Net Zero Awards: Swaffham Prior village praised for ditching oil

Swaffham Prior village won a sustainability award for delivering environmentally friendly heating

A project that helped oil-dependent villagers heat their homes using renewable energy has won an award.

Residents of Swaffham Prior village, in Cambridgeshire, ditched their oil tanks and storage heaters in favour of ground and air source heat pumps.

The initiative was praised at the edie Net Zero Awards and crowned Renewable Energy Project of the Year.

Cambridgeshire County Council said: "It's fantastic that our work has been recognised."

The majority of villagers previously relied on oil to power and heat their homes.

The council scheme, delivered in partnership with Swaffham Prior Community Land Trust and Bouygues Energies and Services Ltd, aimed to move residents away from fossil fuels.

Instead, 60 residents had their homes connected to a renewable heat network, which not only helped cut oil consumption but enabled residents to save on heating bills.

'This sort of solution is critical'

Lorna Dupre, Liberal Democrat councillor for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "We're not just taking a community off oil; we're also developing a blueprint to meet the energy needs of rural communities as we look towards a low carbon future.

"This sort of solution is critical not just for Cambridgeshire's villages, but for all places off the gas grid across the country, to ensure a just transition to Net Zero for everyone."

The edie Awards formerly known as the Sustainability Leaders Awards, has been running for 16 years.

It gives recognition to green projects which are transforming the energy landscape for good.