In autumn of 2024, Garvald and Morham Community Council, with the financial support of Crystal Rig Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, presented an offer to all 199 households in the Ward. WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR OPINIONS ON THIS SCHEME.

The offer comprised:

1 – £100 to every household to offset the extra costs of broadband and fuel bills due to the majority of homes being without access to fibre or mains gas.

2 – Extra help for those who needed it of £200. This was done by self-certification by providing an extra tick-box on the claim form. The aim was to remove any stigma but acknowledging that some of our neighbours may need more support.

3 – Financial support towards installation of any renewable or energy efficiency measure that is supported by Home Energy Scotland. This is offered at 15% of loan or grant offered to a maximum of £1000. This allowed us to use Home Energy Scotland’s assessment mechanisms while promoting more cost effective and greener alternatives. This followed an information event in Garvald in February 2024 . This fund is still open.

The claims were completed by short forms which could be returned online, by email or by post. Proof of address by Council Tax statement was required.

Initially, we used email lists, social media and our website to promote as much as we could. In October, volunteers then posted flyers through the doors of anyone who had not yet claimed.

Results

• 103 households claimed the £100
• 11 households claimed the extra support payments
• 5 households have submitted claims for the installations support. This covers three Air Source Heat Pumps, one PV battery storage and one for secondary glazing.  

Total awarded

PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE SCHEME BY COMPLETING THIS SHORT SURVEY

We are delighted that 49% of our households have supported this initiative and taken us up on this offer. Please note the deadline of 30th November. 

All households in the ward are offered a small payment of £100 to be claimed against fuel bills or rural broadband costs. This payment is administrated by Garvald and Morham Community Council with Crystal Rig Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

If you are struggling with your energy bills, you may be eligible for additional payment. Please tick the relevant box on the form.

Please complete the form here or use the contact form below to arrange paper or emailable versions.

Please note that this is available to homes in Garvald and Morham Ward only and applications will be checked against the Ward address list provided to us by East Lothian Council.

You should be aware that your data will be held as per Garvald and Morham Community Council Data Protection Policy in order to process your application and to report to funders on this project. Installations will be reported but unattached to any personal details.

As ever, our thanks go to Crystal Rig Community Benefit Fund for making this possible.

We will soon be starting our leaflet drop to all households who have not yet applied for the £100 rural support payment.

Save us paper and stepcount by sending in your application now. We would also be grateful if you would share with in your local WhatsApp, email groups or networks. Or maybe you have a neighbour who is not online? We can send you a prntable version to hand to them.

The rural suport fund is available for ALL households in the ward in recognition of extra costs of living rurally. A third of the households in our community have already received their payment.

Rural support for all (£100) – application form here

The leaflet will also include information regarding the contribution for renewables / energy effciency installations.
Low Carbon Community contributions for households – application form here

If you have any trouble with the forms, or would prefer a printable version, please email me at secgmcc@gmail.com for alternative methods.

Both funds are managed by GMCC by application to Crystal Rig Community Windfarm Community Benefit Fund.

We are also looking for volunteers to take some of the leaflets round. Please let me know if you can help.

Anna, on behalf of GMCC

Just because you live here, that’s the only criteria needed!

We are delighted that nearly 20% of households have now claimed our new rural payment, made available by Garvald and Morham Community Council.
We would love ALL households in the ward to take up this offer. Please click on the link below to find out more.

Also note the Low Carbon grant on offer to all households who install a selection of renewable alternatves or energy efficiency measures anytime since January 2024. Again, more on the link, with links on where to get advice if you are thinking of installing.

Support as we head towards winter

From Anna and all at GMCC
Please send any queries through the form:

Have you turned your heating on yet?
As we head towards the colder months, two new support projects are now live:

In follow up to our Low Carbon Communities event, Changeworks will be hosting an online information session for anyone who may have missed their series of local community events, This will be held online on 27^th March at 6pm
Sign up here – https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/changeworks/t-qjgrmmv.

They are also hosting an online quiz where you can learn more about saving energy and be entered to win a £100 voucher. You can also sign up to receive a small pack of energy saving measures if eligible at the end of the quiz.
Quiz open for two weeks: Home Heating competition – Changeworks

The slides from the presentation brought to our Garvald and Morham event by Home Energy Scotland are now available to download here –

Garvald & Morham Slides

They outline options for insulation of traditional building, airsource heat pumps and all the grants available to homeowners and landlords. There is also details on plannng permission and how to find an installer.

Yordan has also transcibed your questions and provided answers which you can view – here Q&A

As mentioned, Greener Homes Network has a member in Dunbar who is happy to help people understand air source and the process of his install. Read about him and make contact here

If you have further questions, please look at the Home Energy Scotland website for more information and details of how to contact them. Or contact Yordan and Sam at technicalteam@se.homeenergyscotland.org / 0808 808 2282

What a great event!  Thank you to everyone who joined us. We hope you found it useful.

Gratitude also to Changeworks, Home Energy Scotland, the local organisers, the soup and cake makers, and those who went around ensuring leaflets and information was delivered to everyone in the ward.

The slides from the presentation and Q&A are now available. These contain information on insulation, secondary glazing and airsource heat pumps, plus the grants available. These can be requested on the contact form below.
You can also find information at homeenergyscotland.org or call them on 0808 808 2282. They also have a contact form at homeenergyscotland.org/contact

GMCC are delighted to have supported this event and are hoping to contnue working with Changeworks, Home Energy Scotland and other organisations to bring information and opportunities of this type to the ward.