Charities that support people who struggle with their energy bills are being invited to apply for a share of £35m in grants. 

The Energy Redress Scheme is funded through voluntary payments from companies that have breached rules laid down by the energy regulator Ofgem. 

It aims to prioritise support for vulnerable energy consumers, the development of innovative products or services and helping people reduce their carbon emissions.

The scheme, which is managed by the Energy Saving Trust, has given out £119m to more than 583 projects in England, Scotland and Wales since it was launched in 2018. 

The funds in the latest pot, which is the biggest so far, are split into different streams, with the main fund containing £27m for grants of between £50,000 and £2m to support households that are struggling with their energy bills. 

The other streams are the £6m innovation fund, which will give out grants of between £20,000 and £1m for projects that will develop products or services to benefit households; the £1m small project fund, offering grants of between £20,000 and £49,999 to support vulnerable households; and the £1m carbon emissions reduction fund, which will provide between £20,000 and £500,000 for projects that will reduce UK carbon emissions and help households reduce their carbon footprint.

Graham Ayling, senior project manager at the Energy Saving Trust, said: “As we approach winter, we hope this latest round of funding will help organisations to support people in their communities who are most at risk from cold homes and high energy bills. 

“This funding will also aid projects that are developing approaches to help the UK transition to net zero, in a way that ensures the transition is accessible to all. 

“We’ve seen the positive impact this funding can have and invite voluntary sector organisations to apply.”

The deadline to apply for this funding round is 5pm on 22 October but organisations that have not registered with the scheme should do so at least 10 working days beforehand to enable eligibility checks to be completed. 

For more information and to apply, click here.