Energyworks grants were capped in October 2022 because of unprecedented demand, the scheme's funder has said. Energyworks, run by Citizens Advice Brighton and Hove and Money Advice Plus, later distributed grants to a further 580 residents in hardship following a £50,000 grant from UK Power Networks1.
The funding was distributed to residents whose health is at risk from living in fuel poverty and cold homes, including households with young children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and people with respiratory, heart and mental health conditions1. Residents experiencing significant hardship were referred to the scheme by partners already supporting them, including foodbanks, money advice projects and community groups1.
The UK Power Networks money allowed existing grants to be topped up, plus 174 full new grants of £200 for residents who otherwise would not have received help through the programme1. The £50,000 was given to support those in need during the cost of living crisis1.
"Energyworks grants were capped in October 2022 due to unprecedented demand."
Farina Farrier, social sustainability manager at UK Power Networks, said the funding supported Energyworks and Brighton and Hove City Council to provide additional practical support during the winter to those at risk of living in cold homes1. Rich Jones, projects lead at Citizens Advice Brighton and Hove, said the availability of grant payments allowed advisers to address urgent need while giving them time to explore longer term solutions1. Nick Vaughan, client services manager for Money Advice Plus, said the money meant practical support could be given alongside advice1.
The report does not state the total value of grants paid out, the number of households turned away after the cap, or whether the cap remains in place. Those figures have not been reported1.
Why it matters for households
The cap shows what happens when demand for hardship support outruns the money behind it. For a household, a capped scheme means the route to a grant can close even when the need is unchanged, and the practical difference between a topped-up award and a new £200 grant is money that can go towards a bill or a top-up at a time when a home is cold1.
Grants of this kind sit alongside the wider landscape of crisis funds and hardship grants for energy, which are separate from the supplier-funded work under the Energy Company Obligation and from council and local authority energy grants. Eligibility for many schemes turns on which benefits qualify, and the Energyworks funding was aimed at residents whose health was at risk from cold homes rather than at a defined benefit group1.
For a home's energy independence, the significance is that short-term cash support addresses the bill, not the building. It does not insulate a wall or replace a boiler, so it does not reduce how much energy a home needs. The grants and energy independence picture covers both kinds of help, and the difference between them matters when a household is deciding what to apply for.
What happens next
No further funding round, reopening date or change to the cap has been reported1.