HUG, working in partnership with South West London Environment Network, ran a separate but linked project with the Low Carbon Zone. The project created a network of 'Street Champions' in Ham and Petersham with the goal of creating more efficient, warmer, cosier dwellings and lowering energy bills (thus saving CO2). The Street Champions went out and encouraged their neighbours to undertake measures such as draught-proofing, insulation and energy monitoring, while also talking about simple behavioural changes, such as switching off lights when not in use, which would cut their energy consumption. This project was called the Ham and Petersham Street Champions project. The video below shows how we have worked with the Council to promote the very successful Low Carbon Zone scheme, while this link takes you to the Ham & Petersham Street Champions report.
"I think the work that you're doing is invaluable"
The project recruited 30 Street Champions and was hugely successful in promoting the Low Carbon Zone scheme. The take-up of the LCZ showed a 24% increase in streets with a Street Champion compared to streets without one. In addition, the project developed community cohesion - residents reported an improvement in the general environment and also saidthat they feel more confident engaging with other members of the community. The community development aspect has ensured that learning occurs and knowledge stays within the community, which is now allowing the work to continue even after the project's funding finished. For instance, Street Champions organised 2 hugely successful giveaways of free energy-saving equipment this winter, and plans are afoot to turn part of the new library into an energy advice centre.
The project has been featured in The Ecologist magazine. To see the full article, click here.
See our Energy bank for more ideas on how to save energy in the home..... :
- Housing_type_leaflets.zip - what you can do to retrofit your house - just find your house type in this zip file
- The feed-in tariffs and how they affect you - self-explanatory
- iMeasure - how to sign up - enter your meter readings each week and get a picture of your energy consumption over time
Facebook: our events and up-to-date "chat" are live at http://www.facebook.com/groups/148018951975365/
For further details about energy-saving measures, go to: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Also, check out Damon Hart-Davis's energy-efficiency website at http://www.earth.org.uk/ . Damon reviews 'green' lighting etc. and shows how he has cut his home's energy use massively over the last 5 years.