Tackling Fuel Poverty in Southampton
Throughout 2011 our energy advisors were busy working with communities in the St Marys and Shirley Warren areas of Southampton, helping people to save money and energy and make their homes cosy for the winter.
Home Visits
Forty families welcomed us to their homes so we could give tailored energy saving advice. Help was given on a variety of topics, such as:
- loft and cavity wall insulation and grants
- how to get the most from a heating system
- low cost measures to make the home warm and healthy, such as draught proofing and secondary glazing
- reading meters and understanding energy bills and tariffs
We installed 29 electricity monitors to help residents keep track of their spending and, based on our recommendations, we helped the people of Southampton to save an estimated £7,153 and 27.5 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Community Champions
Through this project we helped 20 volunteers to become Community Energy Champions. These willing people attended short workshops at which they learnt about home energy efficiency and the sources of help that are available. The Energy Champions are now out in their communities sharing their knowledge and skills with friends and neighbours.
Community events
We were grateful to local organisations including Sure Start, the Warren Centre, Unity 101 Community Radio and the Chinese Association of Southampton who invited us to their events allowing us to reach more people.
