Community solar project attracts £190,000 redress grant

An energy saving body has attracted a major grant of more than £190,000 for its innovative projects.

Embargoed to 0001 Thursday December 27...File photo dated 04/09/10 of an electric fire as around 27,000 cancer patients in the UK are thought to be behind with their energy bills, owing as much as Â£2.8 million to companies, a charity has warned. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday December 27, 2012. Macmillan Cancer Support made the collective estimate after finding that one in 20 people who have been diagnosed with cancer in the last two years is in debt to their heating provider. Three in 10 cancer patients said they have been forced to turn off the heating in the last three months when they needed it on to keep fuel bills down, while a third have put their coats or other outdoor clothing on in the house to try to keep warm. Of those who said they are behind with their payments, almost a quarter (23%) owe more than Â£200, while almost one in four is behind by Â£50-Â£100. The charity said its research suggests that cancer patients are more than twice as likely to end up behind with their fuel payments than the population generally. See PA story MONEY Cancer. Photo credit should read: Katie Collins/PA Wire..

Southern Staffordshire Community Energy which helps vulnerable hospital patient groups whose need for treatment is as result of by living in cold and or damp homes has been awarded a £193,620.78 for its Solar for Social Impact scheme.

The money has come from a £3 million pot from the Ofgem Redress Scheme to support energy reduction projects.

The community energy group's initiatives have so far included a scheme to install 1,089 solar panels at the Royal Stoke University Hospitals and Stafford’s County Hospital.

Graham Ayling, senior project manager for the Energy Redress Scheme, said: "We’re pleased to be able to announce £3m of new support to voluntary sector organisations today.

"These funds will enable organisations to provide meaningful help to more people struggling to heat and power their homes through this cost of living crisis. It also funds some great new initiatives that empower more people to engage with and share the benefits of the UK’s transition to net zero.”

Russell Ogilvie, head of enforcement for Ofgem, said: “Our compliance and enforcement action ensures the energy industry is held to the highest standards.

“The Voluntary Redress Fund is our direct line to ensure that vulnerable consumers are the ones who benefit when suppliers pay for letting them down.

“We are proud to work in partnership with Energy Saving Trust and find it immensely rewarding to see the direct results of our activity reaching communities up and down the country.”

While the Act on Energy scheme Warmth in Worcestershire which serves Wyre Forest was awarded £298,952.05.