This in from Isle of Wight council, in their own words. Ed
The Isle of Wight Council has successfully bid for almost £450,000 of funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change to help households on the Island to reduce their fuel costs.
The council will allocate the money to three Island organisations to deliver energy saving projects.
£250k for Eco Island Partnership
The Footprint Trust will be given £101,850 to provide improvements to households in fuel poverty, the Eco Island Partnership will receive £250,974 (£92,150 capital funding and £158,824 programme funding) for a range of activities to promote the Green Deal and Community Action Isle of Wight will receive £88,927 to deliver a collective switching scheme.
The funding secured by the Isle of Wight Council will support the work of the voluntary sector which has the experience and motivation to deliver this type of work on the Island.
“Actively seeking opportunities where we can secure funding”
Councillor George Brown, cabinet member for the economy and regulatory services, said: “We fully recognise the economic pressures on our Island community and are actively seeking opportunities where we can secure funding to help wherever we can. We are delighted to learn that our bid was successful and we have secured funding for all three projects that were submitted. The money will make a real difference to Island households struggling to cope with rising fuel costs while supporting the Island’s voluntary sector and creating new jobs through the government’s Green Deal scheme.
“We are looking forward to working with these three Island organisations to ensure the support reaches those who really need it. This is great news for the Island.”
Share of £46m
The projects for which the council was awarded funds were three of only 132 projects that have been awarded a share of £46 million from the government to help reduce fuel poverty, boost energy efficiency, and encourage collective switching and purchasing in regions across Great Britain.
Edward Davey, the government’s energy secretary, said: “We need to find new ways to help people with their energy bills, working with communities and councils across the country.
“The projects we are funding will help people save energy and save money: helping the most vulnerable to heat their homes, getting the Green Deal market up and running and encouraging people to switch energy suppliers to get their bills down.
“This £46 million will help local councils across England upgrade inefficient heating kit as well as creating demand for and installing insulation under the Green Deal in homes across their local areas.
“Funding will also be used to drive forward collective purchasing and switching initiatives at a local level, helping consumers get a better deal on their energy bills. I am delighted so many organisations want to run new co-operative schemes to help people, especially the fuel poor, to get the best deals in the market.”
The Isle of Wight Council is one of only three local authorities to have successfully secured funding for each strand of the Department of Energy and Climate Change funding.
Image: CJ Isherwood under CC BY 2.0
