The Community Windpower Energy Fund is a partnership between Community Windpower and Advice Direct Scotland, delivering a fund of £1,000,000 to people in East Lothian affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

The fund seeks to provide financial relief to energy consumers in East Lothian who are experiencing significant financial hardship, through the provision of energy and food vouchers / support. As such, the intended recipients of the fund are individuals and households struggling to pay for energy and other costs.  

Households receiving the eligible means-tested benefits can apply.

Eligible benefits include – 

• Income Related JSA
• Income Related ESA
• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Other – Low income – (e.g., equivalent level of income, disability-related benefits, contributory based benefits, carer’s allowance, tax credits, exceptional outgoings, large number of dependents, zero hours contracts). This list is not exclusive.

Households must be based within East Lothian postcodes.

People who are terminally ill automatically qualify for the fund, and these applications will be fast-tracked.

Payment amounts will be dependent on individual circumstances, with higher levels of support for those over the age of 66 and people with ill health and/or a disability.

Please note – The fund is not for paying historical, unaffordable debt.

Payments will be made for usage, but only for electric. In most cases, a grant will be awarded for two months’ electricity use. In the case of Dual Fuel it will be assumed that there is a 50/50 split between electric and gas unless higher electric use can be evidenced.

In addition to the contribution towards electric consumption, payments may be made to qualifying households in certain circumstances including – 

• Applications where illness and/or disability can be evidenced
• Applications where one or more of the occupants is in receipt of the state pension

Applications from households with additional person(s) resident may be eligible for additional payment enhancements.

Individuals can apply to the fund through the ‘Household Application’ route.

We would always recommend using one of the fund’s trusted referral partners in the first instance before applying as an individual.

More information on the partners we work with can be found HERE.

Are you still eating properly and able to afford / pay for your priority responsibilities / debts? (e.g., rent, mortgage, council tax, travel expenses to work etc).

If you are not able to make your next fuel payment without cutting back on food and other essentials, it is important that you highlight this in your application.

We preface this as an industry term and understand that this does not necessarily reflect a choice or decision that has been made. 

‘Self-disconnection’ of energy refers to a situation in which the customer experiences an interruption to their gas and/or electricity because the credit on the meter has been exhausted or the credit is not easily accessible.

More information on Ofgem’s statutory consultation on self-disconnection and self-rationing is available HERE. 

Organisations can register to become a referral partner HERE.

More information on registering as a referral partner can be found in our video.

Energy payments for households with credit meters will be sent directly to their supplier via BACS. This includes households with a Smart Pay-As-You-Go Meter.

In other circumstances, including prepayment households, vouchers will be issued for PayPoint and the Post Office, depending on individual circumstances and payment methods facilitated by energy suppliers.

Please note – Dependent on the payment method selected, and due to the festive period and other factors, there may be a slight delay in payments being made. This is outwith our control, however we will process payments as quickly as possible.

The scheme will run until 31^st March 2023, or until funds have been exhausted.