More than 400 residents have taken advantage of the Surrey County Council scheme designed to help save up to £150 each year on energy bills. For those who haven’t heard, local libraries across the county are lending out energy monitors to help people better understand the energy consumption rates of household appliances. By understanding which devices are using electricity at any given time residents can reduce consumption by turning off appliances and lights that are not being used, and upgrading devices to more energy efficient models, saving up to 15 per cent.
The energy monitor lending scheme has proved most popular in Reigate and Banstead, with 64 individuals and families borrowing the devices from one of the borough’s six libraries during October and November, compared with just 22 in Spelthorne. Read more on the council’s website: http://shs.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspages.nsf/LookupWebPagesByTITLE_RTF/Scheme+to+save+residents+money+on+energy+bills?opendocument
Another great scheme coming up is being run by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Partnerships for Schools (PfS). They are running an exciting new initiative to get Energy Display Meters provided and installed into English state-funded schools, absolutely free.
This is a fantastic tool for getting pupils and teachers excited about monitoring electricity use and actively engaging them in sustainability issues. It works by monitoring your electricity use and displaying real-time results on your school’s PCs.
As we understand it, there are 4000 available and they’re on a first-come, first-served basis. So, register on their website now – http://www.energydisplaymeter.co.uk/ – and they’ll let you know the moment you can apply.
