Overseal Residents Save Cash and the Planet
Wed, 30 June 2010
Overseal residents have permanently reduced their village’s carbon emissions by more than 2% per year as the 
result of a project run in the village, saving themselves both cash and the planet. The project was run by SouthDerbyshire District Council and Midlands-based energy charity Marches Energy Agency.
result of a project run in the village, saving themselves both cash and the planet. The project was run by SouthDerbyshire District Council and Midlands-based energy charity Marches Energy Agency.As part of the project almost a quarter of the homes in the village have had loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or both installed for free with funding secured by South Derbyshire District Council. In addition the village hall and Baptist Church received a free energy survey of their building, local residents were able to attend workshops and pupils at the local primary school visited an Energy Farm to see first-hand how various renewable technologies, including solar panels, work.
The measures installed and the changes people make to the way they use energy will result in lower energy bills. More than 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases causing climate change, will be saved each year as a result of the project.
Cllr John Lemmon of South Derbyshire District Council said:
'This project has been well worthwhile and shows what a community can achieve with a little bit of support and encouragement. We hope to learn from our time working with Overseal and roll out the project to more South Derbyshire villages in the coming year’
John White of Overseal Parish Council said:
‘The survey carried out on the village hall has really helped us to understand our energy consumption and to take steps towards reducing it. The building is used by many members of the local community and any savings we can make on our energy bills will benefit everyone.’
Caroline Harmon of Marches Energy Agency said:
‘We‘ve really enjoyed working in Overseal helping residents to reduce their carbon footprint through using energy efficiently. This will benefit both their purses and the planet as a whole.’