Why retrofit? And how can LCWO support you with it?

by Mim on March 11, 2020 with No Comments

The way we heat and light our homes has a huge impact on our carbon emissions.

In fact, residential buildings are the greatest single contributor to Oxford’s total emissions [Source: Oxford City Council Climate Emergency Strategy Report 2019].

We’re not going to solve the climate crisis just by making more green energy alone; we also need to significantly reduce our demand for energy, and one key way of doing that is to increase the energy efficiency of our homes.

Here are 4 ways YOU can take important action in your home:

JOIN our ACT Now programme, which gives you access to relevant workshops and a FREE home energy assessment, along with a £100 grant.

Find out more here.

On benefits, have a long term health or mental health condition or other vulnerability? You’re eligible for help from the Local energy Advice Programme

If you or someone you know in Oxford is on benefits, has a long term health or mental health condition or other vulnerability, it’s likely you are eligible for LEAP.

This entitles you to a FREE energy home visit, FREE small energy repairs such as draught proofing and LED lights, and FREE phone support with your finances.

You could also get free or discounted insulation or boilers if available. This could literally save you hundreds of pounds.

To apply, visit the Better Housing Better Health website or call 0800 107 0044 to talk to an advisor.

Get help from Cosy Homes Oxfordshire.

You can read all about why and how we’re working with Cosy Homes Oxfordshire here, and we have a free information event all about CHO on Saturday 28th March at WOCA – details and sign up here.

Sign up to Project Meter.

Some of you may have already participated in the two West Oxford Energy Challenges over the past couple of years (see this post and this post), but if you haven’t, you can still participate in the research project that led to those challenges.

The Environmental Change Institute’s Dr Phil Grunewald is exploring how our activities (and enjoyment) relate to electricity consumption, and you can sign up to take part in his research here.

From participation, you get really fascinating information about how much energy you use and when. Information is power – once you know what activities consume energy, you can make choices about when and how you do them. You might even end up changing your energy tariff to be a time of use tariff, and start doing energy-intensive activities, like using the washing machine, at times of low energy demand e.g. in the middle of the night. And once you’ve seen how much power that dryer uses, you chose to use a washing line!