About the fund

The Local Energy Assessment Fund aims to support communities across England and Wales to play an active role in the development of a low carbon society where energy supply is both secure and affordable. The fund will resource work by community groups to understand their potential for improvements in energy efficiency and local deployment of renewable energy, alongside demonstrations of solid wall insulation.

The grant fund provided by the programme is intended to help communities to prepare for new opportunities in sustainable energy and climate change arising from the Green Deal, Renewable Heat Incentive and Feed in Tariffs. The grants can be used to fund projects that follow the Energy Hierarchy (reduce energy use, use energy efficiently, generate renewable energy); specifically the following types of activity:

Energy efficiency

  • Understanding what the potential for energy saving is in homes within your community, how that could be delivered cost effectively under the Green Deal in a way that allows the community to realise some of the benefit.
  • Demonstrating energy saving technologies such as solid wall insulation in local homes and using community buildings as exemplars of energy saving technologies and measures.
  • Helping local people to understand the potential of energy saving measures and behaviours.

Renewable energy

  • Area-wide studies to highlight which renewable energy technologies would be most appropriate and beneficial for the area.
  • Outline feasibility studies into specific renewable energy projects that could be financed through Feed in Tariffs, Renewable Heat Incentive or the new renewable energy revolving fund.

This fund is a response by Department of Energy and Climate Change to the efforts of community groups across the UK in raising awareness of climate change and energy issues. It aims to help empower communities to play an active role in the development of the low carbon economy within England and Wales.

Application guidance

Before making an application to LEAF, please download and read the LEAF Application Guidance document. This document contains essential information that will guide you through the application process.

Download the Application Guidance

Fund partners

The fund is brought to you in association with the following partners. Click on a partner logo to visit that partner.




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