Deadline: 12-Feb-21
The National Energy Action (NEA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for the Smart Energy GB in Communities Grants Programme.
The Smart Energy GB in Communities programme is part of Smart Energy GB’s campaign to inform and inspire people about smart meters and the benefits they can bring.
The programme partners with organisations from the voluntary and public sectors. This means they are able to work with trusted, expert organisations across the country to help ensure people understand the benefits of smart meters and know how to get one.
Objectives
The objectives of the fund are:
- for partners to build awareness of smart meters within the target groups through building confidence and understanding of them
- to ensure people in the target groups understand how smart meters can benefit them
- that people in the target group are more likely to seek or accept a smart meter
In 2021, they are targeting grant funding to organisations who reach people that are:
- Offline: Adults who have no personal internet access anywhere, both inside and out of the home, including use via mobile devices, The main barriers to smart meter installation among this audience are an unawareness of smart meters, lack of desire/ motivation to get one, and the lack of interest or options to engage with digital technology, for instance with smart products, computers etc. When considering their age profile, it’s also worth noting that in general, those over 65 are more likely to feel that they understand how best to manage their energy already, and so feel less need to get a smart meter.
- On a low income: Defined as having an annual household income of less than £14,000 before tax, There are two broad groups within the low income audience: older people who are retired and more likely to own their home outright, and younger people, who are more likely to be struggling, unemployed, and are less likely to have savings. Both of these groups within the low income audience are more conscious of their energy use and have lower levels of confidence in understanding their energy bills. They are also less likely to switch supplier.
Funding Information
- Offline: The total amount of funding requested should be between £15,000 and £25,000.
- Low income: The total amount of funding requested should be between £7,500 and £10,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- NEA is seeking applications from regionally based organisations (preferably with local networks) that can deliver support to people in one of the target groups.
- The target groups are significant in size (8.5 million people are on a low income; 6.3 million people are offline). Therefore they are looking for projects that can engage this group at scale through a combination of direct and indirect activities.
For more information, visit https://www.nea.org.uk/smart-meters/smart-fund/