Two community projects in Greater Manchester that focus on tackling energy-related issues have been awarded more than £34,000 by Electricity North West.
Carbon Co-op’s ‘heat pump ready’ scheme aims to help roll out energy-efficient heat pumps in communities across Greater Manchester.
It will use £16,000 of funds from Electricity North West’s annual Powering our Communities scheme to support the development of an online heat pump tool, and training on how to use it, so that Carbon Co-op can help encourage householders to install heat pumps as an alternative to gas boilers.
Meanwhile, Youth Focus North West will use more than £18,000 of funding to deliver a series of virtual events for experts to educate hundreds of young people on environmental issues and to inspire change.
The network operator’s Powering Our Communities scheme supports the development of community and local energy initiatives in the region, from providing advice on energy efficiency or generating renewable energy to supporting customers in vulnerable circumstances.
This year, the scheme has awarded a total of £75,000 in grants to seven projects across the North West.
Helen Seagrave, community energy manager at Electricity North West, said: “We’re now in our third year of running the Powering our Communities Fund and the quality of the initiatives gets better every year.
“This year’s projects not only help communities to reduce their carbon footprint, and so help edge us closer towards the North West’s net zero targets, but also encourage communities to work together on a shared goal – something that is central to a green recovery after the pandemic.”
