Last night (Tuesday 1st May), local residents packed into a hall in Chandlers Ford to hear about Renewable Energy, retrofitting and the Government’s upcoming scheme, The Green Deal. Local energy consultants James and Alison Penders presented an Introduction to Renewable Energy and The Green Deal. Through colourful illustrations and diagrams, James talked about renewable energy measures that can be implemented in the home, saving energy, money and CO2 at the same time.

James explained that some of the measures can be very expensive for people to install in their homes, which then lead onto The Green Deal. The Green Deal is a Government iniative set to launch later this year which will help homeowners install these measures without a big upfront cost. The cost of these will be put into the electricity bill. An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) explains the steps the homeowner needs to put in place which are covered by The Green Deal, providing helpful figures on just how much they can save.

There was big stress on getting initial measures implemented BEFORE The Green Deal comes in, such as cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. This can be obtained FREE of charge if you live within Eastleigh Borough. Visit Insulate Hampshire for more information.

There was a great turnout and audience members left leaving happy and informed. James and Alison are interested in developing their talk to be used in other towns across Eastleigh Borough. They can also conduct an energy survey of your home. If you wish to get in touch with them their email is jhgj@hotmail.co.uk.