The Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for central southern England and the north of Scotland is now welcoming applications from communities, charities and local not-for-profit organisations through its PCNZ webpage.

Applications are open until noon on Thursday 21 May 2026 and the fund, which was introduced as part of SSEN’s current business plan, is awarding £3m in shareholder-funded grants by 2028 in two categories:

• Physical and environmental resilience
  This provides grants to support communities during prolonged power interruptions caused by storms, and aid their ability to cope in periods of severe weather.
• Low-carbon technologies
  This is to help support the purchase and adoption of new Low-Carbon Technologies like heat pumps and solar panels – and energy-saving measures when combined with LCT installations – by non-profit organisations.

In 2025, SSEN awarded £693,000 to a total of 57 projects through the PCNZ fund, helping local communities across its network areas.

• Ten low-carbon technology and 22 resilience projects were funded in central southern England, with values of £129,000 and £215,000 respectively.
• Ten 10 low-carbon technology and 15 resilience projects were funded in the north of Scotland, with values of £189,000 and £160,000 respectively.

The UK’s changing weather patterns and more volatile climate have been reflected in windier, wetter winters and hotter summers, increasing the need for communities to prepare and adapt.

In acknowledging this, SSEN intends to allocate around half of this year’s funding for applications relating to physical and environmental resilience measures. The maximum award in this category has also been increased, to allow grants of up to £20,000 to be awarded.

The remaining share of the fund will be available for non-profit organisations to apply for grants to go towards the purchase of new low-carbon technologies. Projects that are well advanced in their development will be prioritised.

For example, a successful grant application could result in a social housing scheme or community centre being awarded funding to contribute to the cost of EV chargers, solar panels, battery storage or backup, low-carbon heating systems, or smart heating controls.

Applicants who’ve already carried out an energy audit to provide recommendations for what to install and to give an idea of potential cost savings will be considered favourably. Funding for energy-saving measures will be considered, but priority will be given to applications looking to install technology such as heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage.

Grants of up to £20,000 will be awarded to successful applicants in this category.

SSEN Distribution’s managing director Chris Burchell said: “Powering communities to thrive while supporting their transition to a decarbonised future is one of our main aims, so we’re delighted to have funded 57 new initiatives in last year’s Powering Communities to Net Zero (PCNZ) fund.

“This year, we’re committing to help even more local organisations in their efforts to enhance and support their communities, and to help them to stay resilient during severe weather or support their sustainability goals.”

Chris added: “I’m pleased to open applications for the third year of this fund, which is designed to both strengthen resilience and improve local environments. Since the fund’s launch, we’ve awarded over £1.62 million across our licence areas to support this mission.

“We look forward to receiving this year’s applications and continuing to back projects that make a meaningful difference.”