Easton Energy Group, in partnership with Bristol City Council, Launches Free External Wall Insulation Competition
Easton has a high number of hard to treat, solid walled houses and many residents have been unable to access any financial support for the measures that will make the biggest difference to their bills. The high upfront costs have proved a significant barrier to uptake of costlier measures such as solid wall insulation across the UK, particularly in the privately renting sector.
In February last year Easton Energy Group set themselves the ambitious targets to help make Easton one of the most energy efficient areas of its type of housing stock in Bristol/the country. Our aim was to get one solid wall property done in Easton within a year and that in 5 years we would have 100’s.
Today, EEG can now announce that it will have a show home with solid wall insulation and other energy efficiency measures up and running by the end of August, where we will be able to provide training and advice sessions thanks to Bristol City Council, who we are partnering with to launch an exciting competition which will mean we will have a whole street insulated by the end of August and hopefully 100’s in the next 5 years and the whole of Easton in the years to come.
A number of streets in Easton have been selected to take part in Bristol City Council’s Green Deal Communities scheme, which will be launched in September http://www.bristol.gov.uk/press/major-funding-boost-support-energy-efficiency-measures-bristol-homes EEG are partners in the scheme and will be delivering outreach and engagement activities to help promote the scheme to local residents.
The scheme will be offering subsidised energy efficiency measures through the Green Deal and will be accessible to householders in those streets selected to participate in the scheme. Householders in the rest of Easton will also be able to access energy efficiency measures through Bristol City Council’s city-wide Green Deal offer, which will be launched alongside the Green Deal Communities scheme in September.
All householders classified as owner-occupiers, private landlords or private tenants will be able to participate in the scheme. In addition, we are hoping to be able to assist social housing tenants with the appropriate consents from their housing providers.
Ahead of the full scheme launch in September, EEG and Bristol City Council have launched a competition for free external wall insulation for two individual properties and one whole street:
www.bristol.gov.uk/form/demonstrator-street-competition-form
www.bristol.gov.uk/form/demonstrator-home-competition-form
Bristol Energy Network will be working closely with Easton Energy Group to share learning from the project and help promote the Bristol City Council Green Deal scheme in other areas of the city. Member groups will be able to use the demonstrator home as learning and helping to develop energy champions for their group/ area.
More details about the project can be found on http://www.eastonenergygroup.org/news.