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Scotland Tom Litster0789 429 [email protected]
Chair: Oliver MyersTel: 0207 [email protected] Chair: Andy StephensonTel: 0191 [email protected]: Helen AtkinsTel: 0116 299 5133 [email protected]
North WestDave Ward0787 980 [email protected]
Yorkshire & North EastNeill Reed (interim incumbent)07879 [email protected]
Midlands & WalesAllan Clews0775 389 [email protected]
East Midlands & East AngliaLisa Sims0773 661 [email protected]
West & North London M4 CorridorShirley Goodey0779 364 [email protected]
South & East London South EastDavid Blowers0771 765 [email protected]
South West London South WestDiane Paris-Hunter0784 300 [email protected]
Northern Ireland HECA Advisory Panel Representative: Noel RiceTel: 02890 [email protected]
Scottish HECA Officers’ NetworkRepresentative: Stephen Cunningham
Tel: 01506 [email protected]
E.ON Key Account Managers
Chair: Revathi BTel: 0161 342 2557
[email protected] Chair / Secretariat: Alison Hartley
Tel: 0161 242 5810 [email protected]
Chair: Steve MartinTel: 01443 863215
[email protected] Chair: Leanna Jones
01352 [email protected]
Secretariat: Erica MasonTel: 01633 223111
Chair: Rachel JonesTel: 01789 [email protected] Chair: Tom WinckleyTel: 01902 [email protected] Secretariat: Deborah GabbayTel: 0121 543 [email protected]
Chair: Colin AndersonTel: 01752 307176 [email protected] Chair: Erica Pretty Tel: 01202 [email protected]: Emma.QuestTel: 01752 [email protected]
Chair: John MathersTel: 0208 489 [email protected] Chair: Jo GillTel: 01895 [email protected]: Sarah HitchcockTel: 0845 450 3375 [email protected]
Chair: Paul MaplethorpeTel: 01709 [email protected] Chair Jane MearsTel: 01482 [email protected]: Simon TaoTel: 01422 [email protected]
Chair: Kathy AlcockTel: 01892 554275 [email protected]: Mark SaundersTel: 01235 547603 [email protected]: Vacant
Chair: Denise MarsdonTel: 0115 988 6293
[email protected] Chair / Representative: Dave Malone
Tel: 01327 [email protected]
Secretariat: Helen Atkins Tel: 0116 299 5133
Chair: Andy StephensonTel: 0191 [email protected] Chair: Ian Bloomfield Tel: 01388 [email protected]: Wendi Wheeler Tel: 0164 2777970 [email protected]
Chair: Julia BlackwellTel: 01480 [email protected]: Steve Adelizzi Tel: 01279 [email protected]: Bruce PittingaleTel: 05602 [email protected]
1 2
Carbon Action News is the quarterly news magazine of the Carbon Action Network
and was formerly known as HECA Network News
Past issues of Carbon Action News and HECA Network News can
be downloaded from www.carbonactionnetwork.org.uk
Please send any news items, articles or pictures that you would like
to see in Carbon Action News to: Helen Atkins at the
Carbon Action Network Secretariat - [email protected]
Tel: 0116 299 51332-4 Market Place South,
Leicester, LE1 5HB
Welcome to the 2009 Conference Edition of Carbon Action NewsMany thanks to E.ON who sponsored this year’s Conference - the first to be held under our new identity of the Carbon Action Network. And thanks to everyone else who contributed to the success of the conference, including all our speakers, exhibitors, delegates and everyone who gave their hard work and time. Videos of all of the main room speakers as well as all of the official conference photos are now on the conference website:www.carbonactionnetwork.org.uk/conference
On 15 July, the Government published its Low Carbon Transition Plan, details of which are available on DECC’s website at: www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/publications/lc_trans_plan, along with the new Renewable Energy Strategy, the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy and Low Carbon Transport Strategy.
The plans show how the UK will cut carbon emissions by 34% on 1990 levels by 2020 and generate 40% of its electricity from renewables and low carbon sources such as nuclear and clean coal plants.
The UK is the first country to set itself legally binding targets which will hopefully be an example to other countries in December’s global climate talks in Copenhagen. Although the UK is only responsible for 2.2% of global CO emissions, there are only seven 2
countries that emit more than us - the vast majority emit less carbon than the UK but are cumulatively responsible for around 40% of global emissions. Every country has to play its part no matter what the size. It’s the same with household emissions; the cumulative total of savings is important. Even though it might seem insignificant to turn off a light switch or boil less water in your kettle, every contribution counts!
Besides the environmental impact, the Government expects that more than 400,000 green jobs will be created due to the plan. It will also give us greater security of supply.
But the question is, will a 34% cut be enough? The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change says that we need to cut carbon emissions by at least 40% by 2020 to avoid dangerous levels of climate change. Should we be doing more, particularly considering that a proportion of the reductions already acheived have simply been a result of the downturn in the economy?
The press have also been reporting that all this could mean an increase of around £250 in the yearly cost of fuel bills over the next 10 years. DECC claims that a £92 increase is more realistic, taking into account the proposed greening of the UK’s housing stock, although, whichever estimate turns out to be correct, we’ll have to keep a carful eye on fuel poverty levels.
- Rob Leeson, Carbon Action Network
Insulating hard to treat
properties in Rotherham
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is
pioneering the use of energy efficiency measures
and renewable energy technologies to improve its
housing stock. Paul Maplethorpe, Affordable
Warmth and Sustainable Energy Co-ordinator at
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, has
been working on a successful project with both
residents and staff, to insulate the solid walls of
homes with an external wall insulation product
from Kingspan.
The project involves improving insulation in non-
cavity, concrete-panelled built homes as well as
enhancing their appearance. Homes that are
built with concrete panels have a timber frame
attached so that the insulation can be added and
an outer brick skin finish applied. This allows the
inner wall and roof to remain in situ.
E.ON has provided financial support to
supplement Rotherham Metropolitan Borough
Council's investment in the homes.
Residents have responded positively to the
improvements and are looking forward to
increased warmth and lower energy bills in their
revamped homes.
Solid wall insulation is likely to play an important
role in the fight against climate change with 25,000
to 30,000** solid wall installations being completed
in 2008* and more planned for 2009. And of
course, every resident that has solid wall insulation
installed could save around £400 a year on their
energy bills**.
Paul Maplethorpe explained that he is working on
other sustainable housing projects with Rotherham
Metropolitan Borough Council which will use other
renewable technologies like solar thermal and
ground source heat pumps.
For further details on solid wall insulation with E.ON,
please contact your local Key Account Manager.
Their details can be found on the back page of this
edition of Carbon Action News.
*Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes - Solid Wall
Insulation Supply Chain Review (May 2009) carried out by
Purple Market Research
**energysavingtrust.org.uk
Filling the gaps
20 per cent of heat loss in a typical home occurs due to
draughts*. By installing draught proofing, residents could
save around £30 a year on their heating bills, reducing
emissions by around 150kg CO /year* . The payback time 2
for professionally installed draught proofing is roughly
around seven years.* However, the thermal benefits will
be felt immediately by the resident. If everyone in the UK
draught proofed their homes correctly, we could save
over £200m from our energy bills.
Correct draught proofing decreases the amount of cold
air entering and circulating around a home therefore
keeping it warmer. The materials used can be wide-
ranging from brushes under doors, to foams or sealants
around windows, skirting boards, plug sockets and
pipework. Draught proofing is a non-intrusive and
inexpensive energy saving measure that will save residents
money. It is essential to ensure there is adequate
ventilation especially if residents have fuel burning
appliances such as boilers, fires, water heaters or cookers.
Under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, E.ON is able
to offer grants to encourage the installation of subsidised
draught proofing, helping to ensure this area of insulation is
not overlooked. For further details on E.ON's draught
proofing products and any available funding options,
please contact your local Key Account Manager. Their
details can be found on the back cover of this edition of
Carbon Action News.
*energysavingtrust.org.uk
East Midlands CAN launch
Over 50 local authority officers and stakeholders from
the East Midlands region convened for the launch of
the regional Carbon Action Network (CAN) Forum.
East Midlands CAN replaces the old regional HECA
Forum.
The event, which was held at Voluntary Action
Leicester in May, was also used as an informative
conference looking at practical action for
performance indicators.
Supporting the launch from Leicester City Council
was Cllr Wann who gave an inspiring speech about
the Council’s work and the importance of groups
such as EM-CAN. Coleen Wilkins, the Head Teacher at
Falconer's Hill Infant School gave an overview of
obtaining climate friendly communities through the
school. The school is an excellent example of best
practice for its Eco Club, where children are
encouraged to take part in recycling, gardening,
litter picking and walking to school. The work extends
to the home with the Protect Our World (POW) project
where children encourage family members (and
even the dog!) to join in and reduce energy and
water consumption by scoring their families habits.
Mike Peverill from East Midlands Regional Assembly
(EMRA) uplifted spirits by promoting the need for a
regional plan of action on climate change, while
E.ON offered a look at its new project HeatPlants - a
ground source heat scheme for deprived
communities.
Low carbon grants now
available in Wolverhampton
With ever changing energy prices and concerns
about the impact of cl imate change
Wolverhampton City Council are now offering
residents further assistance on top of their existing
Affordable Warmth Grants for central heating
and insulation. The new 'Low Carbon Grant'
scheme provides assistance of up to £7,500 for
eligible households for a range of different
measures. The focus is on 'hard to heat homes'
with measures such as solar hot water systems and
internal wall insulation on offer.
Many homes within Wolverhampton will have
already received a number of energy efficiency
measures such as A-rated boilers and loft
insulation via CERT funding (around 1,000
households), Government grants (around 2,250
referrals to Warm Front per year) or Local Authority
grants (around 300 per year). However, any
property built before the 1930s is likely to be solid
brick meaning solutions other than cavity wall
insulation have to be sought. A pilot project in the
City's ABCD area (All Saints and Blakenhall)
Warmzone area was carried out last year for
Sempatap, a flexible insulation lining foam that
can be fitted internally, to reduce heat loss. As it is
thinner than conventional internal wall insulation
the room size is not significantly reduced. It is
estimate that Sempatap Thermal saves 1018 kg
on a three bed semi, lifetime sav-
ings over 30 tonnes.
Manufactu red by Mou ld
Growth Consultants Ltd and
installed by local firm Burrows
Home Comfort the customer
feedback from the trials with
local residents was very positive.
The project has also won
Certificate of Merit at the
National Energy Efficiency
Award and the National Home
Improvement Council as well as a Green Apple
Award. As a result the measure will now be
available citywide for owner occupiers and
privately renting tenants (subject to eligibility
criteria).
Solar hot water systems, installed by New World
Solar, are also available under the Low Carbon
Grants scheme. As well as helping to reduce hot
water bills they enable residents to take direct
action to tackle climate change. Three systems
have already been installed under a preliminary
trial earlier in the year. Again the feedback from
residents was really positive such as the one
installed in Mr Patel's home: “I’m really happy with
my new solar hot water system as it has helped cut
my fuel bills. The installers were very professional
and I would recommend it to anyone who wanted
to do their bit to help the environment”.
The Council aims to install at least 20 of each of the
two measures this year but is willing to consider
other microgeneration technologies as the
scheme develops. The key to moving this project
forward lies in widening access to residents who
are able to contribute to the cost but may not be
able to afford the full amount in a similar way to the
able to pay rates many local authorities promote
for cavity wall and loft insulation.
Further details about Low Carbon Grants are
available on the Council's energy web pages at
www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/energy or by
contacting the Energy Efficiency Officer,
Tom Winckley on 01902 551346
The local Energy Saving Trust advice centre provided
three presentations, one on transport, another on
NI186 Toolkit and the last on building relationships. Tim
Anderson made transport sexy with a vibrant guide to
the good, bad and ugly transport options. Julia Clarke
briefed delegates on EST’s new toolkit for NI186 TrACE,
a tracking tool for local carbon saving activity. Teresa
Jackson made us think about our action for delivery
with a quirky experiment with a candle and
telepathy!
Dewi Morris is a Country Park Ranger for Daventry
District Council who, working closely with the local
HECA Officer, has incorporated the fight against
climate change into Country Park life. The park centre
has been transformed with renewable technology
and can offer outreach services to engage with
schools and businesses through conservation projects
and a community allotment.
On behalf of the Northants Home Energy Efficiency
Partnership (NHEEP), a consortium of local authorities,
Alan Isaac gave an inspirational look at the projects
NHEEP has undertaken over the year and noted that
some are more successful than others and it's a matter
of persistence and perseverance to get results.
The day concluded with a few words by the Chair,
Denise Marsdon, and a drinks reception to officially
launch East Midlands CAN.
- Helen Atkins, East Midlands CAN Secretariat
3 4
Before (inset) and after thermal
images of a house treated with
internal wall insulation.
Lunch provided an excellent
networking opportunity
Left: Teresa Jackson from EST
gave a thought provoking
interactive presentation
5 6
Everyone has a role to
play in the Big Switch Off
campaign
The Big Switch Off is a partnership of local
authorities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
promoting an energy efficiency campaign
running for a week from 12 - 18 October 2009. The
innovative week-long campaign encourages
everyone in the three authority areas to switch off
unnecessary electrical equipment and lighting to
save energy, money and cut carbon dioxide
(CO ) emissions. To find out more on the 2
campaign, please visit:www.leics.gov.uk/bigswitchoff
Over £1.8 billion worth of energy is wasted by
leaving appliances on standby at work and home
in the UK. The Big Switch Off campaign aims to
address this and encourage local organisations
and households to reduce their energy use and
costs. The residents in Leicester, Leicestershire and
Rutland could potentially save over £13 million by
switching off appliances left on standby!
Park homes transformed
By warmth scheme
Residents at Kingshead Park in Telford are no longer
living in cold, damp conditions after npower's Health
Through Warmth scheme helped to insulate six homes
on the site.
In partnership with Telford and Wrekin Council
(Affordable Warmth Team), Health Through Warmth
provided external wall, floor and roof insulation for
local residents whose health was becoming
increasingly affected by living in the poorly insulated
homes.
Pensioners Beryl and Ray Palmer are one of the
couples on the site who benefited from the measures.
They were referred to the scheme as their arthritis was
affected by the cold, in addition to Ray's diabetes
being aggravated by the conditions.
Beryl, (78), commented: “Our home has very thin
walls, which meant it was freezing during the winter
months, and would often be the same temperature
inside as it was outside. As a person who feels the cold,
I often had the heating on even during the summer, so
when the weather got colder it became unbearable.
We would often have the heating on full all night long.
“Ray turned 80 last year, and with his diabetes and our
arthritis, we knew that we couldn't live like this
anymore. It was only when we spoke to Telford &
Wrekin Council that they suggested we could be
eligible for help from npower's Health Through
Warmth scheme.
“The work was done extremely quickly and our home
is now warm and cosy all the time. We can invite
friends around again and don't have to worry about
the weather changing. We can't thank the scheme
enough for changing our lives.”
Park homes have thin walls and loose heat easily, they
cannot be insulated using traditional cavity wall
measures. Currently, funding for external wall
insulation is not generally available, but residents
were eligible for help from npower Health Through
Warmth as they were experiencing health problems
as a result of the cold conditions.
Toni Evans, Affordable Warmth Manager for Telford &
Wrekin Council, explains: “The problem with the park
homes was that we had vulnerable residents living in
wooden framed houses with no or little insulation.
Their homes were difficult to keep warm and it was
putting many of them at risk of ill health.
“External wall insulation can be complicated and
expensive, but we were able to provide each
home with 60 millimetres of external wall
insulation, floor and roof insulation. The benefits
were instantaneous, with all the homes
becoming more energy efficient and better able
to retain the heat, reducing the risk of ill health.
“As park homes are expensive to heat, we will be
monitoring usage over the next twelve months to
establish what difference the insulation has
made and to check on the progress of all of the
residents.”
Telford and Wrekin is one of 14 areas of England
and Wales in which Health Through Warmth
operates. Run in partnership with Telford and
Wrekin Council and the Primary Care Trust, the
scheme aims to help vulnerable people whose
health is adversely affected by cold, damp living
conditions by assisting with the installation of
appropriate heating and insulation measures. It
also offers advice and information about energy
efficiency.
Health Through Warmth assesses each case on
an individual basis and accesses funding from a
variety of sources, including government grants,
charitable funds, and the npower Health Through
Warmth unique crisis fund. In the Telford park
home case, the insulation work was funded by
npower to improve those properties which are
classed as hard to heat.
Health Through Warmth was set up in 2000 in
partnership with the NHS and the National Energy
Action charity. The scheme offers training sessions
to community workers such as district nurses,
occupational therapists, NHS workers, housing
officers, environmental officers, social services
and the voluntary sector who can then identify
the links between cold, damp housing and
health, and refer people at risk.
To date, over 332 referrals have been received in
the Telford and Wrekin area since the scheme
launched in October 2008 and Health Through
Warmth has accessed £154,185 for people in
need who would not otherwise have received
help.
For more information, visit
www.healththroughwarmth.com
To do their bit residents, schools, colleges and
universities, and community and faith groups are
invited to get involved in various competitions. There
are competitions to save energy for families and
community groups; produce a short-film, and design
certificates for students with some tempting prizes for
everyone.For further information please visit: www.leics.gov.uk/bsocompetitions
To help you to make a difference at your home,
school or work, the Big Switch Off partnership will
provide free resources, available from the website.
During the Big Switch Off week, we will release daily
energy saving tips on different themes. We are also
planning to organise some outreach events to
spread the message of the campaign, please keep
your eyes on the website for further details. If you
want to become a local volunteer for the
campaign, please register at:www.leics.gov.uk/bsovolunteers and we will
provide you with free resources.
You can show your support for this campaign to save
money, energy and the environment by committing
to the on-line pledge www.leics.gov.uk/bsopledge
Beryl and Ray Palmer, one of the couples who
benefited from the Health Through Warmth scheme
Sustainable Yougrave
Sustainable Youlgrave is a community-based
initiative run by the people of the Bradford River
Valley, situated in the heart of the Peak District
National Park and five miles south of Bakewell. The
community consists of four settlements, four civil
parishes, 1,600 people in 573 homes and 30
livestock farm businesses. Three villages,
Youlgrave, Alport, Middleton, together with
hamlets Gratton and Harthill, are conservation
areas and there are many listed buildings. The
largest village, Youlgrave, has its own private
water company, from Bleakley Brook and the
adjacent redundant mine, south of the village,
which is treated and piped to the community’s
homes.
Alport hydro is switched on
The mini hydro-electric installation at Alport Mill has
now been completed and this summer should
begin providing up to 35 homes in Alport with
‘clean’ renewable energy.
The project has been undertaken by owners
Haddon Estate and sees the former water-
powered corn-grinding mill returned to working
action after lying idle for many years.
The modern generating plant actually sits
alongside the old mill, a Grade I listed building.
Almost all of the new construction will be
underground and out of site – in fact, the turbine
house will be disguised by an outer ‘green’ roof of
sown wild flowers. The mill pond has now been re-
flooded and the flow of the River Lathkill has not
been affected – it will continue to flow over the
weir throughout the year. In addition, the
development will have no detrimental effect on
the fish or other wildlife, such as water voles and
crayfish.
Haddon’s successful planning application was
enthusiastically supported by Sustainable
Youlgrave, who backed the Estate’s vision and
commitment to developing a form of renewable
energy highly appropriate to the historic, rural
setting and National Park designated landscape.
Annual output from the mini hydro scheme is
expected to exceed 140,000 kWh per year, which
constitutes around 70% of the electrical
consumption of Alport. It is estimated that this will
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 100 tonnes
every year.
Anaerobic Digestion study in full flow
The full feasibility study into establishing one or more
anaerobic digestion facilities in the Bradford Valley has
completed its first phase. Commissioned by
Sustainable Youlgrave and funded by grants from the
Sustainable Development Fund and East Midlands
Development Agency, the £45,000 study was
launched in early spring and a great deal of work has
already taken place. Over 40 local farms have been
visited and the farmers interviewed; masses of facts
and figures have been gathered and collated;
potential sites have been identified; and numerous
meetings have been held with various local authorities,
relevant individuals and groups. The consultants,
Methanogen & Associates, are led by Vicky Heslop
who is working with David Collinsand Graham
Redman. They have assessed and evaluated the
information and given presentations to both SY and
local farmers, as well as an initial public meeting for our
community at Youlgrave Village Hall. We await the
next stage with anticipation. More to follow, as they
say...
Alport mill where a mini hydro-electric plant has
been installed
Mayor of Leicester, and we found his name and
picture in the records kept by the Town Hall. This
added a nice touch to the day.
For more information about the Big Switch Off
campaign, or our work with Leicester Comedy
Festival, please contact Debbie Hill at Leicester City
Council on (0116) 252 6741or email climatechange@leicester,gov.uk.
We also send out a fortnightly briefing which gives
updates on our current projects and events - please
contact Debbie Hill to join the mailing list.
Overdale Junior School’s
Big Switch Off
Last year, Overdale Junior School in Leicester
took part in the Big Switch Off campaign to
reduce energy consumption by not leaving lights
on and equipment on standby. They managed
to reduce their electricity consumption by a
mass ive 54% and were therefore the
participating school that made the most savings.
Some of the actions that they undertook were:
1. Turning off lights and opening blinds for the
whole day
2. Not turning on the projector or Interactive
Whiteboard
3. No lights or OHP in assembly - the children
sang a song that they already knew well
4. Not using lap tops excessively and making
sure they were off whenever not in use
These were quite small changes, but illustrate
how well simple actions can result in substantial
energy savings.
As a prize, the school were given the opportunity
to design “The Green Room” award, which is part
of the Greening the Laughs project - an initiative
to reduce the carbon footprint of Leicester
Comedy Festival. The Green Room award is
presented to the Fest ival venue that
demonstrates the greatest commitment to the
environment.
We received 42 excellent designs, of which six
were short-listed by a judging panel consisting of
representatives from Leicester Comedy Festival,
Leicester City Council, National Forest, De
Montfort University and Atkinson Design
Associates. The children who designed these,
together with their teacher, were invited to meet
the Lord Mayor of Leicester on 24 April.
The Lord Mayor chose the winning design and
presented certificates and eco-goody bags to
the children. The winning design was drawn by
eight-year-old Michael Lang. During the event,
one of the children discovered that her great,
great, great, great grandfather was once Lord
The winning design
drawn by eight-year-old Michael Lang
7 8
Broadland District Council supports community renewable energy
Broadland District Council has launched a new
initiative aimed at substantially boosting
awareness of solar water heating and other
renewable energy technology in the district.
The Community Renewables Project provides
support funding to assist community groups in
installing renewable energy onto their buildings.
The aim of the project is to assist the community
groups involved to cut their energy bills and to
reduce their carbon footprint. In return, the
Groups agree to act as local champions
allowing local residents to come and see the
systems in operation and spreading the word
about the benefits of renewable energy.
Spixworth Infant School was given a grant for 83%
of the installation cost for three solar thermal
panels to heat water. An electronic display will
show the temperature and the output of the
solar thermal panels with a range of educational
uses. The panels will also cut the school's gas bills
with resultant financial savings as well as lowering
related carbon emissions.
Sprowston Pavilion installed a solar thermal
system that now provides hot water for the
showers in the local sports facilities as well as the
Parish Council offices. Heating water for showers
was a major cost for the Parish Council which
now expects to make significant financial and
carbon savings. The Parish will shortly be holding
a festival event when local residents will be able
to see the installation close up. Broadland District
Council awarded a grant to cover 90% of the
project cost.
The Broadland Climate Change Team has given
support and advice along the way with help to
find the most suitable technology for the
community buildings involved. These solar
thermal power installations, together with other
similar projects that are in hand, will raise
awareness of renewable energy technology
and how well suited it is to this country's climate.
There is also the great advantage of increasing
the independency away from using fossil fuel
and other non-renewable resources.
Discover greener living
Death-defying displays, lower energy living and
an amazing new way to make smoothies were the
order of the day when two hugely popular events
came together in June.
The free Greener Living Roadshow and Teescycle
extravaganzas took place on Sunday, 7 June at
Preston Park to promote more sustainable ways of
living and travelling.
Featuring ways to lead lower-carbon, lower-
energy lifestyles, the Greener Living Roadshow will
showcase technology to help with energy
efficiency, insulation, recycling, sustainable travel
and fuel efficient driving among others.
As well as learning about recycling household
waste, the Council’s Waste Education Team was
on hand to help people recycle old, unwanted
bikes.
The event, now in its third year, featured
exhibitions on real nappies, eco burials, solar
energy, electric motor bikes and Tees Valley
Tourism.
It also featured displays from the Council’s
Countryside and Greenspaces team and
Fairtrade as well as the opportunity to take part in
a guided walk around Preston Park.
The Tees Cycle event, celebrating the exciting
world of cycling, featured competitions,
information about cycling in the Tees Valley,
exhibitions including virtual bike racing, bike try
outs including, recumbent bikes, a penny farthing,
and a four-seater zero-emissions-vehicle.
9
Norfolk Bike Week
Norfolk joined national Bike Week, starting on 13
June this year, with a week of events for all the
family, sponsored by the Energy Saving Trust's East
of England advice centre, Norfolk County Council
and the Norwich Cycling Campaign, to
encourage more people to take up cycling and
leave their cars at home.
Bike Week launched in Norwich outside the
Chapelfield Shopping Centre on Saturday 13 June
from 10 am where there was a unique Tall Bike that
is twice the height of a normal bike. The bike fair
included free bike health checks from Halfords
and police security marking.
Other events through the week included a ‘Tour
de Diss’ - a 13 mile ride on Sunday 14 starting from
Diss High School plus a barbecue and entertain-
ment. There was also an evening pub ride on the
16th, a Bike to Work breakfast on the 17th in
Norwich and one in Thetford on the 18th and the
Kett Rebellion 26 mile ride. Full programme details
are available at www.bikeweek.org.uk
Peter Chisnall, Advice Centre Manager for the
Energy Saving Trust in the East of England says: “This
is fun for all the family but the serious message is
also to encourage more people to get out of their
cars and use more fuel efficient forms of transport
that cut our carbon dioxide emissions. Bikes are
perfect and are also healthier, cheaper and more
fun for all the family.”
For more information on the Energy Saving Trust
visit: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
For information on national Bike Week
visit: www.bikeweek.org.uk/
For further information on all home and transport
energy saving advice and information, please
contact the Energy Saving Trust East of England
advice centre. Email: [email protected] or
call 0800 512 012
10
12
The two day event in May was the first conference
under the new Carbon Action Network identity.
Whilst still keeping with the main focus of domestic
energy efficiency - such as national indicators, local
approaches and fuel poverty - the plenary sessions
also touched on the widened remit of the Network
with topics like weather, transport and waste.
The venue was significant and chosen because
Leeds was also the host of the first ever 'HECA'
Network conference back in 1999 and we wanted
to welcome delegates and exhibitors back to the
city to showcase successes over the years, whilst
incorporating the changes to CAN and local
authorities.
Day one
The conference was chaired by the ever popular
Professor John Chesshire and we thank him for taking
time out of his schedule to participate at the event.
Being the official launch event of the Carbon Action
Network, the chair Oliver Myers started proceedings
with an overview of CAN. Sadly, DECC was unable to
confirm the repeal of HECA at the event, but with the
repeal in mind and the new climate change
indicator set now underway, he encouraged
officers to participate in a survey that CAN will be
conducting this summer about the ‘Changing Role
of the HECA Officer’.
CAN sponsors E.ON, provided the welcome address.
John Fawcitt touched on the importance of CAN
and the conference for its members, whilst also
providing an overview of E.ON's obligations such as
CERT, CESP and HESS and new technologies for a low
carbon economy. CESP is a new obligation and with
this comes new challenges and partnerships and he
encouraged local authorities to work with E.ON to
shape and steer projects.
As the Director of Impetus consulting, Dr Joanne
Wade spoke about a current research project
which investigates what stakeholders expect
NI186 to achieve under their Local Area
Agreements (LAA). The project is ongoing and it's
expected to culminate in autumn with
stakeholder workshops to discuss issues to develop
and share understanding on delivery.
Following on from Joanne's presentation, Philip
Mind from the LGA supplied delegates with a
summary of opportunities on the local perspective
of developing low carbon economies. With the
current economic climate there is emphasis on
green jobs, home improvements, energy and fuel
efficiency and local production, an opportunity
that local authorities should explore to further job
creation, increase domestic energy efficiency
and as a subsidy for renewable energy.
Completing the first day morning session was Prof.
Mohamed Pourkashanian who gave a detailed
The Carbon Action Network Conference 2009 Report
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presentation on technologies to secure a
clean energy future. If carbon tax is
introduced there are three types of
technology that emit no carbon dioxide that
will be invaluable: Nuclear, renewables and
coal with CO capture. Although nuclear and 2
renewables are underway, more investment
is required immediately for carbon capture.
After the morning Q&A session, the
programme moved on to the lunchtime
plenary session, which commenced with
Andrew Whittles from Cenex. His presentation
showed the requirements for more low, or in
the future zero, rated emission vehicles.
However, he reiterated the importance that
it’s not just carbon emissions we need to
lower, it's about improving air quality too.
Focussing on housing and the planning
system, Julie Alexander from PRP Architects
gave an overview of legislation governing
The glamourous reception desk team.(l to r) Alison Hartley, Erica Pretty, Darsh Chauhan and Alison McCafferty. (Sorry guys, but you didn’t think we wouldn’t use that photo did you?)
Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian highlights the expected future increase in power consumption
The Conference venue: the Queens Hotel Leeds Conference sponsors E.ON at the exhibition
11
low carbon and renewables in developments and
the opportunities for local authority officers to
engage with planners in developments.
Identifying and sharing their experiences, Alan Jones
and George Munson shared a slot to show some of
the key areas where Leeds City Council has taken a
lead role in delivering a climate change agenda and
how it can be achieved. George provided an
overview of Leeds’ strategy; who's involved and their
approach to adaptation. Alan covered the finer
details of a current project that focuses on using
thermal imagery to show school children and
members of the public how heat loss or hot spots are
identified through a thermal camera. This was
demonstrated by an unexpected appearance by
Thermo, Leeds’ energy superhero!
Site visits
Holding the conference in Leeds provided an
excellent opportunity to visit some interesting local
sites. The visits were held concurrently after lunch on
the first day. The first tour on offer was to the Drax
Power Station. The visit gave delegates a chance to
see the inside workings of an operational power
station. The station uses biomass to partially power its
units.
The second tour was to the National Coal Mining
Museum where delegates were able to descend
450ft via a cage to an old working mine whilst being
told about the developments in both technology and
equipment and working conditions over the years.
Arriving back to the surface there was also time to
explore the vast displays in the visitor centre.
The Dirty Old Town Tour was a look back in time to
historic Leeds starting with the 1750's and the
atrocities that industrial revolution brought to the city.
On a walking tour the guide provided a commentary
on the living conditions during the time and then how
the city was turned around by improving air and
water quality, sanitation, slum housing, poverty
and child labour.
Day two
Having previously worked for the Met Office and
now conveying climate change to viewers of the
BBC, Paul Hudson was well positioned to provide
the physics of cl imate change from a
meteorologist's perspective. Paul firstly looked at
causes of climate change and weather patterns
and then what global warming actually means in
terms of weather extremes and the con-
sequences.
Yorwood is a woodlands initiative for Yorkshire and
Humber who have recently completed a biomass
development. Ben Scotting, the Yorwood project
manager, provided an overview of the project
and the wood fuel market.
To support local authorities in their delivery of the
national indicator climate change and fuel
13 14
poverty indicator set, the Energy Saving Trust (EST)
has devised a guide of available resources and
support. More specifically, EST has produced a
support tool for NI186. Andy Deacon spoke about
the TRACE tool that aims to help authorities meet
the challenge of NI186 by collecting information
on carbon saving activities in a consistent format.
The presentation on 'Why Waste Waste?' by Nick
Dawber showed case studies of Waste Plants from
Norway and Germany and the proposed sites in
the UK. The need to reduce carbon emissions,
produce more renewable power and reduced
imported energy has seen the development of a
plant which combines heat and power. An
example plant in Norway incorporates this and
feeds communities clean energy through a district
heating scheme.
Following the theme of the conference, Dr Gary
Haq from Stockholm Environment Institute at the
University of York spoke about the cost of climate
Conference Chair, John Chesshire showing his appreciation of thefirst day speakers
George Munsonof Leeds City Council in full flow
Left: CAN Chair Oliver Myers and Toastmaster Roger Fielding welcome The Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Leeds to the Conference
The ‘Dirty Old Town’ walking tour group (That’s the dirtiest bit they could find nowadays.)
Many thanks to Paul Maplethorpe, the official event photographer, who’s used his tallest tripod to capture this picture of Dr Joanne Wade from Impetus Consulting addressing the Conference
15 16
change in an aging population. Conveying, what
some considered controversial findings of a
research paper, Dr Haq covered the diverse
demographic of the over 50s, their contribution
and vulnerability to climate change and the
opportunity to change.
The final speaker of the plenary sessions was Zoe
Leader who covered work by WWF on reducing
carbon emissions. Following a strategic review of
WWF, the key environmental challenges included
tackling climate change, which led to WWF's work
and published reports on transport, power, homes
and food.
The afternoon of the second day was dedicated
to seminar sessions, where delegates could
choose two of the four available seminars. There
were two best practice seminars, 'Project Counter
Attack' at Blackpool Council and the 'Switch Off'
Campaign by Leicester City and Leicestershire
councils. Following on from the themed site visits,
E.ON took the helm for a debate about clean
coal. Manchester's Mini Stern report completed
the seminar options.
Helen Atkins - CAN Secretariat
Right: BBC Look North’s Paul Hudson gave a comprehensive overview of climate change from a meteorologist’s perspective
Below: Alan Jones from Leeds City Council looking hot through energy superhero Thermo’s infra red camera
Left: The Conference Gala Dinner
Below Left: The Lord Mayor and Oliver Myers cut the cake to launch the Carbon Action Network
Below Right: Helen is coerced into taking a birthday bow at the Gala Dinner
Above: The East-side gang, Top Right: CAN Awards and Cake! Bottom Right: “Sorry Sir we don’t accept carbon credits”
Delegate Feedback
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
11
22
Plenary Sessions Day
Plenary Sessions Day
Drax Power Station
Coal Mining Museum
Dirty Old Town Tour
Clean Coal Debate
Project Counter Attack
Switch Off Campaign
Manchester Mini Stern Report
Location
Accommodation
Catering
Conference Literature
Networking Events
Organisation
Overall
Excellent Good Fair Poor
17 18
2009 Conference
Feedback Report
Many thanks our sponsors, E.ON, and to all the
delegates and exhibitors who attended the
Carbon Acton Network Conference in May and
particularly those who filled in a feedback form
which will assist the conference steering group in
preparing for the 2010 conference.
After reviewing the feedback forms, we were
pleased that the event was deemed very
successful with 43% of delegates rating the event
overall as excellent, and 49% as good.
Although varied in the topics covered, which
wasn't popular with everyone, the majority of
respondents thought the speakers were excellent
or good. Speakers that received particularly
favourable comments were Paul Hudson (Climate
correspondent and Broadcast meteorologist, BBC
Look North), Dr Joanne Wade (Impetus
Consulting), Prof Mohamed Pourkasharian
(Engineering Faculty, Leeds University) and Dr
Gary Haq (Stockholm Environment Institute of the
University of York). The content was so interesting
that many delegates said that it would have been
good if speakers had had more time.
The Drax Power Station, Coal Mining Museum and
Dirty Old Town tours were an outstanding success
receiving excellent feedback. Especially popular
were the power station tour to Drax and the Coal-
Mining Museum. Unfortunately, due to the
restriction on the number of places available for
the Drax tour, not everyone who wanted to attend
was able to and some thought more time at Drax
was needed to fit everything in. The mining tour
received 100% excellent feedback as the ex-miner
tour guides of the old coal pits provided an
amusing and informative visit.
The seminars formed the afternoon session on the
second day and although they received good
feedback, they weren't fully attended. The
delegates’ favourite seminar was Project Counter
Attack, presented by Hugh Wignall, Head of
Neighbourhood Services Blackpool Council (39%
rated as excellent).
The market-style exhibition area was, according to
feedback, too small for comfortable viewing and
especially cramped at meal and refreshment
breaks. Some would have appreciated more
time to look round the exhibition, although the
networking events were good. Unfortunately, the
hotel leased the exhibition room to another
company for the night before the conference,
despite us having reserved it. Consequently, the
pre-conference event - usually held in the
exhibition area - was held elsewhere this year.
Like most years, the catering received mixed
reviews, which is understandable as people's
tastes vary and the choice will always be limited.
We also noted the suggestion for tables/seating,
less queuing for lunch and more available time to
view the exhibition areas. It was unfortunate that
the exhibition area was small in comparison to
the main room and breakout rooms; it is difficult to
find a venue with rooms to match all our
requirements, but we felt we did well with the
available space.
Leeds was chosen as the venue for the first
Carbon Action Network Conference as it was
exactly 10 years since the first National HECA
Conference was held there. 64% agreed that
Leeds was an excellent venue and the hotel's
location next to the train station - and the
additional accommodation situated only a few
minutes away - was appreciated and public
transport was widely used.
No comments were received about the
conference packs, and the option for delegates
to take the free gifts went down well, so we hope
we have finally reached a solution that pleases
everyone.
Taking into account the low attendance on the
second day and the need for more exhibition
viewing, the conference steering group will be
looking at breaking with tradition and shaking up
the conference format next year so there is an
even better mix of learning, networking and
socialising. We hope to see you there!
Helen Atkins - CAN Secretariat
Don’t forget, videos of all of this years plenary session presentations are available to download from carbonactionnetwork.org.uk/conference, along with all of the official photos, taken by Paul Maplethorpe.
See you next year, on 11 & 12 May in Torquay...
Quote from our sponors, E.ON“The annual conference, which this year was held in Leeds, was well attended by about 300 delegates from
all over the country. Speakers talked on pertinent subjects such as climate change, CERT, and CESP. These
topics alone created much debate and discussion among delegates who were obviously enjoying the
opportunity to network as well as meet with colleagues working in the same field and experiencing similar
issues both challenging and positive. The CAN conference was a wonderful success in that all left re
energised, focussed and motivated to meet the demanding tasks ahead.” - Neill Reed KAM Manager
Carbon Action Network
Awards 2009John Davis receiving his Carbon Action Network Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lord Mayor of Leeds
John Davis - Winner of the CAN Lifetime Achievement Award John Davis has been an active member of the national and regional network for the last 12 years, providing information, support and services to both the Eastern Region and National Network.
Nationally known for his love of bow ties and the 'red jacket', John has supported many national conferences by being the most professional and charismatic toastmaster for the evening.
John has spent most of his working life in energy, first with British Gas, spending many years in varying roles up and down the country with them. He commenced the first Peterborough Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (EEAC) as manager in 1992 and spent the next few years actively delivering energy advice to the general public within the Eastern Region on behalf of the Energy Saving Trust.
John is respected throughout the East of England and beyond for his dedication, determination and helpfulness. Delivering his knowledge to all with good humour and a very pleasant demeanour; making him a true friend to every Local Authority.
Whilst managing the EEAC, John came to the notice of the Local Authorities in the Region by virtue of his unstinting support of the Local Authorities, realising that they had minimal resources, worked hand in hand with them to deliver energy advice and projects across the northern half of the region. John 'retired' for the second time when the EEAC closed and was instrumental in bringing the pilot Sustainable Energy Centre to Peterborough four years ago, coming back into the organisation later to ensure its survival.
John became the secretariat for our grandmother organisation known then as HEN and has seen its transition from that organisation meeting once a year with around 15 members, through HEON-E to the present with the CAN East network which meets quarterly, regularly attracting 50 members to every meeting in 2009. The meeting regularly attracts 32 Councils to attend which represents 68% of the Authorities in the Eastern Region.
Whether it is handing out low energy lamps on a market place to the general public, organising a conference, wearing his red coat or talking to directors and councillors, John is equally at home providing expertise to all, being regarded by them as a critical friend or providing practical support wherever necessary.
Latterly, John has carried out energy advice training for many energy officers across the Eastern Region and has trained the staff for 4 of the new Advice Centres in the Eastern and East Midlands regions, ensuring his wide knowledge and skills are taken to the next generation of energy advisors.
John has been Secretariat for the Eastern Region for 11 years and stood down at the last AGM in April 2009 from his post so as to 'retire' for a third time. He still is a very active part of the Network as he is lending a helping hand to the new Secretariat, making sure they keep on the straight and narrow path that he has trod over the last 11 years.
John is respected throughout the East of England and beyond for his dedication, determination and helpfulness. Delivering his knowledge to all with good humour and a very pleasant demeanour; making him a true friend to every Local Authority.
The Conference Gala Dinner hosted the 2009 Carbon Action Network Awards which were sponsored by E.ON.
This year’s awards have been renamed and the trophies redesigned in the shape of the new Carbon Action Network logo. The new awards were manufactured from sustainably sourced wood by Roy Tam Design.
Many thanks to The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of the City of Leeds who presented the awards and to Roger Fielding, the evening’s Toastmaster.
A video of the award ceremony is available to view on the ‘presentations’ page of theConference website:www.carbonactionnetwork.org.uk/conference
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, shown below, and in particular to John Davis who was awarded the prestigious Carbon Action Network Lifetime Achievement Award.
West MidlandsAffordable Warmth and Assistance to Homeowners Team (AWAHT) -Birmingham City Council
North East Winner: Andy StephensonRunner up: Catherine Pope
East PennineJane Mears and CES (Community Energy Solutions)East Riding of Yorkshire Council
EastJulia Blackwell Huntingdon District Council
South East William Bickers-Jonesof Southampton Council
South WestNeil Shortof Bournemouth Borough CouncilCollected by Erica Pretty
North WestFour Greater Manchester and twelve Lancashire AuthoritiesCollected by Andrew Mullaney, and Debbie King of Lancashire County Council
East MidlandsHot Lofts SchemeLeicester City CouncilCollected by Nick Morris
LondonThe Climate Change and Energy Team at London Borough of HarrowCollected by Gemma Moore & Natalie Morgans
Wales Adrian Roberts,G. Rhys Thomas & Richard W Roberts
19 20
Pendle Homes get
a Green Makeover
Pendle Borough Council has received funding
from Foundation, a climate fund for the
Northwest, to deliver a local, carbon-reducing
pilot project to help residents in Pendle.
An allocation of £20,000 from Foundation
provided the means to pilot a scheme to give a
green makeover to six homes across Pendle.
New high-efficiency boilers, gas-saver units that
use waste gases to pre-heat water and insulation
improvements for lofts, cavities and pipes have
been installed alongside an education package
and new technology that helps people change
their behaviour and monitor their energy usage.
The measures installed were those reco-
mmended from an initial Energy Performance
assessment of the property; upon completion a
second assessment was carried out and the final
Energy Performance Certificate lodged, a copy
of which has been made available to each
resident.
The results have been very impressive, with
carbon savings averaging 2.8 tonnes per year for
each property, an average SAP increase of 29
points and average annual household fuel cost
savings of £533 at today's prices.
Overall results of the pilot scheme:
total annual savings - 16.8 tonnes CO , 2
1400 kWh/m² per year energy,
£3200 per year fuel costs saved,
average SAP ratings pre-work = 41.17,
post-measures = 70.5
Working with Pendle Borough Council,
Foundation, is ensuring groups who struggle to
find funding are among the first to benefit. By
prioritising innovative projects that tackle fuel
poverty, Foundation is making a real difference
to people's lives.
Nelson resident, Linda Porter - whose previous
heating system was over 30 years old - said:
“There wasn't funding available for families
when I had my children. Now the children are
grown up, I don't qualify for any help towards
making these improvements because I don't
have dependents. This project made me feel
like I hadn't been forgotten about after all.”
Work has now been completed in six properties-
complete central heating upgrades with a fully
programmable room thermostat and extra
Look out for Grant
Climate Energy is proud to have won the bid to
manage the identification of and installation of
energy efficiency measures for privately owned
or rented homes across parts of Essex and
Hertfordshire.
Acting as managing agent, Climate Energy will
work closely with the newly formed Herts & Essex
Energy Partnership (HEEP) to oversee the
specification of works, appointment of
contractors, grant payments, marketing and
programme reporting.
The Herts and Essex Energy Partnership (HEEP) is
made up from a consortium of 15 local
authorities in the region who have obtained £3
million worth of Government funding for year
one through the East of England Regional
Assembly (EERA) to promote and install a suite of
energy efficiency and insulation measures for
their residents.
The aim is to encourage take up of grants to
improve privately owned or rented homes in
relation to insulation systems which will be free
for many householders in receipt of benefit.
An official launch was held at the East
Hertfordshire Council offices on 8 July.
Climate Energy are keeping some details of the
launch under tight wraps and have been
working closely with a local marketing agency,
Ink & Pixels in Braintree to create an innovative
campaign which will encourage residents
throughout the region to take up the grant
money which has been made available for
home improvements.
HEEP will address fuel poverty and assist in
improving the energy efficiency of residential
homes throughout the region which will improve
the local environment and, potentially, the
health of its occupants.
Assistance towards improvements in heating
systems and insulation measures is a significant
means of reducing the number of non-efficient
homes occupied by vulnerable people
throughout Essex and Hertfordshire this coming
winter.
All enquiries and applications for the grants can
be made on freephone 0800 980 6026 quoting
HEEP1.
individual room controls were installed. In
addition, every property in the scheme has had
their loft insulation topped up and, where
possible, the wall cavities have been filled.
Pendle Borough Council is following up by
visiting the residents in their homes after the work
to encourage other ways of increasing
efficiency. By fitting low-energy bulbs in every
light fitting and loaning out current cost power
monitors, the occupiers can see how they use
energy and how savings can be made, and
assistance is offered by looking at household bills
with the residents to find a lower cost energy
provider.
Heather Shaw, Home Energy Officer at Pendle
Borough Council, said: “Pendle has a large
number of homes with inadequate, inefficient or
non-existent heating; often they don't qualify for
funding because residents are not elderly,
disabled or don't have dependents.
“This project provides help for low-income
households where no other heating grants exist,
educating them about climate change and
encouraging them to monitor their behaviour. It's
not rocket science; it's all about taking small
steps that add up to make a big impact.”
A further funding bid has been submitted to
secure money for the scheme to continue so that
we can assist even more households. This will
contribute towards our targets for NI187 (Fuel
Poverty indicator) and NI186 (Reduction in CO 2
emissions per LA area).
Pendle resident Maria Kemp demonstrates her new programmer/room stat with Heather Shaw (background) Home Energy Officer for Housing Regeneration Services, Pendle Borough Council
21 22
Yorkshire and Humber Microgeneration Partnership launched
In February the Yorkshire and Humber Microgeneration Partnership was launched in The George Hotel,
Huddersfield. Its aim is to promote the growth of the Microgeneration Industry and to represent its interests
at the local, regional and national level. The partnership has over 20 members and is growing rapidly, the
vast majority of the membership are installers or manufacturers of renewable energy equipment and
represent a workforce of around 300 employees.
“There has never been a more important time for the microgeneration sector”, said Andrew Cooper,
Manager of the Energy Saving Trust advice centre for South and West Yorkshire, “Feed-in tariffs for
renewable electricity are to be introduced next year with the Renewable Heat Incentive to be introduced
the year after. The growing agenda for a ‘Green New Deal’ as a positive response to the economic crisis
resonates well with the need for a strong microgeneration sector in our region”
The Partnership is keen to develop strong links with Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency
and with local government in the Yorkshire and Humber Region. The workplan for the Partnership’s coming
year includes establishing a website to promote the industry to the public in conjunction with the Energy
Saving Trust and also the reintroduction of an Annual Conference and Awards scheme to raise the profile of
the sector.
Promoting high standards of installation are high on the Partnerships agenda and membership of the
Microgeneration Certification Scheme, or working towards it, is a prerequisite for membership of the
Partnership.
The Partnership has elected its first Chair Amanda Botterill of Yorkshire Solar and two vice chairs Fiona
McCulloch of Mark Group and Stuart Robertshaw of Blue Flag. The Partnership is to organise a Microgeneration
Conference and Awards for the Yorkshire and Humber Region scheduled for 11 February 2010.
Representatives of some of the Yorkshire and Humber Microgen Partnership member organisations.
East Midlands residents don't
trust tradespeople when it
comes to green measures
Just one in six East Midlands householders would trust
a tradesperson's green guidance but eight in 10
tradespeople would like to give energy efficiency
advice that was respected by their customers,
according to two polls from the Energy Saving Trust,
the UK's leading organisation set up to help people
fight climate change.
The research was commissioned as part of the Energy
Saving Trust's Building in the Dark campaign, which
was launched on 2 June. The initiative aims to
highlight the green skills gap among UK tradespeople,
as well as campaign for new quality standards and
training programmes for the housing sector on energy
efficiency.
One poll of 2,362 people from across the UK found
that just 18 per cent of East Midlands respondents
would trust the advice of the tradesperson already
doing work in their house, if they offered to install
energy efficiency measures.
And more than half (58 per cent) would suspect that if
a tradesperson doing a job on their house suggested
energy efficiency measures for their home their
motivation was to get extra work.
The second survey of 241 UK tradespeople found that
55 per cent of tradespeople would offer green
advice if they had more information while more than
eight in 10 (84 per cent) would like to be trusted by
their customers to give energy efficiency advice.
More than two thirds (68 per cent) of tradespeople
want clearer explanations of current environmental
legislation while almost eight in 10 (78 per cent) need
better guidance about changes in the pipeline for
energy efficiency requirements.
Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving
Trust, said: “If the national target of an 80 per cent
reduction in CO emissions by 2050 is to be met it is vital 2
we tackle the lack of energy efficiency in our existing
housing stock. We simply must act now.
“Latest figures show that £24 billion is spent on repair,
maintenance and improvement works on the UK
housing stock and some of this work represents a
missed opportunity to make green improvements for
East Midlands residents.
“Real cost savings in terms of labour and minimising
disruption are on offer to householders who employ
tradespeople to install energy-efficiency measures
when they are in doing other work. Householders can
save on average £340 a year on energy bills through
green improvements and energy eff icient
behaviours.”
“We need new training schemes and quality marks for
the housing sector to help householders identify
skilled tradespeople with the expertise to make green
improvements.
“Seventy-five per cent of people in the UK believe the
best way to improve the energy efficiency of a home
is when the builders are in, but until tradespeople
have the knowledge, training and skills to be able to
offer this expertise as second nature then they will be
building in the dark.”
Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the
Federation of Master Builders said: “There are already
some entrepreneurial tradespeople out there and we
are increasingly seeing businesses developing special
services for householders who want greener and
more energy efficient homes. We would like this to
become the norm rather than the exception but to
increase the number of tradespeople offering energy
efficient improvement works there needs to be
greater demand from homeowners.
“One way to increase demand would be for the
Government to cut VAT to five percent for property
repairs thereby offering an incentive to have building
work done. Coupling a VAT cut with more training for
tradesmen should mean a real increase in energy
efficient homes in the UK."
The Energy Saving Trust Housing Programme works
with housing professionals to achieve higher
standards of energy efficiency in the UK housing
market. The programme provides free technical
guidance and solutions to help UK housing
professionals design, build and refurbish to high levels
of energy efficiency.
The Energy Saving Trust aims to enhance its Housing
Programme by end 2009 to better help general
builders and tradespeople.
For more information, contact your local Energy
Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512012 or visit the
website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
23 24
Close contest in the battle to
become energy champions
Cleeve School were victorious in the Inter-school
YEP! (Young Energy People!) Competition held on
1 July 2009 at the University of Gloucestershire.
Teams f rom s i x secondary schoo l s i n
Gloucestershire battled it out to become YEP!
Champions in a challenging “game show” style
competition covering global energy issues,
alternative energy sources and energy efficiency.
Severn Vale School and Stroud High School took
an early lead but were overtaken mid way
through the competition. Cleeve School and
Farmor's School were the leading schools at the
end of round six and went head to head in the final
“on the Buzzer” round. Cleeve School emerged as
the winners with only one point separating the top
two teams. Ben Curley, Y10 Team Member from
Cleeve School said: “We were all extremely
pleased that we won as we started off at the
bottom of the score board. The final round was
really exhilarating as it was so close”
Kaye Welfare, Assistant Director at SWEA said: “The
event was a real success; it highlighted how
important it is for schools including teachers and
students to learn about and take responsibility for
energy use within their community. I was really
impressed by the high level of motivation and
understanding of energy issues of all those
involved with the project. I hope for many of them
this may be the start of an interest or even a career
in a field that can help shape our future energy. “
Julie Parsons, YEP! Project Co-ordinator at Cleeve
School said “It was incredibly impressive to see
how much the students have learnt, and indeed
myself, about sustainability issues. I was also
incredibly proud of the Cleeve School students,
their hard work this year has been rewarded with
being able to take part in such a fantastic event -
and winning! They returned to School as heroes
yesterday, getting pats on the back from Teachers
and the Senior Management Team.”
The YEP! competition involved rounds such as “A
Question of Source!” based on the BBC Question
of Sport numberboard, an Energy & Environmental
Jobs round based on the National Lottery
Wonderwall game and a “Hot or Not?”
observation round where students identify
opportunities to make energy savings.
Duncan Jordan, Group Director for Environment
at Gloucestershire County Council presented the
prizes to the winning team. The school were
awarded an S Cube which is an innovative
sustainable energy teaching tool for the school
and £20 of cinema vouchers for each team
member. The competition was run by Severn Wye
Energy Agency with the assistance of the RCE
Severn Regional Centre for Sustainability and
attended by students from the partner schools,
Gloucestershire County Council and bodies such
as the Interclimate Network.
Students from the six schools have been working
on the YEP! Project since September 2008. The
students have conducted energy surveys in their
schools, written energy reports, implemented
policies and launched campaigns to reduce the
energy consumption of their school. Many of
these students have also applied this under-
standing to local workplaces. Now the students
are armed with a detailed understanding of
energy issues and practical ideas for reducing
energy consumption; their skills were put to the
test in the project finale competition.
(Right) Duncan Jordan, Group Director for Environment at Gloucestershire County Council with the winning team from Cleeve School
(Left) Students support their Energy Team
National Insulation
Association
As the principal Trade Association for the
insulation industry, the National Insulation
Association (NIA) recognise the growing
importance of insulating hard-to-treat, solid
wall properties which have remained relatively
untouched as a result of energy supplier
initiatives such as CERT.
However, solutions for the insulation of solid
wall housing, including non-traditional house
types, are well-established. For example, both
external and internal solid wall insulation
systems have been successfully applied for
over thirty years and continue to evolve in
terms of their innovative solutions. Partly
through lobbying by the NIA, the government
have recognised the need to tackle the solid
wall sector and the forthcoming Community
Energy Saving Programme is designed to
deliver harder measures for solid wall insulation.
The NIA is pleased to announce that leading
internal and external wal l insulat ion
manufacturers and systems designers have
chosen to join the Association. Landlords of
housing schemes can therefore have
confidence in specifying membership of the
NIA when issuing tenders or specifying products
for internal/external wall insulation alongside
any existing criteria currently specified.'
For more information or to obtain details of
our solid wall insulation members, please visit
our website:
www.nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk or
telephone (01525) 383313.
25 26
Huddersfield firm's
prestigious environmental
award for the UK's biggest
insulation schemeThe world's leading green energy Awards scheme
announced that Kirklees Council in Yorkshire is
local authority winner of the 2009 Ashden Awards
for Sustainable Energy. The winners were
announced at a ceremony hosted by HRH Prince
Charles in London.
The ground breaking scheme managed by
Yorkshire Energy Services on behalf of Kirklees
Council in West Yorkshire is unique because it offers
cavity-wall and loft insulation free of charge to all
households, which greatly increases take-up rates.
By April of this year, 67% of households (115,000)
had been visited, and more than 25,000 have
received insulation measures. Nearly 100 full-time
jobs and 60 part-time roles have been created as
a result of the scheme. Installations are
proceeding at a rate of 600 measures every week,
making this easily the UK's largest insulation
scheme.
Bill Edrich, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Energy
Services says homes contribute about a third of the
UK's greenhouse gas emissions and the costs of
heating homes is a burden for many people,
especially at a time of high energy prices. “Winning
this award for the work we have been doing with
Kirklees Council is recognition of the importance of
innovative approaches to meeting the challenge of
climate change”.
With the average saving in energy bills around £200 a
year there is a clear economic benefit to insulating
our homes effectively as well as an environmental
one. “The challenge is to build on this work if we are to
meet the Governments target of reducing CO 2
emissions by 80% by 2020” continues Bill, “Insulation
also reduces fuel bills and tackles fuel poverty head-
on. The Government should introduce a Kirklees style
door-to-door approach for the whole country”.
The Kirklees RE-Charge scheme, managed by
Yorkshire Energy Services also picked up the Best
Advocate Award at the British Renewable Energy
Association Awards in June this year. The Best
Advocate Award recognizes activity that has done
the most to enhance awareness of renewable
energy to the public and key groups. The Kirklees RE-
Charge scheme, launched in 2008, is an innovative
programme that uses a second charge on a property
to fund the installation of on-site renewable energy.
The scheme has proved highly popular and was over-
subscribed applications in its first year.
HRH The Prince of
Wales presenting
Dr Phil Webber and
Councillor Kath
Pinnock with the
Ashden Award for
best local authority
sustainable energy
scheme in the UK
27 28
RE-Charge - The first job Left: Householder Alison Cotterill with installer Bill Botterill from Yorkshire SolarRight: Solar thermal linked to a wood pellet boiler
RE-Charge in Kirklees – eliminating the barrier of
capital cost for microgeneration
Current rates of renewable energy installations in
existing housing are still at a very low level. If the
numbers of installations are to rise significantly then
we need to address the issue of cost to the
householder.
Kirklees council, offering free installations to council
owner properties, are tackling this financial issue
head on by offering private home owners an
opportunity to install renewables without incurring
upfront capital costs - the RE-Charge scheme
People in Kirklees already get free insulation as a right
and freeing up access to microgeneration
technologies is now becoming an increasingly
important priority for the Council.
The groundbreaking RE-Charge scheme is motoring
ahead in Kirklees. This innovative way of financing the
installation of microgeneration technologies for
householders is now in full swing with the first
installations having taken place. A householder
signing up to RE-Charge has no upfront costs and no
monthly payments. They pay for their micro-
generation installations through a second charge
placed on the property which is recovered upon sale
or when there is a change in ownership. This £3 million
scheme was established by Kirklees Council in 2008
when it commenced the process of establishing the
legal and administrative framework necessary to get
the scheme off the ground. Kirklees Councillor
Andrew Cooper, who initiated Re-Charge, is
enthusiastic about the replication potential of the
scheme, “This is a tried and tested method of
eliminating the capital cost issue for household
renewables and building a mass market for
microgeneration. The goal is an energy generating
democracy, the benefits are of a growing
renewables industry, lower carbon dioxide emissions
and lower fuel bills. The road to this goal is RE-Charge”
The first RE-Charge installation in April this year was to
the home of Alison Cotterill in Dewsbury who had a
wood pellet boiler and solar thermal system installed
followed shortly by a solar photovoltaic installation in
Newsome near Huddersfield. The scheme is being
managed by Yorkshire Energy services (formerly
Kirklees Energy Services).
The programme is now well underway and attracting
interest from Councils, devolved administrations,
politicians and government departments. The
challenge now is to build a national RE-Charge
scheme which in conjunction with the feed-in tariff /
renewable heat incentive could set the UK onto a
path which not only reduces carbon emissions but
increases the level of public participation in the
generation of heat and power.
Kirklees Council has won the Advocate Award from
the British Renewable Energy Association (REA) for its
work on the RE-Charge Scheme.
For further info about the RE-Charge Scheme,
please contact: Kirklees Council Environment Unit
[email protected], tel 01484 223568
29
Bindi Patel from the London Borough of
Lambeth:
“Following guidance from the Energy Saving
Trust's NI186 guide, it has shown us what we
have already done to save carbon dioxide
emissions and highlighted to us where we can
take things further. It was a user friendly guide
and I recommend other local authorities take
up this free guidance."
The Energy Saving Trust is also about to launch
TrACE (Tracking action on carbon emissions), a
reporting tool that will provide not only a data
collection mechanism but also a structured
guide to planning for, monitoring and reporting
on various types of local measures. TrACE is
expected to be available in summer 2009.
The Energy Saving Trust already offers the
following services and support to local
authorities:
! One-to-one support: a two-year prog-
ramme that aims to help local authorities
reduce area-wide carbon emissions and
demonstrate leadership locally in addressing
climate change.
! Free presentations and workshops: relating
to sustainable energy to local authority staff
and councillors.
! Up to three days free consultancy: to help
local authorities develop their own energy
services scheme.
For further information on how the Energy Saving
Trust can support delivery of NI186 visit
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/NI186 .
EST launches new service
to help local authorities
reach their environment
targets
Local authorities could reduce their carbon
dioxide emissions by millions of tonnes by 2010
with the continued help of the Energy Saving
Trust.
Local authorities can now get free impartial
advice about how to reach their carbon dioxide
emissions reduction targets set out in the
National Indicator 186 (NI186 - reducing carbon
emissions in housing stock).
The Energy Saving Trust has launched a
comprehensive guide that is designed to lead
local authorities through a step-by-step process.
The guidance is split into two sections. The first is
around developing an action plan, this includes
advice on how to engage senior management
and councillors on the issues of climate change
at a local level and will help those that are in
early stages. The second stage is an action plan
to help identify the types of activity that can be
undertaken and includes real practical
examples of other councils' projects e.g. Milton
Keynes innovative carbon neutral planning
policy.
100 local authorit ies in England have
incorporated NI 186 in their Local Area
Agreement (LAA). Targets have been agreed of
between four and 15 per cent, and focus must
now be on delivery of carbon reductions across
the area.
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy
Saving Trust commented:
“Local Authorities are already under a lot of
pressure to reach the targets they've been set.
However by working with the Energy Saving Trust
they can produce a strategic guide to reach
these goals and start action throughout their
local authority.”
may help save your tenants’ lives
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, toxic gas.It’s known as the ‘silent killer’ and because of this, a Carbon Monoxide Alarm may be the only way your tenants will be alerted to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide within their homes.
For further information about how you can provide Carbon Monoxide Alarms to your tenants, contact your local Key Account Manager. Their details can be found on the back page of this edition of Carbon Action News.
The benefits of our Carbon Monoxide Alarm
• It gives a dual warning to tenants when there is carbon monoxide in their home, with a loud siren (85 decibels) and a bright flashing red light.
• It is certified and approved to the latest British Standards (BS EN 50291).
• Every alarm comes with long-life batteries.
• It does not require installation, so tenants can place their alarm anywhere within the home (although we recommend an alarm is fitted in each room which has a gas appliance).
• Our alarm is small and portable for your tenants to take away with them on holiday.
CH01269_CM_Advert.indd 1 08/07/2009 16:35
