People-led energy action
Bristol has an ambition of becoming carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030. Whilst there are significant hurdles the city must overcome to achieve this goal, Bristol Energy Network’s focus of the Mission Net Zero initiative aims to address some of the barriers that residents face to retrofit. In this blog, Faith Terry-Doyle, Community Development and Delivery Manager at Bristol Energy Network shares how their Energy Champion programme provides a space for people to learn, take action, and engage others around this shared goal.
Our Energy Champion programme has been engaging people across the city with the offer of an energy assessment of their homes and access to workshops. The programme has enabled people in Bristol to learn how to take action on energy in their homes and in their communities.
By supporting local people from all backgrounds, housing tenures, and income levels, we have been able to offer over 80 Bristol residents a fully-funded energy assessment of their homes. This has taken them through the key steps they can take to reduce their carbon emissions, increase their comfort, and save money on their energy bills.
“I learned a lot through the workshops about the little things I can do to make my home more energy efficient and now feel more confident to in future talk to contractors about the bigger things that are best left to professionals. It was also inspiring to see the local community come together to tackle an important part of the climate crisis when national government policies are trailing.”
Niklas, Energy Champion participant
Our Energy Champions have come together to learn what they can do to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, learn about retrofit and low carbon technologies, share their experiences, and work together to find solutions. Some Champions have now taken on active roles in their local communities, for example, by volunteering at our Energy Help Desk to support people at risk of fuel poverty, or by taking part in our Green Open Homes event.
“…at first, I wasn’t thinking about the bigger picture, but through the workshops, I realised how much I could contribute… I’ve enjoyed talking to different members of the public and sharing my experience. I’m looking forward to learning more so I can offer even better advice.” – Di, Energy Champion participant
A recent session at the Malcolm X Centre enabled Energy Champions to help draught-proof areas of the building, with guidance from our Retrofit Lead. The experience enabled Champions to learn about the practical uses of things like sealant and insulation tape, whilst helping to increase the energy efficiency of the community centre.
We have seen the benefit of providing learning and practical skills to people around energy improvements, and how this can begin to address the barriers people feel in making their own personal steps to a net zero future. The Energy Champions we’ve taken through the journey have come away with the inspiration, the knowledge, and the skills to carry out the DIY energy improvements they need to reduce their home energy issues.
Going forward, we feel positively about the impact the programme has had for Bristol residents. We are hopeful that we can continue to build on the success of this programme, offering more people of all backgrounds opportunities to take action in their home, address their energy issues, and encourage them to help others with energy issues in their communities. If you’d like to get involved in the Energy Champions programme, learn about the things you can do to reduce your energy bills and take action in your community, sign up here.
This programme is part of Mission Net Zero and is funded by Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living programme.
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