Keele University’s marketing experts, Socially Grown, in collaboration with Residential Energy Services, have successfully secured £373,329 in funding for a mobile energy advice service aimed at assisting hard-to-reach households. The funding comes from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, with support from the Midlands Net Zero Hub, as part of the Government’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Programme (LEAD). This program aims to support innovative approaches to providing energy efficiency advice to vulnerable communities.
Out of 36 selected applicants for the LEAD program, Socially Grown and Residential Energy Services are one of the successful recipients. They plan to launch a creative engagement initiative that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach households. Beginning in Staffordshire and Shropshire, the project involves a community outreach and education vehicle that will travel to different locations, raising awareness about energy efficiency, engaging with residents, and creating energy plans to reduce energy costs and enhance housing conditions.
The project is particularly important considering that a significant number of households in England face challenges related to energy bills. According to End Fuel Poverty, over 7 million households spent more than 10% of their income on energy bills in 2022. Many low-income households are living in energy-inefficient homes, making progress towards UK net zero targets slower than necessary.
The initiative aims to provide around 6,000 households per year with access to experienced energy and retrofit advisors. The RES pop-up hub will be set up in strategic locations such as health centers, community centers, and rural events. The project is set to run for two years.
Sarah Parry, Managing Director of Socially Grown/Residential Energy Services, states that the goal of the initiative is to introduce a transformative approach to energy advisory services for underserved communities. The mobile energy advice service will offer personalised advice tailored to individual homes, leading to meaningful action plans and the installation of retrofit measures.
Amanda Solloway, Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability, emphasises the importance of making expert energy efficiency advice accessible to all, regardless of their location. The project aligns with the government’s efforts to improve energy efficiency across the country while simultaneously reducing energy bills for households.
