lightbulbs

Someday we will harness the rise and fall of the tides and imprison the rays of the sun.

Thomas Edison

Projects to reduce carbon emissions in Bovey

Using energy more efficiently at home is a good place to start reducing carbon emissions. There's loads we can all do to save energy, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune - in fact it will probably cut your fuel bills!
Download some of our energy saving tips here

The BIG Switch

Join our BIG Switch in Bovey and switch to green electricity supplied by Ecotricity. Many Bovey and Heathfield residents have already switched to the green energy scheme.  One of the first to switch last year was Bovey Tracey Town Council, who estimated that they would save £160 as a result.  When you switch domestic supply, you'll go on the New Energy tariff, which is only partly sourced from renewable energy.

Apply online on the Ecotricity website (make sure you sign up in the bottom right hand box); or Phone Ecotricity direct on 08000 326100 and quote BCA1 (or BCA02 if you're a business)

or Fill in a pre-stamped SWITCH form, available from us.

For everyone who signs up for green electricity using the link above or quoting BCA1 on the phone or switch form, Ecotricity will give a contribution to our Community Renewable Fund.  With over 3,000 homes in the town, there's no reason why we can't get 500, or 1,000 to switch. You don't even need to live in Bovey to help build the fund.


Local Businesses can also switch - Fine Finishers in Pottery Road has been the first to do so - by obtaining an individual quotation based on past electricity consumption from Ecotricity's freephone number 08000 326100.  Quoting BCA2 will generate a £40 Ecotricity donation towards the renewable energy fund.


Everybody wins. You get cleaner, greener electricity; the school perhaps gets a solar panel; and we all benefit from having less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.      

Unlike any other national electricity supplier, Ecotricity only generates renewable energy so that every penny you spend with them is invested in new wind energy.  View the Ecotricity progress report for 2009, which explains how much the company spent last year building new sources of green energy.

Ecotricity promise that their New Energy tariff (phone 08000 362100 free for details) will always match the standard price of the regional supplier, so for many people switching will be price neutral.  If you want your electricity use matched against 100% green energy generation, ask to be put on Ecotricity's New Energy Plus tariff using the freephone number below.

Download our Energy File 2 to get the facts on green electricity.

Strike a Light!
On 1st March 2008, we launched a campaign to give away a free low energy (LE) lightbulb to every household in Bovey Tracey. The Energy Saving Trust has donated 3800 LE bulbs to the campaign.

There's much we can all do to reduce our use of energy. Switching to low energy lightbulbs saves money and reduces our carbon emissions too.  If you've not yet switched from old-fashioned lightbulbs, now's your chance to do so. New types and sizes of lightbulbs now means there are low energy equivalents for every type of fitting. To help you, we have produced a free factsheet which tells you all you need to know about choosing and using low energy lightbulbs. Pick one up with your free bulb. 

Download Low Energy lightbulb factsheet here

Waste Watchers

This project was aimed at helping families in Bovey reduce the amount of energy they use.  Over 50 households have used the carbon calculator and thermal imaging camera to see where they are wasting energy.  Our 'Way-in' visits included advice on how to use less energy.

The average home in the UK emits 5400kg of CO2 per year. By using the Waste Watchers Way-in form, we calculated the carbon emitted as a result of home heating and cooking.  By taking the amount of energy used in the last year, we estimated how much carbon a household produces and compared it with the UK average. 

If you're looking for grants and offers on home insulation and renewable energy, go to the Energy Saving Trust website.

The School 'Hamster' Project
Who remembers the school hamster? The school used to let the pupils take a hamster home for a week to learn about looking after animals. Our version is a bit different.  We lend Electrisave Smart Meters to local primary schools.  The children take them home for a week to monitor their family's electricity use.  

The Electrisave is a simple gadget which easily fits to the electricity supply and then displays the power, the cost and the CO2 used.  The idea is that once the children see how much energy is being used in the home, they'll be keen to turn off lights and appliances and will pester their parents to do the same.

You can also borrow an Electrisave from the Climate Change corner in Bovey Library.

Just ask the librarian if you don't see it. 

Bovey Swimming Pool Project 2010:

The Energy Group have worked closely with Bovey Swimming Pool to reduce their emmissions - and their gas bill! Now the showers are partly solar-powered - saving nearly £60 in their first month of use. The group helped with planning, funding and installing the panels.


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