Maidenhead & Windsor

A call has gone out to local Windsor and Maidenhead people to join the global push for a greener way of living by taking part in Energy Saving Week (October 22 – 28).

The Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough is offering advice on how every resident can help make a positive difference at a special information stall in the Nicholsons Shopping Centre, Maidenhead, on Thursday October 25 (9am – 4pm).

Cllr Paul Etherington, chairman of the Windsor and Maidenhead council’s sustainability panel, said that in the face of climate change, local communities could make a huge impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions (the major greenhouse gas causing climate change).

He said: “Some people often joke about climate change, saying: ‘We could do with a bit of warmer weather.’ The reality is that our climate is expected to get warmer and wetter. As rainfall patterns change, heavy rain may cause rivers to burst their banks more often and flash floods could become more common. We have seen such extremes this summer.

“The Royal Borough is supporting the Energy Saving Trust’s 11th Energy Saving Week and is urging residents to join the fight against climate change – and help make our community one of the greenest in the UK! Almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions come from our homes and personal transport, which means that at community level we can make big changes happen.”

Members of the Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough’s sustainability team will staff the advice stall in the Nicholsons Shopping Centre, giving people information about how to make their homes warmer and more energy efficient. There will also be the chance to enter a prize draw to win one of three Current Cost energy monitors for measuring home electricity usage with a simple easy-to-read display.

Earlier this year the council demonstrated its commitment to tackling climate change by signing the Nottingham Declaration and recently the borough joined the Carbon Trust’s Local Authority Carbon Management programme to help establish its own carbon footprint and identify projects to reduce it.

Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Etherington added: “In our own individual homes and workplaces we can make small but significant contributions. There are no second chances for preserving everything that is precious on our planet – the things we, our children and future generations need to survive.”

For further information about energy saving, see below:

Spread the word to communities!
The Energy Saving Trust’s Community Action for Energy (CAfE) programme is specially designed to advise and support community groups of all shapes and sizes, with more information on how they can save energy or embark on exciting energy-saving projects.

Whether groups are looking for support to install a community heating project or ideas on how to help members of their community understand the benefits of becoming more energy efficient, the trust can help. Amongst its many services the CAfE programme offers free training, a community helpline and advice and information on funding. It has supported groups in activities as wide ranging as Home Energy Efficiency Bingo to Village Energy Days.

To join the CAfE network or for further information please visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/cafe or call 08701 261 444.

No cost and low cost solutions to help save energy straight away
Changing habits at home, as well as in communities, can have a dramatic impact on energy use.

The following top tips can help save energy, all low or no cost:

* Compost kitchen and garden waste rather than sending it to landfill.
* Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent. You could save around £40 per year.
* Wear appropriate clothing indoors so you don’t have to turn the heating up when the weather gets colder.
* Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60°C/140°F.
* Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
* Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
* Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
* If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.
* Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
* A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath. Fix leaking taps and make sure they are fully turned off.
* Use energy-saving lightbulbs. Just one can save you £60 over the lifetime of the bulb and they last around 10 times longer than ordinary lightbulbs.

Preventing fuel costs from going through the roof
A really significant way of saving energy in the home is to ensure that you prevent heat needlessly escaping through the windows, floors, walls or loft.

Cavity wall insulation: Most houses built after the 1920s have external walls which are made of two layers with a small air gap, or ‘cavity’, between them. Insulating your cavity walls can reduce your heating bill by up to a third. Around 10 million homes in the UK have unfilled cavity walls so it’s worthwhile finding out if yours is one of them.

The good news is filling the walls is a quick, clean, inexpensive process, costing only around £500 for a typical home and with an average fuel saving of around £90 a year.

Loft insulation: In an uninsulated home a quarter of your heating could be escaping through your roof. Ensuring you have loft insulation of at least 270mm is a highly cost-effective energy-saving measure and could save you around £110 a year.

Solid wall insulation: If your external walls are solid then you can insulate them on the inside and / or outside, saving you around £300 a year.

Double glazing: It helps to insulate the home and is becoming a ‘must have’ because of the comfort factor it provides. Double glazing can help save you around £90 a year, as well as reducing noise and condensation. If it is too expensive to replace all the windows, start with the rooms you heat most.

Are you choosing Energy Saving Recommended products?
Ensuring you buy the most energy efficient products possible is another important way of saving energy. Look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo when you next buy an electrical product. It’s your guarantee that the product is a top energy saver.

The logo appears on over 2,000 products including integrated digital televisions, boilers, heating controls, insulation, lighting, fridges, fridge freezers, tumble dryers and washing machines.

The latest list of Energy Saving Recommended products can be found at: www.est.org.uk/recommended

Want more information on energy saving?
If you would like further free, impartial expert advice on energy saving, why not contact your local Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512 012, or visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

The Energy Saving Trust experts:

* are the only advice service providing free, impartial information on home and community energy efficiency because of its status as an independent, not for profit organisation
* have a good knowledge of your area and understand the local housing stock; for example they can help you find out whether or not your house has cavity walls
* can advise you on any grants and offers that may be available to help towards installation costs
* know your local market and so can recommend suitably-qualified tradespeople
* have been operating since 1992.

Become a Green Ambassador for the Energy Saving Trust

Being a Green Ambassador for the Energy Saving Trust allows you to spread the good word of your hard work. Green Ambassadors are ordinary people, leading ordinary lives in ordinary houses. They are extraordinary because of their passion for saving energy! For further information contact greenambassador@est.org.uk
Please note: Green Ambassadors for the Energy Saving Trust appear as real life case studies in the media, so participants need to be prepared for a bit of the limelight.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead