RHPP Phase 2 Communities Fund Launched

Local United is pleased to announce that the £8m Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme Phase Two - Communities competition has been launched by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The £8m funding scheme focuses on privately owned homes and is primarily centred on off-gas community groups based in England, Scotland and Wales.  It is targeted at making renewable heating affordable for middle to low income households with funding available for development of the project and towards installation of the technologies themselves, DECC hopes to support between 50 and 100 projects this year with the winners being announced in December.  The scheme is being managed by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and interested groups can only apply on-line through the EST website.

The £8m communities’ competition enables community groups to apply for funding that enable and encourage the adoption and installation of low/zero carbon renewable energy heating technologies; including solar thermal hot water systems, heat pumps (air to water and/or ground source or water source) and biomass (pellets, wood-chip and logs) boiler systems.

The central element of the communities’ scheme is to enable community based buying networks that have a detailed understanding of the needs of the local community to benefit from bulk purchasing discount agreements.

In launching RHPP2 alongside Gregory Barker Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, Dr Tim Lunel part of the Local United management team and CEO of the National Energy Foundation said: "It is great news that the Minister recognises communities as 'the most powerful change agents' in tackling carbon emissions. Communities are seen as key players to work with since, in line with the aims of RHPP2, they naturally integrate energy efficiency and demand reduction when they help their residents install renewable heat." Tim presented at the event on behalf of the Communities and Climate Action Alliance.