A ground-breaking project to help Somerset homes become more energy efficient has been granted vital funding.
Somerset Climate Action Network (SomersetCAN), in collaboration with Somerset Council and Frome, Glastonbury, and Bruton Town Councils, have successfully bid for a ยฃ50,000 grant to set up a not-for-profit service promoting and supporting โretrofittingโ โ making the changes necessary to an existing home to help reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
The funding is supported by the MCS Charitable Foundation which aims to provide people with access to affordable and reliable renewable energy and low carbon technologies โ for the benefit of our environment, our communities and the general public. MCS have made it their mission to increase public confidence, awareness and access to renewable energy and low carbon solutions across the UK. They support education and engagement programmes, fund research and facilitate innovative solutions to drive widespread adoption.
Background
Somerset Council is committed to tackling climate change and is working towards a carbon-neutral Somerset by 2030. The Somerset Climate Action Network is a Community Benefit Organisation made up of a large diverse group of people from across the county who want to make a positive difference to Somersetโs environment.
Backed by the grant from MCS Charitable Foundation, Retrofit Somerset aims to speed up retrofitting delivery across the county by:
- โขBringing together existing climate groups, Parish Councils, not-for-profit organisations, and others to develop a workable model for delivering retrofit across the county.
- โขEnhancing Retrofit Somerset as a one-stop website that helps to inform and connect homeowners and community groups with local retrofit contractors.
- โขAccelerating the widespread adoption of low-carbon technologies like heat pumps and PV panels.
- โขHelping groups of homeowners to work together to achieve practical solutions, including grouping together to get discounts on retrofit works.
David Cowdrey, Director of External Affairs at MCS Charitable Foundation, said: โUpgrading homes to make them warmer, more energy efficient and cheaper to run is essential for meeting climate targets. It is also a huge challenge that requires innovation, collaboration, and support for homeowners. That is why setting up a one-stop-shop hub to provide advice for homeowners on how to retrofit their home is so important. Combined with the work that is going on across Somerset to develop retrofitting at scale, this could mean a step-change in the quality and energy efficiency of homes across the county.โ
Retrofit Somerset will have local advocates in communities trained to engage locally to raise awareness of the benefits of retrofit for homeowners to start their retrofit journey. In its first year, the project aims to create an investable business plan to attract further funding to help continue essential work to decarbonise Somerset homes.
Local responses
Steve Mewes, Director of Somerset Climate Action Network said: โ80% of the homes we will occupy in 2050 already exist. We canโt just rely on decarbonising the grid or building new energy efficient homes to meet our carbon reduction commitments. We are delighted to receive this grant from MCS Charitable Foundation to help us enable communities and homeowners to take retrofit action at pace across the county and make homes happier and healthier places to live.โ
Councillor Sarah Dyke, Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change at Somerset Council said: โEveryone should have access to affordable and reliable renewable energy, and live in warm, comfortable homes as part of a resilient, zero carbon future. A greener, more sustainable Somerset is one of our top priorities and Retrofit Somerset will give confidence to Somerset homeowners who are unsure how to go about improving their homeโs energy efficiency.โ
Final Thought
The grant funding symbolises a positive move towards an increasing number of environmentally friendly initiatives being supported by local governments. Somerset Council have also previously introduced plans to make recycling more accessible.