Community energy is about people coming together to use local resources to reduce, manage or generate their own energy.
Why develop a community energy project?
- Reducing carbon emissions and delivering net zero ambitions
- Creating a secure local energy supply through decentralised electricity and heat generation
- Protecting local people from rising fuel costs and reducing the risk of fuel poverty
- Generating income for community benefit
- Creating jobs and increasing social cohesion
Community Energy Fund
The Community Energy Fund (CEF) is a national £10m grant scheme for urban and rural communities to develop energy services to benefit their local area. The South West Net Zero Hub are currently delivering CEF in the South West on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The funding will help to kickstart community driven clean energy projects including wind farms and solar PV projects, as well as battery storage, rural heat networks and electric vehicle charging points. It can also be used to fund feasibility assessments for fuel poverty alleviation schemes and energy efficiency, retrofit, and advice projects.
The new fund follows the success of the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF), with an expanded remit to include both rural and urban areas in England.
Information on how to apply for funding, dates of future application windows and details of projects already awarded funding are available below.
Other funding for community energy projects
The Hub can support organisations to explore other funding options for their projects. A good starting point for information on current grant opportunities is the Community Energy England Funding Opportunities page
How can the Hub support your community energy project?
We are keen to hear from community energy groups and other organisations looking to develop projects that could benefit the local community. Whether it is electricity or heat generation, energy efficiency, fuel poverty or another energy project, get in touch to discuss the support you need: communityenergy@westofengland-ca.gov.uk