Community Action on Energy and Carbon

Supporting households and communities to save energy, reduce costs and cut carbon.

CAN has a long-standing commitment to improving household energy efficiency and lowering carbon emissions in rural Northumberland. 

There is a nationwide agenda to tackle the problems associated with fuel poverty and carbon emissions but rural isolation presents a significant barrier to reaching many of those most in need. Northumberland is one of the most sparsely populated counties in England with just 63 people per square kilometre. 45% of Northumberland’s population live in rural areas. Of these more than 20% are over the age of 65, 15,075 people report themselves as having a limiting long-term illness and over 17,500 people are income deprived.

Tackling the rural isolation barrier to fuel poverty

Our energy advice projects seek to overcome the rural isolation barrier and aim to help residents stay warm at home, cutting costs and cutting carbon.

CAN has a long history of working with rural communities and has a strong network of links with community anchors such as parish councils and village halls. We believe village halls and other community buildings provide a natural access point through which to reach local communities.

Our Services

We are proud to continue our work thanks to support from the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme, the National Lottery Community Fund and Northern Gas Networks. With their funding, we are helping more individuals and communities face rising energy costs, stay warm at home, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels—cutting both bills and carbon emissions

Community Energy Advisers

We have successfully secured funding from the National Lottery to support households and communities to take charge of their energy needs and find practical, long-term solutions to benefit everyone.

Through the Climate Action in Rural North East project we are building on CAN’s established experience in delivering energy advice and nurturing community energy projects. We are delivering a range of innovative programmes to help rural communities make a meaningful impact: 

• Free Energy Advice for Households: Offering households in Northumberland free, tailored energy advice on transitioning away from fossil fuels, delivered through expert home visits. 
• Community Energy Projects: Supporting local groups to establish energy initiatives, inspired by the success of Northumberland Community Energy Ltd, which is equipping community buildings across the county with solar panels and batteries. 
• Carbon Assessments: Conducting whole-community assessments to pinpoint opportunities for reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency in homes, businesses, and shared spaces. 
• Training and Skills Development: Providing workshops and resources on energy efficiency, renewable technologies, and retrofitting to equip residents with practical knowledge and tools. 
• Engaging Young People: Partnering with schools and youth groups to inspire the next generation to take action against the climate crisis. 

To find out how we can help you and your community please contact a member of the CAIRN team on: Email: energy@ca-north.org.uk   Phone: 01670 517178 

Powering People Project

The Powering People project (funded through Ofgem Redress) is aimed at reducing fuel poverty and supporting the transition of Northumberland’s off-electricity grid households from fossil fuels to sustainable energy solutions.

This includes delivering household energy audits and advice, supporting grid connections and renewable installations, facilitating community energy solutions, and contributing to policy advocacy and knowledge exchange.

If you would like to know more about this project or you wish to register as ‘off-grid’, please contact davidrichardson@ca-north.org.uk or johnbogue@ca-north.org.uk

Community Buildings Energy Adviser Project

Through this project we support community buildings and village halls with advice on energy efficiency improvements and sustainability initiatives for community buildings; along with providing energy audits, and dealing with energy related issues, helping to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints.

This project works closely with local communities, Northumberland Community Energy Ltd (NCEL), and the CAN energy team to implement energy-saving strategies and promote the adoption of renewable energy solutions.

If you would like an energy audit for your community building, funding advice for renewable technology or have any energy related issues, please get in touch with the project officer Jake Delacey at jakedelacey@ca-north.org.uk  

Warm Hubs

Our award-winning 'Warm Hubs' programme has been highlighted as good practice by both Ofgem and the Prince’s Countryside Fund (“Village Survival Guide,” 2019), providing a network of warm, energy-efficient community venues acting as focal points for energy support and advice and a small network of volunteer ‘Community Energy Agents'.

The Green Table Northumberland

The Green Table Northumberland is a series of roundtable events for organisations and community groups working to advance renewable technologies and carbon reduction measures. The initiative fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing to accelerate the adoption of sustainable solutions across rural Northumberland.

Whether you’re already involved in a green project or just getting started, we’d love you to join us to:

• Talk about renewable energy projects – solar, wind, biomass, heat pumps and more
• Learn from others – real examples, case studies and local success stories
• Get help and advice – funding opportunities, energy audits and carbon assessments
• Build local connections – meet others who care about sustainability

For more information and the latest Green Table diary dates email energy@ca-north.org.uk

Going Green Together

We are partners in the Going Green Together initiative by the VONNE Climate Action Alliance initiative. Its mission is to support organisations and communities in the North East to take climate action, which includes advice on reducing energy use.

Cosy CAN newsletters

Our Cosy CAN newsletters contain lots of useful information focused on energy; with articles covering topics form solar panels to winter fuel payments and getting the most from your smart meters.

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To learn more about our projects, find energy advice, useful resources, and our latest news and events visit Energy Advice in Rural Northumberland | EARN