Scheme to help reduce residents’ energy bills

Release Date:  17-Mar-2009

Residents will be able to reduce the amount of energy they use and save money at the same time thanks to a pioneering new loan scheme from the city council.

The city’s library network has taken delivery of nearly 200 Energy Saving Monitors, which library users* can take home and simply plug into a socket to find out how much energy they consume at home and which appliances are the biggest energy guzzlers. The scheme will be launched on Friday 20th March from when monitors can be taken out for a free four-week loan period and renewed just like any library book.

Cllr Gary Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety, said: “Rising energy costs in the home are a worry for most people, particularly in the current economic climate. Our new Energy Saving Monitor loan scheme will give residents a quick and easy way to see how much energy their home is wasting and where they can make immediate savings.

“If everyone did the small things such as turning off their lights and switching off their appliances at the socket, not only would people see a noticeable saving on their electricity bill, we would see a huge reduction in the amount of energy Bristol wastes.”

To demonstrate its own commitment to reducing energy consumption, Bristol City Council is taking part in the WWF Earth Hour, which aims to get up to a billion people around the world to sign up and turn their lights out for one hour to raise awareness on climate change. On 28th March at 8.30pm, the council will turn out the lights for an hour on the Council House, the Central Library, the City Museum & Art Gallery, Brunel House and the new Colston Hall. To take part in the campaign, visit www.earthhour.org.

Bristol City Council is also helping residents in other ways to improve their home’s energy efficiency. A subsidised loft insulation and cavity wall insulation scheme is available for privately owned properties, free to vulnerable households.

Grants are also available from the Warm Front government-funded scheme which provides grants of up to £2,700 for improvements to make your home warmer, healthier and more energy efficient. For further information on these and other schemes, telephone the Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512 012.

For more information about borrowing an Energy Saving Monitor visit your local library in Bristol or contact Julian Rush, Branch Libraries Manager, on tel. 0117 903 8539.

Author:  Lynda Wookey / Catherine Frankpitt

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