The HES project was launched in 2006 with the help of Marches Energy Agency, the Energy Saving Trust and the local councils. The aim is to achieve carbon reductions and relieve fuel poverty by carrying out free energy surveys and carbon footprints for as many households as possible in the Bishop's Castle area . So far 380 homes have signed up and 325 surveys have been carried out. The service is now available within a ten mile radius of Bishop's Castle and will be launched in Knighton in 2008.
This unique service is based on local volunteer surveyors who are trained and supported by a small paid team, including a professional energy officer. Each client is given a carbon statement for their household, and energy saving tips as part of the survey . All possible guidance will be given to help individuals reduce their impact on the environment whilst at the same time giving them more comfortable homes and helping them save money. The service is offered free to maximise take up but donations to help cover costs are requested. Start up funding from the Energy Saving Trust has now finished and the service will be financed by a mixture of donations, commissions, sponsorship, grants and some commercial work.
On 1st Feb '08 the running and development of HES and Community Carbon Footprinting (CCF) transferred to a new Community Interest Company (CIC) called Light Foot Enterprises. Light Foot will enable the HES to be developed to it's full potential and to be spread to many more communities. The Wasteless Society will still be involved in delivering HES in the Bishop's castle area but not in the developmental work. Light Foot will be based in the existing WS office in Enterprise House and Dave Green is staying as HES manager.
What HES can do for you:
Providing information and advice:
A household energy survey and statement
A full household energy report
Facts about saving household energy
Renewable energy solutions
A regular news sheet
Helping to reduce costs:
Discounts on low-carbon goods + services
Bulk purchase deals
Advice about grants and funding
Getting the job done:
Arranging for contractors
Making goods + services more accessible
Some examples of what HES offers :
Rapidly arranged loft insulation
Discounts on low energy light bulbs
Easy access to green electricity
Anyone who would like a survey done or is interested in the HES project can contact them via daveg.hes@hotmail.co.uk or telephone 01588 638738.
Progress to date (14th Dec 07)
380 clients signed up
325 surveys completed
320 reports sent out
190 clients spoken to in follow up calls - of these over 90% said they found the service useful, with 30% adding a 'very' or 'hugely'. 2% said the service wasn't useful, and 3% not particularly useful.
Most want to do something to reduce their energy use -measures undertaken range from low energy lightbulbs through fitting insulation and solar panels to moving house to reduce car use.
- 2,550 tonnes of CO2 saved including the lightbulbs we've distributed, the lifetime savings from the measures we know have been done and the 41,000 litres of biodiesel sold (calculated by Marches Energy Agency).
- This is equivalent to the annual output of a 2.3MW wind turbine which would cost £2.3m to install and doesn't include the savings from behavioural changes such as driving and flying less, switching off appliances, putting water heaters and pond pumps on timers etc etc.
The CO2 cost of running HES for 2 years has been calculated at 5 tonnes or 17kg/survey.
Carbon Footprinting:
Surveys so far show an average footprint of 13* tonnes of CO2 per household per year with
the highest at 37 tonnes (2 person household) and the lowest 1.6 tonnes (also 2 people).
* not including home business usage.
Average figures for a local household are:
Electricity, 14%,
Heating oil, 32%,
LPG 2%,
Coal 3%,
Car 32%,
Flights 15%*,
Other (bus, train etc) 2%
*the figure for flights is for CO2 only. This would be 35% if you take into account other greenhouse gas emissions and the fact that most of the emissions are at high altitude.
NB -there is no mains gas in the area
