Hydro trust offers financial support for new electricity connections
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Applications are being invited for financial support to connect to the electricity network in the north of Scotland.
The opportunity comes from the Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust, an independent charitable trust set up in 1998 by Scottish Hydro Electric (now SSE). The trust considers applications for support with the cost of connecting to the electricity network for individual home-owners and community groups in the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) licence area.
The trust is looking to support up to 75 per cent of the cost of connections for successful community projects and will also support up to 50 per cent of the cost for individuals looking for support to meet the costs of a new domestic connection.
The next round of applications closes at the end of next month.
Trust chairman Ron Brown said: “We have been delighted to continue our support for individual home-owners and community projects in the north of Scotland. The trust was set up to help those facing challenges connecting to the electricity network, particularly in some of our rural and island communities, so it’s great to see this support continue to benefit individual customers and wider communities over 20 years later.
“In the financial year to date, we’ve issued grants worth £63,668 to support individual home-owners often facing high costs to connect to the network in SSEN’s distribution area in the north of Scotland. We also awarded grants totalling £30,085 to support connection costs of community projects and are encouraging further applications from groups looking to provide significant benefits to their local communities.”
Environmental group Plastic@Bay CIC received a grant towards the connection of its new plastic recycling workshop set up in Durness to tackle plastic pollution on local beaches.
Director Joan D’Arcy said: “Most of the plastic we collect is fishing ropes and nets which are not recyclable by conventional means and end up in landfill. Our aim is to sell enough items made from recycled fishing nets to employ beach cleaners and become self-sufficient in order to continue our good work.”
The next round closes on Friday, December 27, with further applications welcome after this date as the trust meets quarterly to consider applications.
For more information on the Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust, to apply online or download an application form, visit www.shect.org
