The CARES Community Heat Development Programme is open for Expressions of Interest, to help communities in Scotland heat their homes in climate-friendly, low carbon ways.

Delivered by Local Energy Scotland and funded by Scottish Government, the programme is designed to provide technical support to groups of householders and community organisations interested in exploring a collective approach to heating their homes (and other nearby buildings) through locally-generated, low and carbon heat projects. Groups of houses and buildings can include cul-de-sacs, tenement blocks, and four-in-a-blocks.

Examples of successful applications include:

12 neighbours in a block of flats investigating low carbon options to replace the block’s ageing gas supply
residents in a tenement block who are considering installing ground source heat pumps in their block’s shared ground.
a community looking at the coordinated, collective purchase of air source heat pumps to help make the process smoother for everyone living there

Successful applicants will receive technical support to consider the feasibility of their project idea, and will be given advice on next steps, including any potential routes for further funding.

For further information, including how to apply and all eligibility criteria, please visit the dedicated Community Heat Development Programme page.