Energy Efficiency

Herefordshire Energy Action Team (HEAT)

Herefordshire Council's Herefordshire Energy Action Team (HEAT) aims to help Herefordshire residents save energy in their homes. The HEAT team's work within Private Sector Housing  contributes towards tackling climate change, increasing the provision of affordable warmth in Herefordshire, and promoting the safeguarding finite fossil fuels. The main functions of the HEAT team are:

• Referring people to energy efficiency grant schemes funded externally from the council
• Providing energy saving advice
• Coordination of Herefordshire's Affordable Warmth Strategy
• Development of new carbon reduction and sustainable energy initiatives

Becoming more energy efficient is a great way to reduce your impact on climate change

The prediction is that world temperatures will rise by 2-5 degrees and sea levels by 30-50 cm by the end of the century. Burning of fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas for electricity, heating and transportation releases gases into the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect, which is causing climate change.

In Herefordshire, climate change is likely to mean hotter drier summers, warmer wetter winters, increased flooding, summer thunderstorms and less snow. Not only will this affect us, but also the wildlife and countryside. Climate change can reduce the biodiversity, abundance and distribution of plants and animals. The effects can be very complicated due to the complex interaction of all living things.

It is going to take an effort by everyone to make a difference and it is absolutely vital we start now. It is easy to reduce our energy usage, which also saves us money!

Energy saving tips

The average UK household wastes around £300 per year through being inefficient. To find out how you can save energy in your home take a free Home Energy Check survey or call 0800 512012. The Energy Saving Trust advice centre (ESTac) offers free impartial advice to households on how to cut their fuel bills with information on energy efficiency and renewable energy grants.

Use Herefordshire's carbon footprinting calculator to see what impact you are having on the environment at present and get tailored advice on how to reduce it.

Herefordshire Council's work on energy efficiency is based on the requirements of the national indicator 187 on fuel poverty.  This is measured by annually surveying the percentage of people receiving income based benefits living in homes with a low and high energy efficiency ratings and monitoring the progress made to increase the energy ratings of these properties.

Improvements to the energy efficiency of private homes is also significant in the monitoring of the national indicator 186 (Per capita reduction in CO2 emissions in a local authority area).