Save Your Energy

[Sowsider]

I’m working on a project to produce a website for people in the Stafford area giving practical, locally based info about saving energy in the home. The local group “Sustainability Matters in Stafford Borough†is running the project, which is funded mainly by “Awards for Allâ€. Currently, if you want energy efficiency advice, or are thinking of buying eco-friendly products, insulation etc, there is so much confusing info on the web that you don’t know what to believe, what works best, or where to get it locally. Maybe you lot can help me:
Do you think this is a good idea? Can you recommend any good local suppliers/installers of energy efficiency products (insulation, boilers, renewables etc)? Have you any ideas or tips that should be included on the website? Have you got an eco-friendly home or any energy saving measures that we could use as a good example on the website?
There’s nothing to see on the site at the moment, but we’re hoping to make the first version available for comments in the New Year.

 

[theflamingred]

Is it a good idea - only if this is part of a bigger campaign. You need a driver to get people to go to the site - a reason to get educated and use the services.

Incentivise people to go ecofriendly - harsh reality, most people don't care enought to take action. Unless you state clear reasons why people should go down this route they won't. If it's gonna save people money in the long run - give estimates with figures.

Jargon buster - lots of weird terms associated with eco-friendly products? Explain it all in simple terms.

I've heard vague references to government schemes that help fund home owners in some small way to install things like solar panels. If this is still true, a guide to funding would be great.

 

[Sowsider]

It will be part of something bigger - we are recruiting local "energy champions" to tell their neighbours, friends and the organisations they belong to about the benefits of energy saving, using the website as a resource, and on the basis that one-to-one word of mouth is the best way of convincing people. We can also use any excuse to publicise it in the local press - more floods - take your own action against climate change.
Yes, it's a good idea to concentrate on saving money - people think going green will cost them, but energy efficiency reduces bills.
Thanks for your ideas.

 

[Sofa]

Great stuff! Top idea!

How about a calculator which shows how much energy can be saved by swapping to energy saving light bulbs, over a day, week, month and year.

Switching to an electricity supplier which generates using renewable methods is one way to reduce carbon emissions, yet the uptake could be much greater. I buy electricity from the only UK company using 100% renewable sources and it costs me no more than it would with any other company. It seems to me that there is so much emphasis put on saving energy, but the question of where that energy comes from seems to go by the wayside.

I'd love to be an energy champion! Here is one of my energy saving stories!

"A few weeks ago while watching Coronation Street I saw Roy Cropper demonstrating his new energy saving kettle. It looked a bit cumbersome, having two chambers and having to press the button down to let just the right amount of water into the boiling section. As it happened, my own kettle was on the blink and I had been eyeing up the Tefal Quick Cup which seems very attractive from a time and energy saving perspective, though a bit pricey at 50 quid!
Imagine my surprise when my better half brought this home

the very same make of kettle Roy uses! I have to say that it works a treat, boiling much quicker than my last kettle and the water / energy saving aspect is really good too. Still not supercheap at £35, but worth every penny!"

 

[Sowsider]

Thanks Sofa - I'll keep you up to date. BTW I love the Stafford song - i've put the video on my facebook page.