Community benefit programme

A voluntary nationwide scheme providing energy saving advice and funding for community buildings close to our projects.

In collaboration with the national charity, Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), we offer communities in areas close to our clean energy projects the opportunity to make energy efficiency improvements to important shared buildings. This makes their local village halls and community centres warmer and cheaper to run.

We make awards of up to £4,000 available for upgrades such as LED lighting, insulation, draught-proofing, improved heating or lighting controls, and can be used for professional advice leading to long term improvements in energy performance. The grant can also be used in conjunction with other funding to pay for improvements to achieve the greatest impact.

The programme is part of our commitment to being a good neighbour and is in addition to the existing local initiatives we already operate. We believe it is key to educate and raise awareness about sustainable energy use, and our voluntary scheme empowers communities across the UK to achieve this.

CSE provides templates and guidance to help local groups and organisations identify potential improvements for community buildings. As part of the application process, community groups are welcome to contact CSE for help and support using the email thrive@cse.org.uk.

Since 2016, we’ve awarded 51 grants to 43 community buildings, totalling over £150,000.

These improvements save over 75 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

 

READ OUR CASE STUDIES