Wilmslow Town Council to fund energy savings surveys
Wilmslow Town Council has awarded Transition Wilmslow a £2,000 grant, enabling the organisation to carry out energy saving surveys for local residents.
Transition Wilmslow was established to provide a community-led response to the pressures of climate change, fossil fuel depletion and economic contraction. The group is working towards zero-carbon local energy production, as well as to improve local food availability and raise awareness of issues such as climate change and resource scarcity.
Previous government aid has enabled the organisation to carry out 149 energy saving surveys across the region - which include thermal imaging of each home to discover where heat is escaping. It is estimated that those checks have saved over 153 tonnes of carbon. While the organisation would like to carry out more work of this sort, demand is currently too much for the resources they have available.
Andrew Backhouse from Transition Wilmslow explained that he wants everyone in Wilmslow to be able to save energy - thus helping to prevent climate change and reduce carbon omissions. However, he added that the organisation would need help from local people and the government to ensure that happens.
Mr Backhouse also noted how cutting back on energy use could save money. He referenced a recent home survey that the firm carried out and said that thanks to the findings, the occupants should see their fuel bill cut in half.
"Whilst we don't promise that for everyone, there are always tricks you can learn. Hanging washing outside and drawing curtains can make quite a difference, let alone insulating the walls and floors," he added.
Wilmslow Town Council voted unanimously in favour of the grant application earlier this month. The money will be used to train additional volunteers, improving equipment and paying for insurance. They expect to be able to carry out surveys of another 40 homes and they will be applying for a Big Lottery Fund grant in May. If that's successful, it will enable them to provide even more surveys.