The search for installers continues

Well today has proved interesting. I thought I'd go back to basics and do as recommended by the government and check out the Energy Savings Trust information. On their website I put in the postcode for the area on Skye I'm trying to find insulation for to see what grants might be available.

That was easy it came up with British Gas. I phoned their number, as on the website, and got through to Scottish Gas Wall and Loft Insulation. Good, I'm on the right track, press the correct number, listen to the dreadful music then speak to a human being. Then the fun begins.

"The Isle of Skye? Do you know if that is part of the British Isles? I'll just go and check."
My affirmation that it was part of the British Isles is ignored - back to that music. Clearly I am no longer speaking to someone from Scottish Gas as surely they would know that...

"Yes madam, it is part of the British Isles and we can help. We have a special offer on - prices have just been reduced from £250 to £199 for a typical 3 bedded semi detached property!"

Excellent I think - that is just what I'm looking for.

"We just have to fill in a form"

Piece of cake I think. As I suspect, a survey will have to be done first so I enquire as to where someone will come from to do the work. My British Gas man thinks it will be someone from Glasgow and asks innocently how far away that is. He sounds a little stunned when I inform him that this is a round trip of 400 miles and ventures that maybe there is someone closer than that.

"What was your postcode?" he enquires with a change in tone " I'll need to check this out."

More music...........

That was enough to halt proceedings.

"Oh, we don't cover there at all. You could try the Mark Group based in Glasgow."

I have already spoken to them. They, like pretty well everyone else on the list of accredited installers are part of a big chain. In this case I was told to phone their head office in Leicester to get information about a quote to Skye ( which of course would require a visit).

Meantime I had found an installer who would quote without a survey - at last a little common sense. This company, based in Stirling gave me a quote for between £650 and £750 depending on the type of insulation material used for a 3 bedded semi-detached property. How is that for an incentive to line your loft!! I wonder what the payback period would be for this easy measure.

When I enquired as to why the cost is so high, I got the answer I expected. It is primarily because of the cost and length of time required to travel from Stirling to Skye and back again. Imagine if there were local people who could do this using locally available materials...........it takes 1-2 hours to line your average loft.

On the plus side - if a community organsied a campaign for insulating lofts - it is likely they would be able, with assistance from Energy Savings Trust Scotland to get a much better deal i.e. in the region of £200 and free to some householders. Check out who can advise locally tel 0800 512 012.

Galson Trust and North Harris Trust will likely benefit from the announcement by the Government that they will insulate some homes in specific areas including Lewis and Harris but that is about as far as it goes for most of the Highlands and Islands. Isaly have successfully been down the road of getting insulation - though not with out difficulty so I'm away to find out about their experiences. The search continues....

Climate change plans and the search for installers

The British Government published its UK Low Carbon Transition Plan last week for moving the UK to a low carbon economy. It looks at how to transform our power; homes and communities; workplaces and jobs; transport; farming and waste. A key aspect of this is the creation of more than 1.2 million "green jobs". This would seem to be good news for us all in this time of recession especially for smaller and more remote communities where opportunities can be limited.

Unfortunately the current system means it is unlikely any small businesses in rural communities will have a look in:

I've been searching for installers who can give me quotes for doing loft insulation work on a couple of properties on Skye. It is easy to find the correct website for the list of the 'accredited installers' but that is about as easy as it gets. If you want to get someone who is local then it seems that central Scotland is about local as it gets. A survey is needed by most in order to get a quote. That is a round trip of some 400 miles, just for a quote, before any work starts...

If you want to use a local skilled tradesperson then there is no subsidy or grant available unless they are accredited. To become accredited costs several thousand pounds. It is an onerous prospect for a small outfit, involving a considerable amount of time and it is unlikely there will be any financial return as you are then competing against the 'big boys' who can buy in bulk and provided the economies of scale. The accredited installers are all part of large companies and they can afford to go through the accreditation process.

So, in trying to reduce the carbon footprint of a building, more road miles are expended than would seem necessary as there is an 'accreditation' box to be ticked. The system is apparently in place to provide quality control. Surely that is more easily monitored if the person who did the job lives locally and you can call them back if anything needs sorted?

At a workshop on retro-fitting ( i.e. insulating existing properties rather than new build) at the recent Comrie Climate Challenge Conference one of the attendees expressed his frustration at his attempts to establish a small sustainable business using sheep's wool for insulation. The carbon footprint of this is considerably lower than the glass wool fibre and mineral wool fibre and would seem to offer opportunities for wool in an otherwise difficult market but the funding is not there to support it and as far as I can work out no-one using this material is on the accreditated list. This method is particularly good for older stone properties as it has high breathability and is a good way to use up poorer quality wool.

It would seem the time is right to ask for changes to be made. Much of the regulation is governed by OFGEM. We need to think long term so that how and what is delivered by way of energy efficiency measures really starts to support local sustainability and a low carbon future. Wouldn't it be great if the actual costs of producing something in carbon terms ( the embodied carbon) was considered as well as the cost in pounds. Then the logic of using local people and local produce would become sensible rather than cheapness being the main factor.

Whose plate will it end up on?

In an increasing number of communities there is an appetite to reduce food miles and explore ways to use what is available locally. One food resource available potentially in abundance in some rural and remoter communities is deer.

It seems a simple process - kill the deer, butcher and process them locally, then sell locally.

Sadly, the venison industry is anything but simple. The growing taste for venison means that we are actually importing venison from the other side of the world with it being flown thousands of miles from New Zealand to meet the demand from processors, supermarkets and restaurants for this lean meat.

At the same time, according to Scotland on Sunday over a third of the venison produced by the £70.4 million a year industry gets sent to the continent - primarily by the game dealers – to end up being stuffed into German sausages.

Part of the problem is there are restrictions on when deer can be culled, so they are not available all year round – unless farmed. Another issue is licensing. Historically most of the deer culled has gone to licensed game dealers who can get more from exporting than selling locally ( this is the fate of much deer culled on John Muir Trust land as it is for many estates).

Investment in local butchering and processing is a costly affair. The capital costs for deer larders that meet the standards and facilities to skin the beasts make it prohibitive for many communities to look at.

So are there other ways to get local food to your plate?

The Fife Diet encourages people to sign-up to eating food from the region, monitor their progress and share their experience. They are working closely with suppliers and local farmers. The group aims to shorten the supply chain, reduce food miles, create innovative distribution services and re-localise produce. This approach is meeting with some success with some 800 people already signed up to the initiative.

In Assynt and North Lewis, thanks to funding through the climate challenge fund communities are hoping to look at the issues around food production and food miles.

According to research some 70% of food miles are created by the consumer driving out to buy food.

Meanwhile, next time you have a plate of venison, check where it comes from. Has it taken 11,000 airmiles to arrive on your plate from New Zealand or a maximum of 370 airmiles from Scotland?

Join the revolution

"Join the revolution" was the invitation from Comrie Development Trust to communities from across Scotland working to tackle climate change in their local areas. Picturesque Comrie, in rural Perthshire may not seem a hot bed for radical ideas but the village "where ancient rivers meet new ideas" felt pretty radical by the end of a weekend conference in early June.

The conference, run for communities by communities, brought over 100 delegates and speakers to the village for a weekend of presentations, workshops and visits.

It felt somewhat doom and gloom at the start as local MSP and Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham opened proceedings. A very honest and frank discussion followed the speechifying. Roseanna made clear that many politicians know the urgency around climate change issues but evidence suggests the electorate are not ready to take the measures required. People need to make and win the arguments in their own communities before the politicians will move boldly, concluded Roseanna. In other words - the present encumbents won't take risks with their future political careers. An issue Alastair McIntosh - the next speaker- refers to as NIMTO syndrome ( Not In My Term of Office).

Provocative as ever, Alastair (author of Hell and High Water) recognised that there are no easy solutions - and maybe no solutions. Much of the increase in carbon has arisen in our own lifetime where we have moved from necessary consumption to consumersim and unnecessary consumption. His plea is for us to reconnect with the natural elements that we have lost touch with and with children and look to our inner development.

There is a ray of hope in what he said - we can take charge of ourselves and learn to be content with less material wealth. So from the spiritual challenge we moved to the challenge for communities.

Simon Hooton from Sustainability South West ( a charity based in England) shared his thoughts on how communities can raise their game. Essentially he argued we have to imagine and plan for better options - recognising that less is more. Like Alastair he emphasised the way in which we have become separated from nature and called for future considerations about the environment to be grounded in what the environment can do for people - rather than seeing it as something out there to which we have no connection and 'protect' in a sterile way.

Simon's organisation promotes a scheme called Fair Shares Fair Choice. Using a CO2 reduction model called Contraction & Convergence (C&C) to calculate a ‘fair carbon share’ for every person who lives in the UK, practical support is offered through case studies and a 'carbon lifestyle coach'.

A large group of attendees met at the end of the day to consider how to encourage our politicians to take up a similar approach for Scotland to support the ambitious Climate Change Bill. My thought is: Are we brave enough to go down this route and make the radical changes we need for a truly sustainable future?

On a positive note - the Scottish Government has committed to targets in the proposed bill that reflect the science. So maybe we really are at the start of a revolution where government and communities will be heading the same way.

To see more images from Jamie's trip to Eigg's Giant Footprint Festival in May go to www.flickr.com/photos/johnmuirtrust

Eigg's Green Revolution

Eigg’s Green Revolution

Guest contribution from Jamie Grant (JMT Communcations Officer) who visited Eigg’s recent ‘Giant Footsteps’ festival.

Sue Hollands stands on the back step of her home sipping a cup of tea and waiting for a break in the rain to get back to work in her garden. Rain interruptions are part of her daily life on the Northern side of the island of Eigg. On stormy days she watches angry showers whip in off the Atlantic. Today the precipitation is almost imperceptible, a fine drizzle that hangs over the singing sands below her house like a grey curtain.

Islanders like Sue, a teacher at the school, are used to their lives being dictated to by the elements. A single standing stone offers the only sustained resistance to the wind on the high blown, treeless plateau in the centre of Eigg. Gales frequently stop the ferry from reaching the island and encourage a spirit of independence and resourcefulness in its people.

Their resilience has helped residents turn the very elements that so dominate island life to their advantage. Sue’s cup of tea was boiled with renewable energy generated on the island. In fact every household on Eigg is now hooked into an electricity grid that is powered by a mix of community owned hydro, solar and wind energy.

A year ago the island, which is too far from the mainland to be connected to the mains, celebrated the completion of a £1.7 Million electrification project to hook the ninety odd residents up with home - grown, green power. A 100kW hydro electric scheme is supported by four small wind generators and bank of solar electric cells. Power is distributed, via bank of powerful batteries, around the island in underground cables.

To control demand residents are restricted to a maximum of 5kW of energy in their homes at any one time. Sue has an energy monitor fixed above the sink in her kitchen where it gives a constant reading of her energy use. “I’m always on the look out for low energy appliances,” said Sue. “Last week I was thrilled to find an electric kettle that boils water with 1.5kW rather than 3kW.”

If Sue, or any other household on Eigg, exceeds the 5kW limit the electricity supply is automatically tripped and she has to pay a reconnection fee of £20. This only happened to Sue once, when she put the washing machine and the dishwasher on together. “It is a good incentive to think carefully about what we are switching on at home, and when,” adds Sue.

Energy efficiency is nothing new to Eigg residents. Before the electricity grid was installed householders depended on noisy diesel generators that produced less energy at a greater cost. “This has made a huge difference to us,” Sue says. “Electricity is now far cheaper and far more reliable.”

The key to constantly keeping the lights on using green energy from the West Coast’s fickle climate has been in using a mix of renewable technologies. The hydro scheme provides back up for the wind turbines on calm days, just as solar power makes up for the drop in rainfall over the summer months.

Community participation and ownership has also been critical to the projects success. Residents contributed over £200,000 to the project thought the Eigg Trust and dedicated an enormous amount of volunteer time and effort into its development. “This is our system - uniquely adapted to the islands scattered community - and it works,” Sue says proudly.

Eigg residents could be forgiven for sitting back and feeling rather smug about their green credentials. But their new energy supply has invigorated debate in the community about how even deeper cuts can be made in the island’s carbon dependence. The Eigg Trust is the only Scottish finalist for the NESTA lottery backed Big Green Challenge. Ideas for how to best invest the potential £1 million pounds of funding from the Challenge include solar panelling, wood fuel, electric cars and more local food production.

Which is where Sue’s organic gardening skills come in. Her immaculate beds spread out in a fan shape from her back step, each fertilised with seaweed collected from the shoreline. “I’m thinking of cutting back on work to dedicate more time to the croft,” she tells me. “We want to concentrate harder on providing food for the community and becoming more self sufficient in every aspect of our lives.”

New Energy Assistance Package

I asked Mhairi MacSween, Community Outreach Worker, from the Energy Advice Centre for the Highlands and Islands to explain more about the new Energy Assistance Package that was announced in April. This takes over from the Central Heating and Warm Deal programmes.

I must say I found my brain a little scrambled trying to get it all clear in my head. As Mhairi said to me: "It is still fairly complicated so it is best to get people to ring us."

Essentially, as she explained, the new package means that everyone is entitled to free advice, an energy audit and a benefit check. Then some groups of people are entitled to further support including insulation and heating measures, mainly, these are people who receive 'qualifying benefits'.

The easiest thing to do is to call free on 0800 512 012 and get taken through the process
or check out the website www.energyassistancepackage.com

This PDF file can also be downloaded from the Energy Assistance Package website, or you can view the quick guide online

In sum, there is good news for some older people and some with young families who can get free insulation etc. and this can include WALL INSULATION and other heating measures like replacing a boiler. Young families on 'qualifying benefits' are included for the first time.

And what about the not so young and not so old and able to pay?

I asked Mhairi if there was any support for those who are able to pay for some works.

Here is what she had to say:

Support can be offered in a variety of ways
By campaign/area (a one off price agreed by the Energy Saving Scotland advice centre and a contractor in that area for a limited period and discounted due to the large take-up) typically this is £199 for loft & cavity subject to survey but it varies. We can work with any group wishing to do a campaign in conjunction with us. We have a marketing manager who helps set up these campaigns. We just completed a campaign in Skye at £199 – so they were getting it for the same price as the mainland!

For individuals, e.g. if they phone into the call centre, to check all the utility providers and see which is the best deal (again this varies as each utility company is different and prices can change so we use a calculator to work it out which is updated continually from head office).

Support can be provided through the Carbon Emission Reduction Target scheme(CERT). CERT schemes are run by various energy companies across the UK. The schemes help tenants and home owners pay for insulation and other fuel saving measures. Anyone can apply for help through these schemes. If you are over 70 or on a low income, you should be entitled to free help to insulate your home. Other people may be entitled to grants to help towards the cost of insulation. Your energy adviser can tell you more about schemes you can apply for. Tel 0800 512 012

In essence:

The local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre for Highlands & Islands offers free, bespoke home energy audits, impartial advice on energy efficiency at home and assistance with accessing grants to help with home insulation and renewable energy technologies and money saving fuel tariffs. Simple tips that cost nothing but can save householders money straight away and stop the wasting of energy.

For any advice or to arrange a free survey of your property for cavity wall or loft insulation Free phone 0800 512 012