controls and LED lighting. Communities will also be able to access free expert advice from CSE on zero-cost solutions.
To apply for the nationwide scheme, which is now in its sixth round, the shared building – such as a church hall or community centre – will need to be located within a 20-mile radius of one of our clean energy projects.
“We’re currently in the midst of an energy crisis, with wholesale gas prices driving up energy bills, making homes and other buildings very expensive to run. It’s important to us that we continue building relationships with the people and groups living close to our clean energy projects. That’s why we’re making these grants available so that they can make energy efficiency improvements to important shared buildings – many of which are the focal points of their communities, offering opportunities to socialise, learn and access key services. With energy bills look set to rise further, we’d encourage as many buildings as possible to check their eligibility and apply.” - Matthew Clayton, Managing Director, Thrive Renewables
We first started our Community Benefit Programme back in 2016 because we wanted to plug a funding gap between domestic and commercial properties. Since then, we’ve awarded 41 grants to 33 community buildings, totalling over £120,000. These improvements save 68 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
The application process will be administered by CSE, with applicants asked to complete a full energy survey of the shared building using guidance supplied by the charity. This will help to identify potential improvements, including zero-cost measures, and calculate carbon and cost savings for different options.
Applications will remain open until 11th September 2022. You can find out more information and apply here: https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1304
Case study - The Centre @ Halton
As part of our 2021 round, we awarded £4,000 to Halton Community Association so that it could upgrade the community centre’s lighting and help install eco-friendly taps. The centre, near to our Caton Moor wind farm, provides vital services for residents of all ages and has become a focal point of the community.
"Whether it be our baby and toddler class, our over 55s lunch club or our Knitter – natter group, the centre has something for everyone and we’re proud to have been serving our community for close to 50 years. To ensure we can continue operating, grants such as those from Thrive are vital, helping us to make the centre more energy efficient and cheaper to run. They also support our green strategy as we work towards making the building as sustainable as possible for the generations to come." - Carol Slinger, Finance Assistant, Halton Community Association
