Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), the Distribution Network Operator for central southern England and the north of Scotland, is now welcoming applications to its new Powering Communities to Net Zero fund. SSEN has a proud tradition of funding projects to support environmental and resilience measures in the communities it serves. The new Powering Communities to Net Zero (PCNZ) fund is a successor to the previous Resilient Communities Fund, which has awarded over £5m to around 700 projects in the past nine years. The new fund will run annually from now, concluding in Spring 2028. More than £3m in grants will be awarded during this time. This fund will support communities during prolonged power interruptions caused by storms, aid their ability to cope in periods of severe weather, and will now also support the adoption of new low-carbon technologies by non-profit organisations. The fund is split into two categories; community-led physical and environmental resilience, and Low Carbon Technology (LCTs). Half of the £3m funding will be available over the next four years to enable communities to apply for grants that will bolster physical and environmental resilience measures. Further details of the criteria are found in the fund guidance and in the application form. Grants of up to £15,000 will be awarded to successful applicants in this category. The other half of the funding being made available over the next four years will also be available for non-profit organisations to apply for grants to go towards the purchase of new Low-Carbon Technology. For example, a successful grant application could result in a social housing scheme or community centre being awarded funding to contribute to the cost of EV chargers, solar panels, battery storage or backup, low carbon heating systems, smart heating controls, or other general energy efficiency measures. Grants of up to £20,000 will be awarded to successful applicants in this category. SSEN is aware there are often lengthy lead times associated with community project preparations, as well as getting approval to connect some low carbon technologies. In light of this, SSEN is advising applicants to consider projects that have already been approved to apply in the current round, as the timescales for awarding and spending funds may be more likely to align. Those who are uncertain of their timescales can contact [email protected] to discuss this in more detail. Chris Burchell, SSEN Distribution’s Managing Director, says:
“At SSEN, our purpose is to power our communities to thrive today and help create a net zero tomorrow. Being true to that purpose underlines the importance of our efforts to engage our communities, to understand local needs and to support our customers, particularly in areas of resilience and environment. “That’s why we are so pleased to announce our new Powering Communities to Net Zero (PCNZ) fund, which has been developed to help improve resilience and the environment for the communities we serve and which will enhance the offering and awards we previously made through the Resilient Communities Fund. “The Resilient Communities Fund has been helping hundreds of communities and vulnerable community members since it started in 2015, and we’re looking forward to the new fund building on that legacy; bringing greater resilience, sustainability and a path to net zero for all of our customers living and working in the north of Scotland and central southern England.”
Applications are now open for the 2024/25 fund. The application form and more details can be found at www.ssen.co.uk/pcnz. To be eligible for funding, your project must benefit communities that lie wholly within Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ (SSEN) licence areas. If you are unsure who your distribution network operator is, check here: www.ssen.co.uk/about-ssen/who-is-my-distributor/ Groups don’t need to be a registered charity to apply, but organisations submitting an application must have a constitution (governing document or set of rules) and be set up on a not-for-profit basis. If you are unsure if your group is eligible, contact us for advice.
So, once again, all the spongers, choosing to have a child, then IF at all, work just 16 hours a week to gain THOUSANDS extra in benefits to add to their wage, free or heavily subsidised rent, council tax, free school meals, extra help with energy and food, free prescriptions, free dental care, free gym membership, free school uniforms, free school transportation, free insulation, JUST by ‘one’ of the parents working less than half the week, spending the rest in nail or pub bars, lounging on the beach, or, sat indoors on the latest phone sending pics to other sponger friends living the same, will now get extra funding for breeding another useless clone for us to keep forever who will do the same as ‘mum’. Unreal.
Plastic qwerty on the prowl again with more words of joy and wisdom. Thank you for your insight my bigoted friend.
if they have millions to give away,then they can cut our bills
instead of handing out money, how about you hand it back to the bill payers as you were clearly overcharging, if you have this much free money left sloshing about, to fritter away on some sponger fund
“ bringing greater resilience, sustainability and a path to net zero for all of our customers”
Net Zero is a scam! We cannot exist without carbon.
De-populating is the only wait to achieve Net Zero
Don’t forget to get your jab.
Net zero is a fraud.
If it was true why does the Idiots running
IW Council make motorists drive miles and miles
out of their way to get to Ventnor for months?
When all along they are opening the Road because it’s
the school holidays.
It’s a joke