The Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme is funded by payments from energy companies that have breached Ofgem regulations. The Energy Saving Trust distributes these funds to projects that reduce fuel poverty or improve energy efficiency in communities across England, Scotland and Wales. Churches and other community buildings are eligible.
The scheme works in rounds, and the size of each round depends on how much redress money is available. This makes it less predictable than mainstream grant programmes, but the amounts can be significant. Past rounds have funded heating controls, insulation, draught-proofing and energy audits for community buildings. A church that can show it serves a fuel-poor community and that the work will cut energy bills has a reasonable chance.
Check the Energy Saving Trust website regularly, as rounds can open and close quickly. The scheme is not always well publicised, which can mean less competition than better-known funds.