VCSE organisations – do you qualify for a free energy saving assessment?

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Phil Beardmore

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.

Tonight I visited Maggie and Dave ahead of the next Birmingham Green Doors event – I love how cosy they have made their home

Posted on February 3, 2023February 3, 2023 by Phil Beardmore

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.

What does the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy mean for your small business? Top tips for your business to act now.

Posted on October 19, 2021October 19, 2021 by Phil Beardmore

The Heat and Buildings Strategy is a plan from the government to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by heating buildings. It has strengths, but also limitations.

There is financial support in the Strategy for homeowners, landlords and the public sector to decarbonise homes and public buildings. Heat pump grants for householders are likely to be predominantly taken up by more affluent households with higher carbon footprints.

There is no financial support for small businesses in the Heat and Buildings Strategy. All is not lost, however, because there are many things that your small business can do to save the earth, without costing the earth.

Here are my top tips for what you can do now:

Review the way you use your heating controls. In every single building that I have ever helped, I have advised on better use of existing heating controls. More strategic use of existing heating controls needs no capital investment. Upgrading to smart heating controls is a cost-effective way of saving carbon.
Switch to LED lighting throughout the business and don’t forget lighting controls – for example, passive infra-red controls in areas of intermittent occupancy such as bathrooms and corridors.
Consider the impact of home working and flexible working on your business. Just because there are fewer people in your building, it doesn’t always follow that your building is using less energy. Now is a good time to undertake an energy audit.
Improve the airtightness of your building. Look for gaps where the floors meet the walls and where the roof meets the walls. They can be sealed quite cheaply and will effectively stop heat escaping from your building. This is particularly useful in older buildings where it is difficult and expensive to insulate the walls and floors. But if you can insulate, then walls, roofs, floors, and window reveals. Thermal imaging is great for identifying priority areas.
Move desks and equipment to make use of natural light.
Use laptops instead of desktops as they use less energy.

Tell me what makes your business great, and we will work together to make it greener and more profitable.

If you’re a business that needs expert help with energy saving then please check out my energy advice packages.

If you’re a homeowner please click here. I specialise in advising homeowners on whether a heat pump is suitable for their home.

If you’re a charity, public sector body or housing provider please click here.

Consumers want to buy off businesses that are ethical and sustainable. Now is the time to act on the climate emergency.

Would you like your green home makeover to be certified and publicly listed on the Low Carbon Buildings Database?

Posted on July 21, 2021November 8, 2021 by Phil Beardmore

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.

Homeworking – does it increase or decrease the environmental impact of your business?

Posted on April 28, 2021April 28, 2021 by Phil Beardmore

Is working from home good or bad for the environmental impact of your business?

The short answer is … it depends. It depends on factors such as:

the comparative energy efficiency of your business building, and the homes of your staff;
the way in which heating controls are used in your business building, and in the homes of your staff;
what mode of transport employees use to commute to work, and how far they travel.

Watch this video on YouTube

Some businesses could actually find that their environmental impact increases because of remote working. Even if their employees are travelling less … even if they aren’t using heat and power in their office … the greenhouse gas emissions from their staff’s homes could cause a net increase in the environmental impact of your business.

I am now using a piece of software that means I can do a bespoke calculation for your business.

This means that I can help you to work out a meaningful answer to this dilemma for your business, and most importantly, give you expert advice on what to do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, whether your employees are working from your premises, remotely, or a mixture of both.

The good news is that this service is included in my business energy advice packages, so you don’t have to pay the earth, to save the earth.

Tell me what makes your business great, and we will work together to make it greener and more profitable.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Membership of the AECB – Association of Environmentally Conscious Buildings – enables me to keep my skills up to date

making birmingham green

I won a Making Birmingham Greener Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement.

green leader

I was nominated twice by my peers as one of the top Green Leaders in the West Midlands

Are you a public sector body who wants to reduce their energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions?

Posted on March 23, 2021March 23, 2021 by Phil Beardmore

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.