charity woman working in co-working area

 

 

If you manage a voluntary, community or social enterprise building you might qualify for a free energy saving assessment.

I am one of the expert advisors on the VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, funded by central government, for organisations in the East and West Midlands.

If you qualify for the scheme you can choose me to carry out your energy assessment.

Please contact me for an initial discussion.

You can find out here if you meet the eligibility criteria here.  If you don’t qualify for a free assessment, then contact me for a bespoke quote.  

 

thermal image of heat loss from a church

 

Energy confidence

 

Many places of worship are difficult and expensive to keep warm, especially if they are used only intermittently.  Plus heating the worship space is often the biggest single source of greenhouse gas emissions from a church, mosque, mandir, synagogue or gurdwara.

Often I give advice to places of worship who have old heating systems that are based on wet radiators; they are suitable for a home but not for a place of worship with high ceilings, because they don’t get heat where it’s needed.  So the congregation complain of being cold during the winter.  

Sometimes it’s best to consider whether the congregation can move to another space that is easier to heat.  But this isn’t always possible or desirable.

One solution is to heat the person as well as the space.

Some efficient ways of heating the person are:

  • Under-pew heating – this is like a low-temperature electric blanket that goes under fixed pews, and heats the person from below
  • Rechargeable chair cushion heaters, that heat the person where there are individual chairs instead of fixed pews (if you have access to solar panels – either onsite, or offsite, or a solar charger, then you can potentially use solar energy to charge the heaters, as cushion heaters are low-temperature and don’t need much power).  
  • Infra-red heaters.

You should continue to heat the space as well as the person.  If you heat the person, then you need less heat for the space.  If you eliminate space heating altogether, then this can lead to problems with condensation and damp, and cause damage to the building fabric.  It can also cause circulation problems in a wet central heating system if you have short bursts of on/off.

The first video below is a case study from a church that uses rechargeable heaters.

 

 

The second video below is a case study from a church that uses under-pew heating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you need impartial expert energy saving advice for your place of worship, business or home, please contact me.

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Maggie and Dave are hosting our next Birmingham Green Doors event on 4 March 2023.

 

 

 

I have been there before to give them energy advice, but tonight was the first time I have been back since their green home makeover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many features and benefits I could list but what struck me most was that it was evenly and consistently warm and comfortable throughout.

 

There are lots of measurements, thermal images, spreadsheets that could prove the carbon impact of what they’ve done. But you need to feel the comfort with your own five senses. This is an early 20th Century Edwardian terrace. They are notoriously leaky and draughty. If you move from one room to another you notice the difference. But not in Maggie and Dave’s house. On a cold January evening, the whole house is warm as toast.

At Maggie and Dave’s open house event on 4 March you will learn about:

  • How wall insulation has not only reduced heat loss, but improved airtightness, whose role in making a house warm or cold is often overlooked
  • The heat pump installer has done their job properly – they have designed flow rates, flow temperatures, and radiator sizing to ensure a steady background heat; with heating controls that are easy to use
  • How they have dealt with heat loss from the extremities of the house, such as the bay window
  • For those who like figures, you will be able to learn how much energy and carbon has been saved
  • Why you need to add ventilation when insulating a home – and how to do it
  • How Maggie and Dave chose and supervised the right contractors for the job

 

Who should attend?
  • People who are interested in making their home more energy efficient
  • Professionals working in housing and energy who are interested in warm, green homes
  • Community workers who want to help residents save energy
  • Students, teachers and academics interested in decarbonisation.

 

BOOK NOW!  Three time slots available.  Near Erdington train station, bus routes.

 

grandparent with grandchild in kitchen

 

Energy confidence

 

“LADS” = Local Authority Delivery Scheme – it’s a grant scheme aimed at installing energy saving measures in low-income households.

Sounds great!  But a number of local authorities have struggled to deliver it.  Including here in the West Midlands.

The biggest single reason is that central government gives local authorities an unrealistic timescale of 12 months to deliver it.

In 12 months, local authorities might have to:

  • set priorities for which homes should be targeted
  • go through a procurement exercise for retrofit assessors and installers
  • promote the availability of the scheme to eligible residents
  • sign up residents and deal with enquiries
  • carry out retrofit assessments
  • deal with drop-outs and objections
  • install the measures
  • complete the paperwork to show that the money has been spent properly.

An additional constraint is that it is high risk to install external wall insulation between October and March, because there is an increased risk of the render finish cracking.  This means you have seven months to deliver the scheme – from April to the end of October – if it involves external wall insulation on solid wall or system-built homes.

It’s no wonder the LADS scheme is so difficult to deliver.  The government should extend the delivery period to at least two years.

One other thing that does need to change is the way expectations of these scheme are managed.  We know from the experience of past schemes such as the Green Deal, that if scheme managers talk big numbers that they can’t deliver, or promise complex measures such as external wall insulation or heat pumps that they can’t realistically deliver, then people will feel let down and will lose trust in the scheme.  Community organisations and activists who want ensure that their neighbours take advantage of the scheme, can find that people’s trust in them is undermined.  The relationship between a community organisation and the people it serves becomes transactional and extractive.  We saw this on past schemes such as the Green Deal.

Sometimes it is better to stop promoting something and withdraw from it.  This is a difficult decision but it is in nobody’s interest to mislead vulnerable residents and to give them false hope.

We should also avoid using terms like “retrofit” in schemes aimed at the general public.  It’s jargon, and most people don’t understand what it means.  

 

cottage

 

The Green Homes Grant (Local Area Delivery Scheme) – also known as LADS – is here.  It provides grant funding for some measures, but how much you get and what for, varies from one local authority to another. In some local authorities it is means tested, in others it isn’t.  Also because of supply chain issues, in some areas it is behind schedule.  If you have energy saving measures through this scheme, then the scheme manager chooses the installer for you.  Unlike the previous Green Homes Grant scheme, it is operated by the local authority and the charity Act On Energy, which I think is a good move.

Act On Energy are managing the customer journey in most of the West Midlands, and you can see what is on offer in each local authority on their website – https://actonenergy.org.uk/local-authority-delivery-scheme-lads/

If you’re not in the West Midlands, then Google “Local authority delivery scheme [your local authority name]

As part of the quality assurance scheme that includes LADS, you should receive independent advice from a Retrofit Coordinator, free of charge, if you qualify for LADS.  Which means you don’t have to pay me for advice!  If however, you would still like to pay me for independent and impartial advice on saving energy in your home –  or even your business –  then I would be happy to help.  I help you to understand where to start, and how to plan for making your home or business environmentally friendly in the short, medium and long term.  

 

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Energy confidence

 

external wall insulation

 

Are you giving your home a green makeover?  Would you like the work you have done to be certified?  Would you like to tell the world about what you have done to save the planet?

I am accredited by the Association of Environment Conscious Building (AECB) to certify housing retrofit projects as having achieved the AECB Retrofit Standard, and to list them as a case study on the Low Carbon Buildings database.   Both privately-owned and rented homes (including social landlords) can be certified.  Non-domestic buildings, including businesses, charities, coops, and places of worship can also be certified on the Low Carbon Buildings database.

Please contact me for a no-obligation discussion about helping you to get your green home makeover certified.  As an introductory offer, this service is currently priced at £299.  

 

 

Featured image credit – Levitt Bernstein, Elementa, Passivhaus Trust and Etude commissioned by West Oxfordshire, Cotswold and Forest of Dean District Councils, funded by the LGA Housing Advisers Programme.

Are you looking to take over a neglected building or asset into community ownership?  Is it leaking heat and wasting energy and money like the building in the picture?

The government’s Community Ownership Fund was announced in July 2021.   It has been set up to help communities take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of closure, and will run for four years.

Interestingly on the subject of Environmental Sustainability, the fund’s prospectus says that “We welcome projects that can support the journey to net zero and incorporate low or zero carbon approaches. We also welcome projects which consider their impact on the natural environment and appropriate mitigations.”

This means the Fund could potentially support:

  • energy saving measures in buildings
  • renewable energy installations such as solar, heat pumps, wind turbines.

If you’re bidding to the Community Ownership Fund and are interested in making your community ownership project low carbon, then please contact me to see how I can help you.  I have lots of experience of working with community-owned buildings on energy saving, renewable energy and water saving.

Energy confidence

school desk

Energy confidence

 

  • Are you a school, academy, NHS trust, university, college, nursery or other public body?
  • Do you have a fossil-fuel based heating system that is coming to the end of its useful life?

If so, then you may be eligible to apply for grant funding to reduce your energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.  Eligible costs under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme include a contribution towards capital works, enabling works, and some consultancy costs.

A typical project might include installing a heat pump in a public sector building, with associated works such as insulation, heating controls, LED lighting and lighting controls, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.  

What I can do to help you

I can help you with:

  • deciding which are the most cost-effective energy saving measures for your public sector building
  • writing your application to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
  • choosing suppliers of energy saving measures and suppliers
  • demonstrating the greenhouse gas emissions savings to the funder.

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is open for applications from 7th April 2021 and is expected to be quickly over-subscribed.  If you would like me to help you with your energy saving project then contact me now for a conversation about what you need from me.

 

 

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About me

Grinning at Moor Street Station

 

I am the West Midlands’ leading expert in:

  • energy saving
  • renewable energy
  • procurement of energy saving products
  • water saving.

My customers include householders, landlords, public bodies, small businesses, charities and coops.

I am independent and impartial.

Phil Beardmore, FRSA AIEMA.

CONTACT ME NOW

TESTIMONIALS

Nathalie Rush

Nathalie Rush

Phil is truly an expert in his field. I can understand why most people around the West Midlands choose to go to Phil for energy-saving consultancy. Phil has a thorough understanding of energy conservation and sustainable living. Would highly recommend.  Nathalie Rush, MD, Six Star Insulation.

Claire Spencer

Claire Spencer

His knowledge of community-led sustainability is second to none, and his perspective on local and national issues is invaluable to us. He adds value, and is everything a good consultant should be, and I would recommend him to anyone in our field  Claire Spencer, Sustainable Moseley.

Rosemary Coyne

Rosemary Coyne

It has been hugely inspiring to work with Phil.  While others talk, Phil gets on and does it.  Rosemary Coyne, Coordinator, Sustainable Housing Action Partnership

Ray Walker

Ray Walker

In working with Phil I have been impressed by his level of knowledge and enthusiasm. He has a vast array of contacts and has brought us into contact with other stakeholder in the energy business that would have been much more difficult to achieve without him. I am also struck by his commitment to supporting communities and the most vulnerable client groups.

Ray Walker, Disability Resource Centre

Karen McCarthy

Cllr Karen McCarthy

 

 

 

Phil Beardmore has a long association with Localise West Midlands and is a valued associate on environmental, housing and fuel poverty projects. 

He works with us both as an individual practitioner and leading multi-disciplinary teams on larger projects, delivering high quality results on time and on budget.

 Cllr Karen McCarthy, Localise West Midlands

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heat pump

 

 

Rhoda and Connor were thinking about replacing their existing oil boiler, which was 15 years old.  They were spending more time at home now and wanted to manage their fuel bills in their large 4 bedroomed detached home.  They were interested in air source heat pumps, because they wanted to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.  

Rhoda researched whether a heat pump would work for their home, what to look for in a heat pump, and whether they would be better off.  She attended a webinar put on by Energy Confidence with Phil Beardmore on home energy saving, where she learned that she needed to consider a whole-house approach to energy saving.

Expert advice 

Rhoda and Connor felt that they needed expert advice, so they signed up to an Energy Confidence advice package.  Phil advised them on the suitability of a heat pump with smart heating controls,  understand the quotes they got, to choose the right installer, and used spreadsheets to understand the economics of a heat pump.  

Phil also did a thermal imaging survey to identify where Rhoda and Connor needed to improve insulation for greater efficiency and thermal comfort.  

Leap of faith

Rhoda said, “Overall he gave us the confidence to make this leap of faith – and we have no regrets!! Our house is warm, our water is hot, and we look forward to £££ savings. We’ve also made a big reduction in our carbon footprint!! We have already recommended Phil to our friends.”

Connor is keeping records of how their fuel consumption has changed since the heat pump was installed in December 2020 and the oil boiler and tank were removed.  Watch this space – when the heat pump has been in for 12 months, I will write another blog on their fuel savings and carbon dioxide savings.

Green homes grant

Phil also advised Rhoda and Connor on the Green Homes Grant and the Renewable Heat Incentive.  Rhoda and Connor successfully applied for funding towards the cost of their heat pump.  

 

Are you ready to make your fuel bills steady?

If you’d like to work with me on energy saving in your home or business, please check out my energy saving advice packages.  

 

Energy confidence

 

 

I am excited to announce two new features in my energy advice packages, that will help give you the confidence to make the right decisions on energy saving in your home or business.

  • I’m using a new piece of software that will help you decide whether a heat pump is right for your home or business;
  • And I’m using another new piece of software that will help you decide whether solar power, with or without battery storage, is right for your home or business.

A heat pump can be a very efficient way to heat a home or business, but it’s a big decision to make, because the economics of a heat pump are different to the economics of other investments.  Up to now I have been using a spreadsheet to help my clients understand the economics of a heat pump in their home or business, but with this piece of software it will make it a lot easier to do this.  If you’re at home more nowadays, then you may well be using more heat, and I will help you to understand the impact of this on the economics of a heat pump; including whether to use the Green Homes Grant or the Renewable Heat Incentive to part-fund it.

Solar panels and batteries are coming down in price.  It’s still a big decision to make though, as the economics of solar are quite complicated.  Again I have been using a spreadsheet to help my clients understand if solar is right for them, but this new piece of software will enable me to work out whether solar is right for you, more quickly and accurately.

The best piece of news is that I will NOT be raising the prices of my energy saving packages, so you get the benefit of these new features at no extra cost.  So book now, tell me all about your home or business, and let’s get you energy confident.  

  

 

HOW I CAN HELP

co2 icon

 
YOUR HOME

 

  • Green Homes Grant voucher advice
  • Online Energy Confidence coaching  
  • Advice packages with home visit and thermal imaging
  • Tell me about your home and the people who live in it
  • Payment by instalments available for householders

 

LEARN MORE

home office

man making coffee

low energy light bulb icon

 
BUSINESS 

 

  • Win new customers by going green
  • Online Energy Confidence coaching 
  • Advice packages with site visit and thermal imaging
  • Tell me about what your business does
  • Payment by instalments for small businesses and non-profits

LEARN MORE