Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has teamed up with fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) and consultants Navigant on a new project where communities can receive payments for helping ease constraints on the local electricity network.

To further explain this process, the benefits that Social Constraint Management Zones (SCMZ) can bring to communities, and how communities can be paid for delivering reductions in electricity usage at peak times, SSEN - along with NEA and Navigant - is hosting an event and 'matchmaking workshop' in Reading Town Hall on Thursday 4 July from 10am - 3pm.

Initially, there are two zones where funding is available for interested parties; in Drayton, South Oxfordshire and Coxmoor Wood, on the border between Hampshire and Surrey.

SSEN's Innovation Project Manager, Laura Hawkins explains more: "Potential projects can cover anything that reduces or shifts demand, and might include programmes of installation of LED lighting, battery storage, or utilising variable rate electricity tariffs.

"You don't have to be an expert in the flexibility market. Seed funding and expert advice is available for suitable proposals and our event and matchmaking workshop will give more information on the project and the funding, while also encouraging partnerships between organisations to work together in participation."

"We'll even have our project consultants on hand to assess the reductions in demand a project might achieve and calculate the payments that would be provided."

SSEN would like to encourage anyone interested in finding out how they and their community - can receive payments for reducing peak demand, time shifting electricity consumption or reducing overall demand to attend its event at Reading Town Hall on Thursday 4 July 2019.

To register, please click here.