In focus
FREE conducts energy audit of eight villages in the UK
The FREE initiative organised energy audits of eight UK villages across eight low profile English regions. National Energy Action, the UK’s leading fuel poverty and affordable warmth charity, undertook a full energy audit of 5 typical house types, the village hall/community building, and a walk-through survey of all housing stock within the village.
To provide additional information on all housing in the village, the FREE initiative distributed Audit Questionnaires. A local energy advocate proactively engaged with residents, encouraging them to complete the Questionnaire. The questions varied from housing issues (i.e. type, insulation, heating system etc.) to social aspects (i.e. income level, benefit entitlement etc.).
The aggregated physical audit and questionnaire results will be used to identify energy efficiency measures, which can be delivered to homes through the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT funding).
CERT is a government scheme used to fund energy efficiency measures, such as cavity and loft insulation, which are installed into homes either free or charge where residents qualify through social or financial criteria, or at a subsidised cost.
The FREE initiative is working directly with a CERT partner to deliver these measures to rural homes. Households, which have been identified as being eligible for free or subsidised energy efficiency measures are being contacted by letter and referred directly to the Utility Company, who then arranges for the measures to be installed.
The primary results village already identified 2 super-priority CERT households entitled to free measures and 11 ‘priority’ CERT households.
The results of the Audit show the diverse nature of housing types, income levels, and social demographics within rural communities. For example, the South West has a particular problem with high levels of second-home ownership, whilst Yorkshire & Humber has identified an estate village in extremely poor condition, owned by a local Lord.
This information is particularly valuable in the run up to the ‘Green Deal’ regarding the special nature of rural housing and particularly the barriers to energy efficiency improvement in rural communities.