10056578Inclusive local energy marketsClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UKThis innovative project will use the local natural energy resources and develop a new community heating approach to drastically reduce bills whilst providing low carbon warmth. It will focus on including the most vulnerable and at risk of social isolation, those with English as a second language, the elderly in danger of rural isolation and the fuel poor. It will build on work to date to engage and support households in areas of severe fuel poverty in rural North Wales and deprived areas of London. The community will lead on the development of a heat network business plan, with outreach via events and one to one meetings designed to include those in the community who are hardest to reach. This will ensure that the planning and developments are inclusive as well as providing representative feedback for technological innovation and improvements to our current online energy dashboard and app. The innovative community heat network fed by local renewables will provide opportunities for training, education and employment in the area as well as the environment benefits of reducing carbon emissions through using renewable energy locally and provoking consumption behaviour change. This will be enabled by innovative use of batteries to avoid network constraints. We will work to find different payment structures for heat to make it as easy as possible for those in risk of fuel poverty to participate.