National Grid has announced £2.3m in funding to help people who are struggling to pay their energy bills.

The electricity distributor will work with charities to deliver advice and support to ease financial pressures on families.

This is the second phase of funding being handed out through its Grid for Good Energy Affordability Fund, which is worth £10.5m over three years. The first round of funding saw £1.2m distributed in February.

Through this latest funding round an estimated 16,000 households will be supported.

Charities and support organisations to benefit from the funding to deliver support include Citizens Advice. It will use its funding to support more than 3,000 househild with energy advice, helping people to manage their buls and make their homes more energy efficient.

“This ongoing support from National Grid will help us provide advice and information to thousands of households struggling the most to heat their homes, keep the lights on, and cook hot meals,” said Citizens Advice interim head of fundraising Louise Kelly.

Another organisation to benefit from the funding is the Fuel Bank Foundation, which will support emergency financial assistance for households with prepayment meters “while also offering practical help and advice to prevent households from falling into fuel crisis in the future”, said National Grid.

Elsewhere, the Centre for Sustainable Energy has been handed funding to deliver personalised energy action plans and expand its national advice service so more households can access technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels.

The Centre’s chief executive Janine Michael said: “Thanks to this funding from National Grid, the Centre for Sustainable Energy will be able to expand and enhance our support for fuel poor and vulnerable households across England and Wales.

“We'll be able to reach thousands of people who we otherwise would not have been able to help, providing advice and support that enables them to participate and financially benefit from a smarter, greener energy system and reducing the risk they fall back into fuel poverty.

National Grid’s global head of social impact and community engagement Komie Jain said: “We recognise that many families are still facing tough decisions over their energy costs, and we are committed to helping ease the financial burden.

“While short-term assistance is essential, our ambition goes further. We want the fund to help foster long-term solutions that can provide benefits for many years ahead.”

Local community grants

Earlier this month National Grid announced that applications are being accepted for its local community benefit funds for its Yorkshire GREEN, Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1) and Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) projects.

This sees grants of up to £20,000 available for projects in County Durham, the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire.

The electricity distributor is working with Local Giving which is managing the funding for the initiative.

Technology education, environmental protection, improving community spaces, employability support, and health and wellbeing are among issues the fund will support.

More details on how to apply and the detailed eligibility criteria can be found on the project's community benefit websites:

• EGL1
• EGL2
• YG

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