Category: Energy Reduction

The Power in Your Hands – OpenLV

The Power in Your Hands – OpenLV

We’re excited to be one of seven community energy pilots running in the UK, as part of a ground breaking trial, to understand how the changes in the way that energy is generated and used in the future will impact you.

We believe there could be opportunities for you to have more influence on how you use, and what you pay for, energy in the future. That’s why we’ve called our project ‘The Power in Your Hands’.

As part of this trial we are accessing and analysing open data from the low voltage substation in Meavy Way in Greenlands. We’re working with local residents and St. Peter’s School to understand what this data means about current and future energy use and behaviour.

Access to open data on local electricity networks should make energy more democratic and benefit you. We’ll be working to see how.

 

How you can get involved

Take part in our Householders Survey here’s a link to it online. It will take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete.

Check out out the peaks and dips in energy demand and other data we’re producing HERE, and let us know what you think. We’re also developing an App you can use from your smart phone.

Sign up to receive email updates on progress and local events

We’d also like to hear from you if you are generating and/or storing your own energy or have an electric vehicle.

Get in touch … call 0800-233-5414, email hello@tamarenergycommunity.com or let us know your details via our Contact Form.

Newsletters

You can download The Power in Your Hands newsletters here:

          August 2019          Power in your hands Newsletter Aug 19 (download pdf)        View in web browser

          May 2019                The Power in Your Hands May 19 newsletter (download pdf)

OpenLV

The Power in Your Hands is part of a project called OpenLV which is making local electricity data openly available for the first time ever. The Greenlands area of Tavistock is one of seven neighbourhoods involved across the S.West, S.Wales and the Midlands.

Your substation is where electricity is turned from a high voltage dangerous current to the low voltage electricity you use at home. Thanks to a piece of kit called an LV-CAP™ we will be able to learn more about electricity use in the Greenlands neighbourhood and work together to change our energy use habits, maybe even saving on our bills as we go!

Knowing about our local electricity use means we can try to avoid overloading our substation and in the future, it might even be possible to have electricity tariffs which offer cheaper energy at off-peak times of day.

This video will explain more about OpenLV.

 

Energy use and Time of Day Tariffs

Going forward, energy companies will be looking at introducing tariffs with different rates at different times of the day.

Carbon Intensity of our energy

You can track the carbon intensity of our energy networks here:
https://carbontracer.westernpower.co.uk/ (Local region)
https://carbonintensity.org.uk (National and S. West England)

Devon Community Energy Impact Report 2018

By Kate Royston

Great to be included in the Regen Communities & Devon County Council report highlighting the importance of Community Energy in Devon.

Devon Community Energy organisations have installed 12.3 MW of Renewable Energy through 62 projects in Devon. One of the many positive impacts highlighted in the report available here.

Check out Tamar Energy Community (TEC) Community Solar here.

 

Look at the huge CO2 equivalent savings made by Devon Community Energy organisations from generating green energy through renewables!

 

 

Through energy advice, energy efficiency measures and tariff switching, Devon Community Energy organisations are tackling fuel poverty.

 

 

Partnerships and connections with other organisations enable Devon Community Energy to go further so that more people benefit.

 

The number of Devon Community Energy organisations has increased to 23. Collectively they employ 33 FTE staff have 297 volunteers and 3457 members.

 

Devon Community Energy organisations collectively have raised £14.1 million to fund their Community Energy projects.

 

 

Here are the key success factors highlighted by Devon Community Energy organisations.

 

 

A lack of viable business models due to reduction in FIT was the most common reasons causing some Devon Community Energy projects to stall.

 

 

Devon has more Community Energy organisations than anywhere else in England … find out why here …

Community Energy in Devon has created 33 FTE, jobs, raised £14 million & generated enough clean green energy for 3423 homes in 2017.

 

Free Home Visits for residents with Project LEAP

By Kate Royston

Tamar Energy Community and West Devon Borough Council are getting behind a new pilot project to help local residents save energy and money in their homes.

 

The Local Energy Advice Programme (LEAP) provides residents with a free home visit from a trained energy adviser who provides advice and support to make the home as energy efficient as possible.

More information here

The Local Energy Advice Programme (LEAP) – free energy visits for residents

Tamar Energy Community and West Devon Borough Council are getting behind a new pilot project to help local residents save energy and money in their homes.

The Local Energy Advice Programme (LEAP) provides residents with a free home visit from a trained energy adviser who provides advice and support to make the home as energy efficient as possible.

During the home visit the adviser will have a chat with you, check you’re on the best energy deal, provide energy saving tips and make any necessary referrals for insulation or heating improvements.

The adviser can also make on the spot improvements by fitting measures such as draught proofing and LED light bulbs. A referral can also be made, if agreed, for advice on income maximisation (e.g. benefit checks).

Tamar Energy Community and South Dartmoor Community Energy (S. Hams) are actively providing energy saving advice to residents across West Devon and the South Hams. The LEAP scheme supports our aims, and those of West Devon Borough Council and S. Hams District Council, to reduce fuel poverty, look at options for more affordable energy and help people live in warmer, healthier homes.

Kate Royston from Tamar Energy Community: “The great thing about this scheme is that the eligibility criteria to receive a home visit are very broad. The scheme is open to anyone who is in any of the following categories:

  • people who rent or own their homes
  • those in receipt of benefits and on low incomes (below £16,190)
  • anyone who has a health problem that is affected by the cold
  • those who have a physical or sensory disability
  • people who are carers, are pregnant or who have children under 5 in the home.

We urge local residents to act now before winter arrives!”

To find out if you qualify for a LEAP home visit, or for any other energy advice, give us a call 0800-233-5414, call into Local Matters in Elbow Lane, Tavistock (11:00 to 13:00 Mon. to Sat.) and we can discuss the support we can offer.

Alternatively you can contact Project LEAP directly by calling 0800 060 7567 or visit the project website www.projectleap.org.uk.

The LEAP scheme is provided by AgilityEco alongside local councils and voluntary sector groups. It is funded by energy suppliers as part of the Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives fund. It was launched in Devon at the start of the year. We are keen that as many people in West Devon and South Hams are able to benefit from this scheme.

Local organisations who work with vulnerable clients are urged to help raise awareness of the scheme and to refer people for support through LEAP using the website www.projectleap.org. On applying to the scheme residents will have a home visit from LEAP within a couple of weeks at a convenient time and date for them.

Find out more about LEAP here.

Our Energy Advice Service

Our Energy Advice Service

By Kate Royston

Tamar Energy Community now has a freephone number (0800-233-5414) that you can access for free and impartial energy advice … or call into Local Matters between 11:00 and 13:00 Mon. to Sat.

Download a flyer here.

 

Call our Energy Advice Service – 0800 233 5414

Call our Energy Advice Service – 0800 233 5414

Tamar Energy Community now has a freephone number (0800-233-5414) that you can access for free and impartial energy advice … or call into Local Matters between 11:00 and 13:00 Mon. to Sat.

Download a flyer here.

 

Unlocking the Power of Community – Energy Fair 2016

Unlocking the Power of Community – Energy Fair 2016

By tecsetup

energy-fair-2016-posterUnlocking the Power of Community is the theme for our annual Energy Fair on Saturday October 15th taking place in Local Matters community space in Elbow Lane, Tavistock, from 10:00 until 15:00.

There’s lots of reasons to come along …

… We’re offering free tea and cake

… Are you concerned about keeping your home warm, about your bills, saving energy?  Come and talk to our local volunteers about the small things you can do that can make a difference.

… Find out more about the Community Fundraiser we’ve started with the Utility Warehouse. They offer excellent service and competitive tariffs to suit some households.

… Living in an older home that’s difficult to keep warm? Building a new home? Come and find out more about what others locally have done and how you can get started or be helped along the way.

… Come and talk to  Mike Wye –natural building products, The Fell Partnership –energy efficient building,  GreenHus – external wall insulation.

… Living in a Bedford Cottage? We’re starting a project to look at how we can keep these homes warmer without spending lots of money. Come and find out more.

… Interested in generating your own power or in renewable heat? Things are changing fast. Come and talk to three of the leading local experts: New Generation Energy, Sungift Energy and ZLC Energy.

community-solar-sun-community-solar… See our Community Solar installations generating! We’re proud of our achievement in getting solar panels owned by the community to support five sites across the area. Our host sites (including Mount Kelly and Abbey Garden Machinery) can reduce their energy costs and be renewable generators. Any surplus is used to support fuel poverty and energy advice locally. 

… Talk to Roots to Transition and the team from Tasty Tavy working to transform Tavistock … and pick up some free seeds

… Check up on our Totally Locally Tavistock display

.. And see what we’re doing with Local Matters community space … supporting Transition Tavistock, Tamar Energy Community, Climate Matters and more … a space for you …

If you’d like to help us promote the event you can download a poster here

Want more information? Call or email us at hello@tamarenergycommunity.com or on 07969 569 444.

Dealing with Damp

Damp is a serious problem. It’s important to try and find out the cause.

Damp is mainly caused by condensation of water vapour in the air, forming on cold areas on walls and windows.
There are other reasons for damp such as leaky pipes, rain entering the structure either directly or from guttering and drainpipes. This is often called ‘penetration damp’.
‘Rising damp’ results from water rising up from the ground. This is the least common cause.

Download our dealing with damp information table here. It will help you understand what actions you can take to reduce damp in your home, and related costs.

Moisture in the air is known as ‘humidity’.
You may find it useful to have a humidity meter in the home. You can get these on line. We have simple temperature and humidity meter’s available for £5.

Practical Measures for Saving Energy

Energy Savers is an initiative developed with the S.W. Devon Community Energy Partnership and supported by the Energy Saving Trust and Dartmoor Sustainable Development Fund. The group provides a free energy check, support and advice to anyone who is interested.

With help from Energy Savers we’ve put together a list of actions you can take now to understand and reduce your energy use. Follow the links in the post to get more information and remember, we’re here to help so if you have any questions please get in touch or come along to a Green Drinks event every second Tuesday of each month at the Union Inn, Tavistock (19:30 to 21:30).

Energy saving practical measures:

  • Understand how much your energy is costing you, how your usage is changing week by week and month by month and why!
  • Understand your bill and make sure that you’re being charged on the basis of actual rather than estimated meter readings
  • Consider switching supplier for an offer better suited to your needs
  • Depending on your circumstances a Pay-As-You-Go smart meter may be an answer.
  • Complete a Home Energy Check. It’s a simple way to get an idea of how energy efficient your home is, and what steps you can take to improve it.
    Available from the Energy Saving Trust at: http://card.solsticecloud.com. (Need help with this? Get in touch.)
  • Make sure you understand how to use your heating controls such as thermostats and programmers and timers if you have them; and are using heating controls on night storage heaters correctly
  • Deal with damp
  • Look at low cost measures such as keeping the heat in through draught busting
  • Get any unfilled cavities or lofts filled for free (where suitable) or your loft topped up (may be chargeable) with Cosy Devon (scheme set up and monitored by Devon Local Authorities). Call or email and we can register you.
  • Consider external wall insulation if you have suitable solid walls. Cosy Devon may be able to help with the cost.
  • get in touch if you have an old or faulty boiler and you are on benefits. Cosy Devon (see above) may be able to replace it for free.
  • If you have an older property with solid walls have a look at our advice sheet and supporting information. Get in touch if you have questions.