Chiseldon Parish Council publishes information on services and organisations which it feels may be of interest to parishioners. However, this does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Council. In addition, please note that we cannot guarantee the security or safety of any external websites.
* Apply now at www.ssen.co.uk/pcnz
* Applications are open ’til Wednesday 25 June 2025
The fund – which was introduced as part of our current business plan – will award £3m in shareholder-funded grants by 2028. It has two categories:
- Physical and environmental resilience – to help during storms
This will provide grants to support communities during prolonged power interruptions caused by storms, and to aid their ability to cope in periods of severe weather. - To help fund the purchase of Low-Carbon Technologies
This supports the adoption of new Low-Carbon Technologies like heat pumps and solar panels – and in some cases energy-saving measures – by non-profit organisations.
Last year, SSEN Distribution awarded £928,000 to a total of 75 projects.
39 projects in the southern central England licence area received a total of £517,000.
36 grants went to successful applicants in the north of Scotland licence area, worth a total of £411,000.
47 projects were to support communities during storms (a total of £485,781.87) while 28 projects were for the purchase of Low-Carbon Technologies, with a combined value of £442,016.24.
Community-led physical and environmental resilience grants
Last winter brought Storms Darragh and Éowyn – and with them some of the strongest winds in a decade. These storms were a reminder of the more volatile climate we’re all now living in, and the need to make the right preparations in response. Just over half of the coming year’s funding allocation will be to enable communities to apply for grants that will fund physical and environmental resilience measures. Grants of up to £15,000 will be awarded to successful applicants in this category, and further details of the criteria can be found in the fund guidance.
Low-carbon technology grants
The remaining share of the fund will be available for non-profit organisations to apply for grants to go towards the purchase of new Low-Carbon Technologies.
For example, a successful grant application could result in a social housing scheme or community centre being awarded funding to contribute to the cost of EV chargers, solar panels, battery storage or backup, low-carbon heating systems, or smart heating controls.
Applicants who’ve already carried out an energy audit to provide recommendations for what to install and to give an idea of potential cost savings will be considered favourably. Funding for energy-saving measures will be considered, but priority will be given to applications looking to install technology such as heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage.
We encourage applicants in SSEN’s north of Scotland’s licence area, who are applying for Local Energy Scotland’s CARES Community Buildings Fund to consider making applications to PCNZ for match funding for eligible elements.
Grants of up to £20,000 will be awarded to successful applicants in this category.
SSEN Distribution’s Managing Director Chris Burchell says:
“At SSEN, our purpose is to power communities to thrive today and help create a decarbonised tomorrow. Being true to this purpose underlines how we support our communities, particularly when it comes to helping them during times of adverse weather, or supporting their moves towards becoming more sustainable.
“That’s why I’m delighted to open applications for the second year of our Powering Communities to Net Zero (PCNZ) fund. It’s been developed to help improve resilience and the environment in the communities we serve, and more than £927,000 has already been awarded in the past year across our licence areas to do just that.
“We look forward to welcoming these new applications and supporting more projects over the coming year”.
How to apply for Powering Communities to Net Zero funding
Applications are now open for the 2025/26 fund.
The application form and more details can be found at www.ssen.co.uk/pcnz.
To be eligible for funding, your project must help communities that lie wholly within Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ Distribution network areas.
If you’re unsure who your distribution network operator is, please check here: https://www.ssen.co.uk/about-ssen/who-is-my-distributor/
Groups don’t need to be a registered charity to apply, but organisations sending in an application must have a constitution (a governing document or set of rules) and be set up on a not-for-profit basis. If you are unsure if your group is eligible, contact us for advice.
Extra help with your application
To help support prospective applicants, we’re hosting a webinar at 4pm on Tuesday 13th May to help review the fund guidelines and answer questions that you may have relating to the fund. Please register your interest using this link below, and we’ll give you joining instructions for our online webinar.