News
Fantastic Home Volunteering
Fri, 19 August 2016
Would you like to help people make their homes better for the environment and cheaper to heat? We are looking for volunteers to help with our mobile energy efficiency exhibition, the Fantastic Home.
The exhibition visits more than 20 events a year in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to offer advice in a fun, interactive and informal way. Many of them are lively community fetes, festivals and fairs. Last year we spoke to more than 850 people, helped them save an estimated £62,000 on energy bills and reduced their carbon emissions over the next few years by almost 80,000kg.
We are looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic about environmental issues and energy issues, such as climate change and fuel poverty and who want to learn more about how these can be tackled in our homes, whilst also offering advice to others. This role would suit someone who is confident in engaging with the public and is happy to work outdoors and do some light lifting to help set up and pack down our exhibition.
Most of our events take place on weekends, although some happen during the week. We maintain a list of volunteers and email them dates and locations when the exhibition is out and about and individual volunteers to decide how frequently they would like to volunteer.
We can provide on-the-job training in knowledge of energy efficiency, renewables and fuel poverty. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn all about domestic energy efficiency and its role in tackling climate change and fuel poverty. You would always be working with a member of our staff who is experienced and qualified in offering this type of advice.
Contact Caroline Harmon for more information.
Help with Energy Efficiency & Bills Available
Fri, 19 August 2016
Marches Energy Agency has recently secured funding from the government’s Big Energy Saving Network (BESN) to run sessions that will help people to be more energy efficient at home, switch energy provider and tariff, and access help with energy bills, energy debt and energy efficiency. These sessions will be available until mid-March 2017 (subject to us having availability until then).
If your community group or your organisation can gather at least 10 people from your community who would benefit from this help and advice we can come and deliver a session for you.
If you would like more information please contact Shital Visana at shital@mea.org.uk
High Peak CVS is also running a BESN project. If you live in the High Peak area, please contact Esther Jones: esther@highpeakcvs.org.uk
Fantastic Home: Bees on Bike!
Fri, 19 August 2016The Fantastic Home mobile energy efficiency exhbition has been out and about again over the last month offering energy efficiency advice.
At least five people we spoke to at Newstead Village's Greener and Cleaner Day intended to go homes and ring their energy supplier to ask for a smart meter. Some were keen to do so because they receive estimated bills and would like them to be accurate; others wanted to be able to see how much energy they are using and try to cut their energy use.
At an event in Hasland Park, Chesterfield to promote bees and other pollinators, we even had a bee on the WattBike seeing how much energy she could make with pedal power!
At both events we gave out whole house energy meters for free. The Energy Saving Trust estimate that the average home saves between 5% and 15% on their electriity bills in the first year they have a monitor. Based on an average electricity bills of £584 in 2015 that's up to £87!
In September and October we will be at Stapleford Carnival, Worksop Market, Retford Market, Sustainable Hayfield's Apple Day, Hope Valley's Apple Day and Swadlincote International Food and Drink Festival. Come see us for some advice and find out how much power you can generate on the Watt Bike.
DECC Closes
Thu, 11 August 2016
The Department for Energy and Climate Change has closed and is now part of the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BFIS), effectively a merger of DECC and the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The minister with responsibility for climate change is now Nick Hurd MP. Some responses to this news:
- Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change:http://bit.ly/2aIoABB
- Business Green: http://bit.ly/2aR8M2E
- The Guardian: http://bit.ly/2avo2PS
Junk4Funk at GloWorm Festival
Thu, 11 August 2016
Junk4Funk, a project which encourages children to think about waste, recycling and climate change by getting them to make musical instruments from waste, will be appearing at GloWorm Festival in Worksop on 20th and 21st August.
http://glowormfestival.co.uk
http://www.junk4funk.co.uk/