Environmental charity Hubbub is working together with Ovo Energy Solutions, part of Ovo, the UK’s 3rd largest energy supplier, to help residents in Glasgow improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their bills.
The project will look at which home improvements work most effectively at curbing bills ahead of industry predictions that the fuel price cap will rise again to exceed £3,000 a year from October. There is an urgent need to make homes more energy efficient in the UK. Currently the UK spends more money on energy wasted through the walls and roofs of houses than any other country in Western Europe.
The partners are searching for a residential street in Glasgow that has a strong sense of community and a willingness to update their homes for this pioneering trial. The aim is to minimise the cost of the improvements by accessing local and government funding sources.
The idea behind the pilot is to explore and educate the public about the actions and home improvements that make the biggest difference on energy use while also looking at the benefits of neighbourhoods working together to undertake building improvements at the same time.
They are actively calling for potential participants to come forward and register their interest online. Residents that are happy to make changes to their homes as part of the trial will be asked to work together to maximise the energy savings and minimise the cost of any building upgrades.
Residents of the winning street will be given bespoke advice from Ovo Energy Solutions, local community groups, contractors and other on-the-ground experts and be able to choose from a variety of suggested home improvements which will be supported by grants and finance options where possible.
Potential measures which will be investigated during the trial include but are not limited to solid wall insulation, loft insulation, underfloor insulation, upgrading heating systems, upgrading windows and energy efficiency lighting. Hubbub and Ovo have said that resulting energy and cost-savings will be independently monitored throughout the trial.
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Mark Robson, commercial development director at OVO said:
"The pioneering trial will help bring neighbours together to upgrade their homes with green technology and reduce their bills. Now, more than ever, projects like this are critical to supporting households through the next winter while also improving the lives of people in the local community."
Findings from the project will subsequently be used to inform the public on how to best modify their homes to reduce their energy bills and to accentuate which options prove most cost-effective.
Hubbub has said that it will create an online group for the pilot project, to encourage participants to work together and share their ideas, successes, and challenges in making home improvements.
Since 2020 Ovo Energy Solutions has improved the energy efficiency of more than 2,700 homes across the UK through its programmes. Through 2021, as gas prices began to rise, Ovo Energy Solutions insulated over 1,500 homes, all of which were vulnerable or fuel poor households with approximately 50% being privately owned.
According to the Home Energy Security Strategy from E3G1, the average household in a home with an Energy Performance Rating (EPC) of D or below, has the potential to save around £968 per year if it becomes a home rated EPC C or better. This means that the results of the project have the potential to help people save significant money on bills. More crucially, the project will also help households reduce their carbon emissions which contribute to climate change.
Gavin Ellis, Co-founder of Hubbub said:
“We’re really keen to discover what is possible when a community comes together to tackle energy use in the home. This might include economies of scale by multiple houses on the same street carrying out the same work or be as simple as sharing ideas and information. We’re looking for a street that already has a strong sense of community spirit and is happy to work together and help each other. We hope the learnings and insight gained from this project will inspire other communities to work together and our ultimate aim is to create a model that can be replicated by people across Glasgow, Scotland, and the UK.”
The proposed trial has come at a time when the UK government is facing constant criticism from green groups and industry experts for failing to expand energy efficiency programmes in order to address the gas price crises brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
