Claudia Lis is the 1,000th client to ask successful local initiative, Light Foot's Household Energy Service, for energy saving advice.
The Household Energy Service (HES), based in Bishop's Castle, has been selected as one of the ten finalists in the UK's Big Green Challenge. This competition, with prize money amounting to one million pounds, was launched by NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts). The winner/s will be announced this coming November.
HES is now recognised as one of the best community based initiatives tackling climate change in the UK, but will need lots of help and support to show that a service developed by local people can win this prestigious award and bring the prize home. 1,000 clients saving energy is a good start.
Client number 1,000, Claudia Lis, is a potter. Her highly finished ceramics are produced and sold at "The Central" in Montgomery. As an artist, she is of course focussed upon the quality of her work, but running her own business has also made Claudia acutely aware of the rising cost of fuel bills. She is keen to make her home and business more energy efficient and low carbon ... not just to save money, but to take action on climate change and environmental degradation.
Mike Membury, a local coordinator for HES said, we start by doing an energy survey and carbon footprint. This information will form the basis of a household energy report with recommendations for Claudia's home and business. Everybody is different ... they have different starting points, their energy use is tied into their lifestyle as well as, for example, the amount of insulation in their loft. HES takes all this into account. We don't just send out the same old advice to everyone."
The Household Energy service is a local, independant and practical service, offered free to all households in Bishop's Castle & Clun, Montgomery, Newtown, Presteigne and Knighton, with new teams starting up in other local towns/areas such as Ludlow and Kington. Rachel Francis of HES said "we take a hands-on approach to the challenges people face ... fuel costs, the recession, climate change and energy waste. We are ordinary people who live locally, many of us are volunteers, but we have a core of qualified Energy Officers who compile the home energy reports and are always available to give advice and technical support when it is needed."
When Claudia receives her energy report, she will be able to make the changes she chooses in her own time, but with ongoing advice and technical support from HES.
Mike said "HES doesn't operate from some far off metropolis; we are just around the corner. Our client's local services and supplies are our local services and supplies and we support them too. We live in local houses and grapple with local transport systems ... and most important of all, we know that a friendly face is better than a voice on the phone or a website."
The Household Energy Service offers a FREE service to all those who live in the area. Rachel said, "That doesn't mean we offer something at a reduced quality ... free doesn't mean cheap. In fact we want to make HES the best quality service you can find. It's just that we'd rather not charge a set price for it. On the other hand, we appreciate donations and offers of help and support and we are very grateful to all our funders including Environment Wales and the Big Green Challenge.
As part of the Big Green Challenge finalist's year we want to show that we can double the number of households in Bishop's Castle who are taking action to save energy with HES.
There are two ways you can help HES rise to the challenge if you live ion and around Bishop's Castle:
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Please get involved. If you haven't had a HES survey, now is the time to ask for one. Call 01588 638738 or email davet@h-e-s.org
- Please help even more by volunteering to take part in our "household energy blitz" this summer. To help us rise to the Big Green Challenge please contact Dave Thomlinson as above. We will arrange for you to attend one of our training sessions at a time that is convenient for you
Although lip service is paid to the importance of so-called grassroots movements, driven by the people of a town or community, it is rare that organisations like HES, which have not been orchestrated by Government or big business, get a chance to shine. With your help we can.
Many thanks for your continued support.
