The Energy Resilience Fund (ERF) provides finance to enable community and social enterprises to retrofit energy generating/saving technology on community owned or managed buildings, with an initial focus on stabilising or reducing energy costs.
Of the seven organisations who have accessed the fund and had energy audits carried out, upgrading lighting to LEDs, improving heating controls and installing solar panels are some of the most common improvements that have been recommended for their buildings.
For example:
KYP (Rochdale) could save £19,600pa on energy costs by upgrading lighting, improving heating controls and installing solar photovoltaic panels. The installation costs would be approximately £88,700 and if financed by the ERF they could see a return on their investment in 4.5 years.
The impact of rising energy costs has been profound and multi-faceted from financial strain to operational adjustments. Funding [from the ERF] can provide us with greater stability, especially when facing fluctuating energy costs. It offers a buffer against unforeseen price increases and economic uncertainties, allowing us to plan and enhance energy efficiency and implement sustainable practices for financial stability and environmental responsibility. Nadeem Hussain, KYP
Higher Folds Community Centre (Wigan & Leigh) could make savings of £7,500pa by upgrading lighting to LEDs and the return on their investment would be 1.7 years. And if finance of £60,000 was used from the ERF to install solar photovoltaic panels, the return on their investment is estimated to be 6 years.
Our electricity costs quadrupled in 2023, so we were pleased to receive a grant for an energy audit from the ERF. The audit is helping us to understand how we could considerably improve the energy efficiency of the community centre and nursery and the recommended measures would allow us to make monthly savings against our energy costs and the building will be warmer for children, the elderly and other users of our activities and services. David Rainford, Higher Folds Community Centre
The ERF can provide a loan/grant mix (60% loan and 40% grant) of between £10,000 and £150,000 to make energy improvements to buildings. Estimated savings made on organisations’ energy bills should cover the monthly repayments of the loan, which means it could make financial sense for your organisation, allowing you to divert limited funds to increasing your social impact.
Every building and organisation are different so it’s important to start by commissioning an energy audit of your building. The ERF can provide a grant of up to £2,500 to pay for an audit.
Find out more about the fund, and the eligibility criteria here.
Prefer to talk to someone? To find out if the ERF is appropriate for your community/social enterprise and building, contact Ali Crush for a chat: alison.crush@gmcvo.org.uk / 07387 802159