Local Energy Advice Demonstrator Projects: details of organisations awarded funding

The 36 projects to be awarded funding from the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) Projects competition are outlined here.

Rossendale Valley Energy

Funding Amount: £550,400
Location: Rossendale Valley, Lancashire
Project name: Rossendale Valley LEAD

Description:

Targeting in-person engagement at community events and public stands in schools, GP surgeries, places of worship, supermarkets, and community centres will introduce people to energy efficiency advice as an effective tool to reducing energy bills whilst collecting data on house type and householder preference for engagement activity. Data from initial outreach will be collected on the Fairer Warmth app which is designed to identify where detailed in-person advice on retrofitting will be most impactful. Once these households have been identified, bespoke in-person advice and home visits will be organised which will lead to tailored retrofit solutions.

Cumbria Action for Sustainability

Funding Amount: £392,498.99
Location: Cumbria
Project Name: Cold to Cosy Homes Cumbria

Description:

Targeting hard-to-reach consumers and hard to treat homes in rural Cumbria by offering in-depth home retrofit advice through a home visit or a Full Home Retrofit Planner audit. This will be promoted using light-touch advice stalls at community events, webinar-based retrofit trainings, and open homes events where people can see demonstrations of retrofit.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)

Funding Amount: £1,935,291.00
Location: Greater Manchester
Project Name: DLEADP

Description:

A one-stop-shop service targeting hard-to-reach consumers and hard-to-treat homes, predominantly in an urban area. Building on GMCA’s existing work and working with local suppliers, this scheme will provide an end-to-end customer journey that engages consumers with initial advice through to home assessments and puts them in touch with trusted suppliers able to complete the work. Initial engagement will focus on building relationships with hard-to-reach local communities in their spaces. This will include drop-in advice services at B&Q and community centres.

Groundwork CLM

Funding Amount: £100,899.00
Location: Blackpool
Project Name: Blackpool Eco Hub

Description:

Supporting hard-to-reach consumers by being their single point of contact and providing them with a hand-holding experience from the beginning to the end of their journey (including throughout installation). Providing 1:1 energy advice at a retrofit hub, along with in-home energy advice, some retrofit assessments, support through installation journey and seeking customer feedback at the end of the journey.

Carbon Co-op

Funding Amount: £739,834.00
Location: Moss Side, Whalley Range, Levenshulme (Greater Manchester)
Project Name: Energise Manchester

Description:

Targeting hard-to-treat properties, with an emphasis on marginalised groups in South Manchester. Tailored solutions for the housing stock in the area, in particular emphasising solutions for terraces and solid-walled properties. Also using public health methodologies. The advice will be promoted through a network of community champions and provided at community hubs and local institutions, such as community gardens, schools, places of worship, and street markets.

Energy Projects Plus

Funding Amount: £344,400
Location: Merseyside, Cheshire, and Warrington
Project Name: Retrofit Buddies

Description:

Targeting hard-to-reach consumers, including those without an EPC, using data from local authorities and referrals from the Integrated Care Board for Cheshire and Merseyside. A 1:1 system of ‘Retrofit Buddies’ will provide each consumer with a single point of contact. Consumers who receive advice will co-design a Personal Action Plan with their retrofit buddy who they will have regular contact with throughout any installation process. Advice will follow a ‘fabric first’ approach. As more consumers are reached, a library of materials and case studies will be developed to further promote the advice service.

Pure Leapfrog

Funding Amount: £211,280.85
Location: Warrington
Project Name: Domestic Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Advice for Landlords (DEERAL)

Description:

Specifically targeting private rented sector landlords and tenants using a unique approach to overcome the split incentive and encourage retrofit uptake in the private rental sector by conveying the long-term financial benefits of retrofit to the landlord. This will be delivered through in-depth discussions with landlords, showing them data and analysis, followed by in-person retrofit assessments.

Groundwork Yorkshire

Funding Amount: £302,843
Location: North East and Cumbria
Project Name: Groundwork Yorkshire LEAD

Description:

The project will target two main groups: older and lower-income private rented sector tenants, who often struggle to access government funding for the fuel poor; and older, asset-rich but cash-poor owner-occupiers. The project will deliver retrofit assessments and expand the number of home visits under their in-person ‘Green Doctor’ service. They will ultimately identify the barriers to owner occupiers and landlords engaging in Retrofit Assessments and produce data on how this can be improved.

Yes Energy

Funding Amount: £280,836
Location: West Yorkshire
Project Name: Yes Energy LEAD

Description:

Project focusing particularly on the digitally excluded, those on low-incomes, and ethnic minority groups in West Yorkshire. Customers will receive a Net Zero Readiness Assessment, which will detail the measures that may be suitable for their home, but also the specific barriers to that consumer installing energy efficiency measures. This will enable energy advisors to highlight solutions to these barriers and provide a clear path to retrofit.

North Yorkshire Council

Funding Amount: £910,000
Location: North-west Selby, Greatwood, Great Ayton, Stokesley, Potto and Pickering
Project Name: North Yorkshire LEAD

Description:

Multi-site pilot that is sharing resources to overcome lack of confidence in retrofit and a lack of communication among installers. The pilot will build confidence between contractors by establishing a profession network and creating pride within the community by utilising trusted local players and spaces to meet residents with a goal encouraging a community effort. A retrofit bus will be used to reach consumers.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Funding Amount: £836,833
Location: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield
Project Name: West Yorkshire Combined Authority LEAD

Description:

Focusing on older people facing deprivation, older people who are able to pay and people with low proficiency in English. Providing funded retrofit assessments at open homes events.

City of York Council

Funding Amount: £500,000
Location: Conservation areas and Traveller sites in York
Project Name: City of York Council LEAD

Description:

One of two projects focusing on harder to treat/ solid walled homes in councils designated conservation areas and the only project covering homes on traveller sites. The project will create strong partnerships (including with academics, planners etc.) to provide multi-disciplinary bespoke advice. It will also embed performance monitoring technology to monitor the impact of the retrofit work in each home.

North of Tyne Combined Authority

Funding Amount: £911,716
Location: Newcastle, Northumberland, North and South Tyneside, Gateshead, Durham and Sunderland
Project Name: North of Tyne LEAD

Description:

One stop shop coordinated across 7 local authorities through engagement officers, who will be upskilled to be Level 3 Retrofit Advisors. They will also engage with healthcare providers and community leaders and provide a training programme to upskill them. Using a data-led approach (home scans) to understand each homes requirement.

Efficiency North

Funding Amount: £257,605
Location: Sheffield
Project Name: Efficiency North LEAD

Description:

The Project aims to provide a package of PAS-compliant energy efficiency advice to aid homeowners of non-traditional construction solid walled properties bought from the council’s right to buy scheme on the same 8 council estates. It is likely these homeowners cannot afford suitable upgrades themselves and are unaware of potential support available. The project will seek to enable the resident/ owner to be empowered to make informed retrofit decisions.

East Lindsey District Council

Funding Amount: £662,154
Location: South-East Lincolnshire
Project Name: East Lindsey LEAD

Description:

Creation of an electric Energy Van that will go to rural areas with a high proportion of hard-to-reach consumers to provide advice. Advisors will give demonstrations of how measures provided by government schemes can help reduce consumers’ energy use and improve the quality of their home. The van will provide a neutral ground to build trust with the community so that home visits can take place.

Walsall Council

Funding Amount: £184, 837
Location: Walsall
Project Name: Hilary School Sustainable Education Programme

Description:

Using a school as a trusted venue to reach hard to treat properties and hard to reach people. Offering advice and services through this venue whilst utilising existing partners and organisations. There will be a particular emphasis on non-native English speakers and Victorian terraced houses.

Socially Grown Warmer Homes

Funding Amount: £373,329
Location: Staffordshire and Shropshire
Project Name: The Warmer Homes Project

Description:

Targeting hard-to-reach consumers, particularly in rural areas, using a community outreach and education vehicle. Advice will be given in pop-up locations such as health, community and religious centres, as well as food banks, where there will be advisors available to answer questions and arrange energy assessments where appropriate.

Birmingham Voluntary Service Council

Funding Amount: £827,899
Location: Birmingham City
Project Name: Birmingham Voluntary Service LEAD

Description:

A group of charities coming together to set up energy cafes and community events for hard-to-reach communities and hard-to-treat homes. They will aim to engage people in their own way, being sensitive to aspects such as the choice of building, the tone of the speaker, and language barriers. Also looking to train volunteers and staff in energy awareness.

Leicestershire County Council

Funding Amount: £396,909
Location: Leicestershire County and Districts
Project Name: Green Living Leicestershire – Home Energy Retrofit Advice Service

Description:

This project is aiming to support residents already engaged with health and housing services who are suffering from having cold homes. Advice will be delivered and promoted through open homes demonstrating the benefits of retrofit, community roadshows, infrared camera reports, home visits, and retrofit assessments.

Leicester City Council

Funding Amount: £194,228
Location: Leicester City
Project Name: Climate Ready Leicester Warm Homes Surveys

Description:

Creation of a team to provide free tailored energy efficiency plans to households in fuel poverty. These plans will show how they can reduce their energy bills, lower their carbon emissions, and increase their comfort. This team will provide follow up advice to work through the plan and support where needed.

Nottingham Energy Partnership

Funding Amount: £563,423
Location: Derby City, Derbyshire, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire
Project Name: Nottingham Energy Partnership LEAD

Description:

Targeting off-gas grid homes, homes in conservation areas, and poorly-performing homes. Advice will be provided through free workshops and webinars, as well as in-person retrofit surveys. Consumers will also have access to a network of trusted installers.

Marches Energy Agency

Funding Amount: £263,289
Location: Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire
Project Name: Marches Energy Agency LEAD

Description:

Providing intensive support for 200 hard-to-reach consumers who are eligible for government funding, but who (for a variety of reasons) are not able to apply for this without support. Consumers will be given access to a small number of trusted installers and advisors will walk consumers through the entire process. Further advice will be offered to a wider audience via a mobile retrofit roadshow, training sessions, and webinars.

North Kesteven District Council

Funding Amount: £304,000
Location: Central and South Lincolnshire
Project Name: Lincs 4 Warmer Homes

Description:

Providing tailored energy advice to hard-to-reach consumers on low incomes. Creation of community energy champions supported by home energy advisors. A mobile energy advice van will be utilised to reach consumers across the rural location. Advice will also focus on adaption measures for homes experiencing overheating.

Bath and West Community Energy

Funding Amount: £344,308
Location: Bath and Somerset
Project Name: Green Heritage Homes Project

Description:

This project aims to increase the rate of sensitive retrofitting in historic buildings by increasing knowledge and confidence among householders and professionals. It will demystify retrofit opportunities and conservation principles, and will promote retrofit that saves energy, improves thermal efficiency, responds to the technical needs of the building, and maintains the significance of heritage assets. It will do this through engagement with a broad array of advisors; creation of enhanced content that can be embedded in retrofit assessments; dissemination of this content through face-to-face advice, events, surgeries and specialist trainings for householders and professionals; engagement with landlords of listed building properties; and the piloting of a pre-application process at the very start of the retrofit journey to inform householders as they consider which measures to pursue.

Centre for Sustainable Energy

Funding Amount: £480,885
Location: West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset
Project Name: Centre for Sustainable Energy

Description:

Supports households in hard-to-treat properties across WECA and North Somerset. Targets households with low-awareness of retrofit, lacking confidence or concerned about costs, disruption or detrimental impact on energy bills or building fabric. The project will create a practical and innovative community-led approach to engagement offering face-to-face advice through Green Open Homes events; people visit local properties with installed retrofit measures, providing opportunities to hear directly from the householder about the benefits and installation process.

CSE and Wiltshire and Swindon Borough Councils

Funding Amount: £589,262
Location: Wiltshire Council and Swindon Council areas
Project Name: Futureproof Wiltshire

Description:

This project will support homeowners across the county of Wiltshire, helping them to carry out energy saving home improvements and refurbishments. Our team of independent Futureproof retrofit experts will provide free or subsidised in-person, tailored advice on the most appropriate energy saving measures for their homes. Homeowners will also receive help with getting the building works underway from finding installers to identifying green finance options. This project is targeting off-gas and solid wall properties. In Swindon we will direct our support to households in need of additional advice and financial support to undertake energy efficiency measures, working closely with Swindon Borough Council. To grow the awareness and understanding of retrofit, CSE will also extend its successful relationship with Rural Communities Energy Support Network, providing free retrofit advice training and support to community partners and to encourage a community-based approach to engaging with homeowners facing barriers to engage with retrofit.

Severn Wye Energy Agency

Funding Amount: £405,051
Location: Gloucestershire
Project Name: Severn Wye

Description:

Severn Wye Energy Agency will use its experience to offer in person advice to more homeowners in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire through the LEAD funding, by providing impartial advice we can support the energy efficiency improvements we know people are seeking, often in rural areas. This funding will also unlock an opportunity to work with landlords of households of multiple occupancy. Accredited Energy Assessors and Retrofit Coordinators will provide quality assurance to the advice provided and enable homeowners and landlords to make the right decisions for them and their homes. Working together with people to make homes more energy efficient and act on climate change.

Funding Amount: £1,388,835
Location: Devon
Project Name: PEC and partners of the Far South West Retrofit Consortium (FSWRC)

Description:

This project will drive engagement with housing retrofit to improve energy efficiency resulting in lower bills, reduced emissions and improved occupant health and wellbeing. Three population groups have been identified that represent a broad spectrum of homeowners across the region who are either hard to reach or seldom reached by the current advice provision available. These are the digitally excluded (Group 1), low-income households (Group 2) and owners of traditionally built properties (Group 3). Central to this project will be a focus on how best to conduct retrofit advice visits in people’s homes, with high quality resources, advisor training and follow on support services all contributing to the solution.

Funding Amount: £991,429
Location: Isle of Wight and Solent
Project Name: Footprint Trust + Testlands Wellbeing Hub

Description:

The primary objective of this project is to develop innovative methods to provide personalized and effective energy advice to diverse consumer groups. The Footprint Trust, with its vast experience in environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, is uniquely positioned to spearhead this initiative. Partnering with Testlands Wellbeing Hub, which has demonstrated remarkable dedication to community well-being and outreach programs, guarantees an inclusive and people-centric approach to the project.

Surrey County Council

Funding Amount: £745,100
Location: Surrey
Project Name: Surrey Consortium
Description:

Targeting all Surrey residents, including harder-to-reach consumers (fuel poor, off-gas-grid, refugees and the disabled) and hard-to-treat buildings (listed buildings, conservation areas, and blocks of flats). The project will aim to overcome a range of barriers to retrofit, including lack of knowledge about retrofit and lack of access to trusted installers. Free home visits will be provided, along with a one stop shop approach of supporting consumers throughout the retrofit journey. In addition, customers will be signposted to the council’s Home Improvement Loan Scheme, which will be piloted alongside the project.

Funding Amount: £941,249
Location: Essex, Barcombe (East Sussex)
Project Name: CommuniHeat

Description:

Creating clusters (by developing energy hubs) of informed communities around market towns to connect the parishes surrounding the market towns and open new opportunities in these markets/ create an off-gas grid market. Home action plans created through a database covering both fabric and energy system upgrades.

National Energy Foundation

Funding Amount: £551,325
Location: Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Project Name: HERO Project

Description:

Providing around 2000 home visits with free retrofit plans and follow up consultations to encourage action and engage installers -underpinned by phone consultations and outreach events.

Citizens Advice 1066

Funding Amount: £185,880
Location: Rural Rother district, East Sussex
Project Name: Citizens Advice 1066 LEAD

Description:

Supporting fuel-poor and vulnerable households in the rural Rother district. Energy hubs will be set up in train stations and other community spaces. Consumers will receive initial advice at the hub, and then may access a free retrofit assessment, a follow-up visit to discuss the assessment, and wider support.

Funding Amount: £1,187,222
Location: Lambeth, Greenwich, Newham and Lewisham
Project Name: South-East London Community Energy LEAD

Description:

Reaching out to a wide range of hard-to-reach consumers (including owner occupiers and private rented sector tenants / landlords) and hard-to-treat homes, the latter including 2 blocks of flats, Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses, and conservation areas. The project will work with 2 community groups to reach whole neighbourhoods with in-person advice, taking a community-centred approach to engagement.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Funding Amount: £197,085
Location: Basingstoke and Deane, Hampshire
Project Name: Basingstoke and Deane LEAD

Description:

Creating a new team to provide in-person advice and support – looking at owner occupiers who are older and disabled. Working with St Michael’s Hospice and Age UK to engage these groups. Holding energy clinics in parish and town councils etc, which will also lead them to hard-to-treat homes.

Thanet District Council

Funding Amount: £192,079
Location: Thanet, Kent
Project Name: Thanet District LEAD

Description:

Providing in-person energy assessments and a detailed retrofit plan to ‘able to pay’ households in Kent. Currently delivered on the phone only. They will also provide support where needed, including, including with engaging with local authority planning departments. There is a focus on engaging landlords.