Western Power Distribution community chest
£50,000 for communities in the Midlands, the South West and South Wales to reduce their energy use
1 May 2012 This grant scheme is now closed. Around 60 community groups successfully applied for funding, and the £50,000 Community Chest has been fully allocated. We're keeping this web page open for the benefit of other organisations who may wish to undertake a similar scheme.
Having recently completed its second round of funding, the Western Power Distribution (WPD) community chest run in partnership with CSE, has now helped around 100 communities across the Midlands, the South West and South Wales to reduce their energy use.
The £50,000 grant scheme, funded by WPD and administered by CSE, recently helped 66 communities to carry out simple but effective energy efficiency improvements, to add to more than 30 who were helped in the first year of the scheme.
Offering up to £1,000 per group, the scheme aimed to help village halls, scout huts and other similar community buildings.
Groups who applied would begin by carrying out their own energy audits, from which they will be able to identify energy saving improvements that will reduce the building’s CO2 emissions. Free resources and guidance were provided to help the groups carry out the audit.
Improvements could include things like low-energy lighting, heating controls, draught-proofing or insulation, all of which can have significant impacts on reducing energy use and fuel bills. The groups were then asked to submit a short application form and provide quotes for recommended improvements once they had completed the audit.
Cavity wall insulation is installed at Long Ashton community centre, made possible by funding from WPD
The second round of funding ran from February 2012 through to the end of April 2012, and successful applicants were awarded on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. In total, 125 groups applied to the scheme, of which more than half were successful.
Successful projects included Mount Batten Watersports and Activites Centre in Plymouth, who were able to fit occupancy sensors in the male and female showers, changing rooms and toilet areas.
As well as reducing fuel bills for groups, the scheme has also seen a significant carbon saving, with last year's scheme helping groups save a total of over 57 tonnes of CO2 per annum, the equivalent of the heating and electricity derived CO2 emissions from around 10 average households.
This year was even better, with savings of 93 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
For examples of projects previously funded and also acknowledgement from previous applicants, click here.
For further information, please email wpdcc@cse.org.uk or call CSE on 0117 934 1400.
Previously funded projects (2010-11) and acknowledgements