News
Insulation Installations to Plummet Under Green Deal
Fri, 22 June 2012The government’s own assessment of the Green Deal, its new green policy to make homes more energy efficient, suggests that it looks set to fail. The Department for Energy and Climate Change have estimated that once the scheme is launched in the autumn of this year installations of loft insulation will plummet by 83% and cavity walls by a similar amount. Only insulation of solid walls is expected to rise, due to government grants that will be available.
Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) statistics show that 10 million (43%) of all lofts require more insulation and that 8 million home with cavity walls (42%) have yet to be insulated.
Currently loft and cavity wall insulation can be installed in homes for free, or at a highly subsidised cost. This will end in December 2012. To find out more about offers in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire visit our Insulation Offers page.
Shares Available in Community Owned Large Solar Farm
Fri, 22 June 2012 Westmill Solar Farm, which is based on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire border is offering shares in the only large solar farm in Britain aiming for community ownership. The farm was completed last July, so benefit from the highest level of FITS.
Register your interest here: www.westmillsolar.coop/shareoffer.asp.
Green Power Team Volunteers Needed
Fri, 22 June 2012 The Partnership Council are looking or unemployed Nottingham City residents who want to take part in an exciting and comprehensive volunteering package designed to help them back into work and support them while they are out of work. Their next project begins on 3rd July and the commitment required is two days per week.
The package includes:
o Practical work outdoors under the supervision of an experienced team leader (tools and gloves will be provided)
o Accredited training course in horticulture (Level 1 Award in Practical Horticulture and option of City & Guilds)
o One day courses in food safety (level 2 certificate) and basic first aid (attendance certificate)
o Confidence building and assertiveness workshops
o Careers advice sessions (including CV writing, Interview techniques, labour market info, etc.)
o Individual coaching sessions to look at how to achieve your goals
o Teamwork experience
o A light healthy lunch
o Travel tickets
Places are available to people who are unemployed, over 18 but not yet retired, and resident within the boundaries of Nottingham City. Please note that places on this project are for volunteers and are not work placements.
To take part in this exciting project you need to be able to commit yourself to two days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays 10.00am – 4.00pm) for two months (unless you go into paid work before the two months ends or need to attend job interviews, etc).
To find out more please call Dori on 0115 970 8200 or email dori@partnershipcouncil.co.uk
Community Partners Needed for Solid Wall Insulation Project
Fri, 1 June 2012If you are interested in this opportunity please send an email to Simon Ross: simon@mea.org.ukno later than 5pm Wednesday 6th June 2012.
- Does your community include homes which are using electricity or coal for heating?
- Would you like to help those in your community on limited incomes to access free solid wall insulation?
- Would you like to earn some money for your community group?
Marches Energy Agency, the Midlands-based charity which provides the CCAN-e newsletters, is working with British Gas on an exciting new solid wall insulation project. We are looking for a limited number of ‘Community Partners’ (e.g.: local community groups who are focused on climate change/low carbon and/or working with low income groups) from across Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire to help us find eligible households who could get fully funded (free!) solid wall insulation. The eligibility criteria for receiving solid wall insulation are set by the Office of Gas & Electricity Markets (OFGEM) and focus on maximising carbon savings in the ‘hard to treat’ homes of the most vulnerable. The funding comes from the Government’s Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) obligation on the big energy utilities. The funding is only available to owner-occupiers or those renting from private sector landlords. Those living in homes rented from registered social landlords are not eligible for the funding.
British Gas are looking for solid wall homes heated by electricity or coal with at least one member of the household receiving a specific benefit (see eligible list of benefits at the bottom of this email).
We are able to provide support directly to successful ‘community partners’ who want to help us find eligible householders, and we can also cover the cost of local activity which might include targeting solid wall homes with a leaflet mail shot, using local volunteers to contact householders directly,
running a solid wall insulation coffee morning or attending an existing eventWe are also able to pay the Community Partners a ‘surveying fee’ (paid when British Gas Home Energy Plan assessors completes a solid wall survey of an eligible home) and an ‘installation fee’ (paid when a solid wall installation is complete).
As a first step to gauge the level of interest from CCAN members we would like to hear from any potential Community Partners who – in principle – wish to explore next steps. Depending on the level of response and interest we will either arrange a series of briefing sessions with British Gas or contact individual groups directly to answer questions; hear your ideas for finding eligible householders; outline project timescales; the levels of support available for community partners; and the next steps.
If you would like to express in principle interest then please send email to
simon@mea.org.uk no later than 5pm Wednesday 6th June 2012.Transition West Bridgford to Launch Home Video
Fri, 1 June 2012Transition West Bridgford are set to launch a video in June about how to make homes in the area more environmentally friendly. It will be around 20 minutes long and include tours of homes in West Bridgford that have been retrofitted to make their more energy efficient.