SUSTAINABLE Crediton has described winning a grant of £39,000 for its "Warm Homes Project" as "fantastic news".

The community planning and advice organisation, which supports sustainability of resource use and the challenges of climate change in Crediton and the district, says it will use the money to install renewable heating technologies in the homes of 22 local families.

Sustainable Crediton is one of six communities in the South West awarded a share of £675,000 from the Government's renewable heat communities scheme, announced by Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker on Monday, December 3.

The Renewable Heat Premium Payment communities scheme, launched in July this year, aims to kick-start new projects and build on renewable heating schemes already up and running across the South West and Great Britain, helping save people money on bills and providing low carbon heating alternatives to cut emissions.

Mr Barker said: "We need to transform the way we heat our homes to help keep bills down and cut carbon too.

"Community groups, with their enthusiasm, local knowledge and drive, need to be at the very heart of this revolution so it's great to see six community groups across the South West getting on board.

"The money from this scheme will help around 290 householders across this region take advantage of the great benefits of renewable heat."

Energy Saving Trust's director for local delivery, Andy Deacon, said:

"Today's announcement will see 38 communities across Great Britain helping local households install renewable heat technologies (such as solar water heating, heat pumps and biomass boilers).

"Local communities are at the forefront of the scheme and will play a vital role in learning how community buying networks could help make renewable heating more affordable for millions of British households.

"Energy Saving Trust is pleased to be working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and our community partners to see how we can make this ambition a reality."

Chair of the Transition Network, Peter Lipman, said: "I'm delighted that DECC, working with community representatives, have developed a scheme which has moved away from communities competing against each other towards encouraging and supporting collaboration between the communities taking part in this scheme, with many different models and huge amounts of innovation.