News
Fantastic Home Visits Clays Cross
Tue, 2 November 201050 people visited the Indoor Fantastic Home at an event organised by Housing Association Rykneld Homes In October 2010.
We were occupied talking to people for most of the event. As well as offering advice and energy saving devices to tenants we also spoke to all the other stall holders and staff from Rykneld Homes and were able to give them advice and giveaways too. Towards the end of the event we also had a few visitors from the council offices directly opposite who had heard there were freebies being given out!
The new giveaways were really well received – especially the TV and computer powerdowns. The only objection to them seems to be that people have their equipment plugged into powersurge protectors; we were able to point out that the powerdowns include surge protection.
One person approaching the stall admitted that he leaves his home computer on 24 hours a day because he doesn’t like to wait for it to boot up when he comes to turn it on. We pointed out that it only 
takes a few minutes to boot up a computer compared to the many hours it is on without being used. He came back later in the day to ask for a for a computer powerdown and promised to give it a go!
takes a few minutes to boot up a computer compared to the many hours it is on without being used. He came back later in the day to ask for a for a computer powerdown and promised to give it a go!A number of Rykneld staff tried out the Energy Bike. We also spoke with two members of their staff about domestic renewables and gave them factsheets on various kind of reneweable, FITs and RHI.
Visitors: 50
Items given away:
- TV Powerdowns: 40
- Computer Powerdowns: 28
- Save-a-Flush: 34
- Showertimers: 16
- Showersaves: 1
- Lighbulbs: 22
These items were given to a total of 49 people. One further person didn’t take any items.
Retained Economic Benefit (lifetime): £16,092.04
Co2 Savings (lifetime): 10,459.48kg
Water savings (lifetime): 441,120litres
Alfreton Residents Get Help With Energy Efficiency
Tue, 2 November 2010More than 300 people recevied energy efficiency advice and freebies at an event in Alfreton recently.
Friday 29th October was overcast and gloomy but that did not stop people flocking to the Fantastic Home exhibition trailer in the centre of Alfreton. After a tentative start we were soon rushed off our feet and two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Jo and Heidi from Amber Valley joined Kris and volunteer Simon for the day. We were able to gain the interest and support of local shop keepers who in turn sent their customers our way (and coffee and sausage baps!)
Amber Valley is currently running a highly subsidised cavity wall and loft insulation scheme for the residents of Alfreton. The presence of the Fantastic Home was a useful focus point to help promote the scheme and ten people seem highly likely to take advantage of the scheme.
After the early rush we were able to spend longer with people and answer some more complex energy questions. People also got braver with the carbon countdown game (despite the dice being blown away by the high winds!) and the energy bike. We even had an ‘old rock and roll fan’, a lady of some 74 years up to the challenge of powering six low energy light bulbs.
Our new volunteer, Simon from Cirencester got stuck in straight away and was a big hit with visitors to Fantastic Home. Without his assistance and that of both Heidi and Jo from Amber Valley we would have struggled with the waves and waves of visitors in the morning. We look forward to the next two events in Amber Valley on the 5th and 19th November.
Visitors: 340 (approx)
Bulbs distributed: 72
PowerDown Units distributed: 253
Sava Flush distributed: 107
Shower Timers distributed: 112
Tap Inserts distributed: 51
Shower Savers distributed: 52
Insulation Referrals (minimum): 10
CO2 saved (lifetime): 259,942.98kg
Retained economic benefit (lifetime): £143,599.13
Water saved (lifetime): 7,482,720 litres
Staff at Newark and Sherwood Get Pedalling!
Tue, 28 September 2010
Staff at Newark and Sherwood District Council were given the opportunity to power lightbulbs with leg power at a health event on 22nd September.
Marches Energy Agency's Energy Bike sat alongside a Wii Fit, a stall serving healthy fruit smoothies, a stall where people could get their blood pressure checked and a Carbon Footprinting stall. The bike provided the opportunity to combine learning about saving energy with doing some exercise.
Attendees also received a range of energy saving freebies including TV Powerdowns, low energy lightbulbs, showersaves, shower timers, save-a-flush bags and tap inserts. These items will collective save people more than £50,000 on their energy bills over their lifetime's use, more than 65,000 tonnes of carbon and more than 4 million litres of water!
Community Members in Shipley Save Energy, Water and Money
Tue, 28 September 2010The Indoors Fantastic Home visited Shipley in Amber Valley, Derbyshire in September to give out free energy and water saving goodies such as TV powerdowns and save-a-flush bags.
The items given out will save people living in Shipley a collective £5696 on their energy bills in the years to coem as well as saving mroe than 8000kg of carbon emissions and more than 50,000 litres of water.
Carbon Footprinting at Derbyshire Eco Centre Launch Event
Tue, 28 September 2010When Derbyshire County Council Adult Education Service opened its new Eco Centre we were there, in conjunction with Derbyshire Dales District Council to help people work out their carbon footprint.
When
13 people completed a footprint over the course of the day. The lowest was an impressive 3.6 tonnes (compared to a UK average 9.8) and the highest was 19.2 tonnes. All participants were given tailored advice on how to lower their footprint and many took away Factsheets. The person with the lowest footprint won a one day course at the Eco Centre and the person with the highest received some energy saving devices for their home to help them begin lowering their footprint. Everyone completing a footprint received an Eco Action Pack with a year’s worth of ideas for actions to reduce their carbon footprint.
In addition, all of MEA’s factsheets were on display and people were welcome to take them away without completing a footprinting form. This was ideal for those who were short on time. People also made enquiries on topics ranging from renewables to heating systems and domestic energy efficiency.