Cold to Cosy Alston

Cold to Cosy Alston

Organisation behind the project

Based in north Cumbria, Alston Moor Community Energy (AMCE) is a community benefit society set up to enable the community to have greater control of its energy systems, lower fuel bills for local residents and increase the generation of low carbon, renewable energy.

Background and detailed description of the project

This project will extend the work currently delivered by Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) on its Cold to Cosy Programme to Alston Moor residents.

The Alston Moor Partnership community plan (2019 – 2025) aims to build affordable homes to a high building and energy efficient specification as a foundation for long-term sustainability. In common with social housing developments across the UK, it promotes the best possible environmental standards for new-build and existing hard-to-heat homes by adapting and ‘retro-fitting’ energy efficiency measures.

The Cold to Cosy Alston project will work with the Alston Moor Partnership to develop some of the desired outcomes identified as part of the community plan.

Our £15,000 funding will be used to provide accredited training for a localised home energy assessor which will help develop long-term sustainability for the Alston area. The assessor will visit 40 local homes and provide advice on energy efficiency and help residents to access energy saving measures such as free, professionally-installed draught proofing and ECO Flex funding from Eden District Council for support towards other measures including loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and renewable forms of heating.

In addition the project will hold an energy efficiency workshop for local residents, help promote Electricity North West’s priority services register to vulnerable customers and ensure residents know what to do in a power cut.

Project partners

To deliver the Cold to Cosy Alston project, AMCE will be working with a number of partners including:

• Alston Moor Partnership – local community group which aims to further the well-being of all members of the community, especially through grant applications for projects which benefit Alston Moor
• Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) – Cumbria's climate change and sustainability organisation who campaign to empower and enable people, communities and businesses to live and work more sustainably by sharing knowledge, practice, skills, networks and practical experience.

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of Alston Moor Community Energy visit their website.