SSB’s Energy Team is always on the look-out for ways to make sure we use energy wisely – cutting our environmental impact, saving money on energy bills and making our homes more comfortable into the bargain.  Here are links to some money- and carbon-saving steps you can take:

Power Vault: A Guide to Saving to Saving on Energy Bills in the UK – Time of Use Tariffs

How sustainable is my Energy Supplier?

From   WE DON’T HAVE TIMEnewsletter January 2025

Progress Worth Celebrating 

Despite all the setbacks, 2024 was a year of significant climate wins, setting the stage for an even better 2025:

  •  85 Million EVs: Electric vehicles are redefining transportation and driving down emissions.
  •  Renewables Overtake Coal: Solar, wind, and hydro together are now the largest sources of global electricity generation.
  •  Green Jobs Booming: Demand for eco-focused talent grew 11.6% in 2024, fueling a sustainability economy.
  •  EU’s Sustainable Growth: Emissions fell by 4% in Q1 and 2.6% in Q2, while GDP grew by 0.3% and 1%, respectively, compared to the same quarters in 2023. This demonstrates that climate action and economic growth can go hand in hand—but we need to accelerate these efforts to meet the urgency of the climate crisis.
  •  Solar Energy Surge: Solar energy is set to meet half of global electricity demand growth.
  •  Methane Action: Advanced tools are driving rapid emission reductions, tackling one of the most potent greenhouse gases.
  •  Battery Storage Transformation: Storage capacity is expanding eightfold, paving the way for a resilient, renewable-powered future.

These breakthroughs are not just headlines—they’re proof that our efforts are making a difference. And they highlight an important truth: every action counts.

 

Energy Café:

Spring 2024 sees the welcome return of Sustainable South Brent’s Energy Cafés. Building on previous highly successful energy events, these exciting, free drop-in events offer more advice, information and activities, plus tea and cake.

Wednesdays: 14 February; 13 March; 10 April; 15 May; 11 September; 16 October; 13 November; 11 December 2024: Energy Advice Drop-In Sessions from 9.30am-12noon in The Hub at the Old School Community Centre.

Free impartial advice from Mark Skinner of South Dartmoor Community Energy.

Worried about the rising cost of energy? Struggling to Heat your home? Not sure where to get good advice? Drop in and find out about: Reducing your energy bills; Grants available; Which energy supplier to choose?

See: https://ssb.org.uk/event/energy-advice-drop-in-5/

(10 April: https://ssb.org.uk/event/energy-advice-drop-in-6/

(15 May: https://ssb.org.uk/event/energy-advice-drop-in-7/)

(11 September: https://ssb.org.uk/event/energy-advice-drop-in-8/2024-09-11/)

(16 October: https://ssb.org.uk/event/energy-advice-drop-in-8/2024-10-16/)

(13 November: https://ssb.org.uk/event/energy-advice-drop-in-8/2024-11-13/)

(11 December: https://ssb.org.uk/event/energy-advice-drop-in-8/2024-12-11/)

Home Insulation Training:

Fully funded online training – ‘Introduction to home insulation’
There are 6 modules consisting of a roughly 10 minute YouTube video to watch,
then a multi-choice test at the end of each, so about 1.5 hours in total.

If you register for these, we’d love to hear how you get on.  Do send your feedback to energy@ssb.org.uk.

 

Thermal Imaging

One way to begin to think about your home’s energy performance is to take pictures of it using a thermal imaging camera.  Why a particular room never seems to get warm, and where exactly the heat is being lost – are the sort of questions thermal imaging can begin to address.

Thanks to a grant from SSB’s sustainability fund, SSB’s Energy Team has recently purchased two Thermal Imaging Cameras.  Volunteers Andy and Dan have already trialled their use and will be running two introductory sessions on the 4th and 18th October 2023 (7.30-9.00pm in the Sustainability Hub in the Old School Centre).  Members of SSB can book onto those sessions to learn how to use the cameras, and interpret the images, before borrowing the equipment, for free, to use in their own homes.  Please note, this is an SSB members-only benefit and places are limited.  Book onto one of the introductory sessions at the Energy Café, or by emailing energy@ssb.org.uk

Survey of EPCs in South Brent

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is one way of gauging how our homes operate in terms of energy efficiency – how costly they will be to run, and how much CO2 they give out.

SSB always likes to engage with young people, so we were particularly delighted to involve a Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award Candidate in the Energy Team’s EPC project.  Chris has just finished a very busy year taking GCSEs at Ivybridge Community College, but he still found time to gather and begin to analyse EPC information for all those households in South Brent Parish that have EPCs in place.

EPC information is in the public domain, but with the work Chris is undertaking, we hope to be able to get a much clearer idea of how our homes are performing overall; what we might need to do to make them more energy efficient, and also find some specific examples from which we can learn.  For example, how did that house that was a very low ‘G’ rated home a few years ago become the excellent ‘A’ rated energy-efficient home it is today?  What ‘retrofit’ actions were undertaken to bring that change about?  And – if we can’t afford to do the work ourselves – what grants might be available?

Watch this space for more information as the EPC project progresses.

NB. The Energy Futures Questionnaire has now closed.

If you have any questions for the Energy Team, or would like to offer your time in support of these and future energy initiatives, please contact Hayden on energy@ssb.org.uk