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| Community Projects |
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| In the North East: |
| We were pleased to be able to assist the residents of Sadberge, near Darlington with their community energy saving project by providing them with a number of Eco-eye products.
The Sadberge Energy Saving Project is being carried out in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust and one of its main objectives is : "To be environmentally responsible, and in particular to make a contribution towards combating climate change". An award by the ‘It’s Your Community” helped with the purchase of Eco-eye products
More than 20 households in the village of Sadberge, near Darlington, in the north-east of England have been using Eco-eye monitors to investigate their patterns of electricity use and to identify opportunities to make savings.
Here are some examples:-
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One person discovered that his automatic garage door opener was using 40W when it was just sitting there on standby. This was costing him about £40 per year - and, of course, generating unnecessary carbon dioxide - so he has fitted a switch to turn it off completely when he knows that he won't be using it.
Another household discovered that the motion-operated lights at the back of their house were using 750W when they came on. The lights themselves are needed for security reasons, but they don't need to be so powerful. The householder has bought lower power bulbs for those lights.
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| One person discovered that his computer power strip was using 14W of electricity even when all the devices -monitor, speakers, scanner and printer - were switched off. He now switches the power strip off at the socket each evening.
Residents will shortly be launching phase 2 of the Energy Use Monitoring, which will involve lending out plug-in electricity monitors - bought with the It's Your Community grant - to enable people to investigate the electricity used by individual appliances such as fridges, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers.
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| In the London Borough of Lewisham: |
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| Residents in the borough of Lewisham are now able to borrow an Eco-eye Mini free of charge from libraries in the area. We were able to provide a bespoke service by providing monitors with the local authority logo: |
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| In the Hertfordshire village of Brickendon Liberty: |
| Brickendon Liberty, a small Hertfordshire parish, launched their ‘Watt Watcher’s Club’ on April 25th 2009, an innovative scheme to cut carbon emissions which mimics a typical slimming club. |
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The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle group on the Parish Council were successful last July in the East of England Development Agency’s (EEDA’s) Cut your Carbon competition designed to encourage original community based carbon cutting solutions. The scheme is also being supported by East Herts District Council’s LEAF fund and Brickendon Liberty Parish Council (BLPC).
They have been awarded £6,924 to provide all households in the Parish who join the Watt Watchers club with British made ‘eco-eye’ real-time electricity monitors.
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| Members will attend quarterly meetings, clutching their electricity bills for a ‘weigh-in’ to compare their latest readings with their previous quarter’s readings, and compete to win a prize as the ‘slimmer of the quarter’ for the largest % Kwh (kilowatt hour) household electricity reduction. Members will also be encouraged to share information on what has worked best.
The Watt Watcher’s Club launch meeting took place in front of a full house at Brickendon Liberty Parish Hall on Saturday 25th April and more than 50 of the target 150 households signed up.
John Lambie, spokesperson for Watt Watcher’s commented: “We believe we can set many on the road to significant reductions in their energy bills and do our small bit to save the planet. For a £5 annual subscription members get access to an electricity monitoring device worth £49.99 together with personal instruction in how to use the monitor. Club meetings will be run concurrently with the several other ‘Reduce Reuse Recycle’ environmental schemes in the parish. They will provide a real incentive for people to start to appreciate how carbon emissions are linked to very real expenditure and therefore how best to cut costs. The manufacturers of the monitors state that increased awareness can produce a 15% reduction in bills, particularly in the first year.”
A spokesman for the Brickendon Liberty Parish Council said, ”The Watt Watcher initiative came straight from residents opinions on green energy expressed through a comprehensive survey carried out last year which forms the basis of our 5 year Parish Plan.”
Alex Menhams, Cut your Carbon Campaign Manager added: “Brickendon Liberty’s Watt Watcher’s solution impressed EEDA with its real potential to help people learn about energy use and change their energy-consuming habits in a positive and light-hearted way. It is innovative and simple, allowing many other communities across the UK to do the same.”
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| Calling all energy savers in Lancashire: |
| Did you know Lancashire County Council has teamed up with twelve district councils to launch a new scheme to help residents reduce their electricity bills by monitoring the electricity used in their household? We are delighted our Eco-eye monitors has been chose to help local residents start saving electricity through a free lending scheme available at all libraries in the county. |
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| To make it easier than ever for you to get your hands on an energy monitor they are available from all LCC libraries, including mobile and home service.
The aim is to provide an easy way for you to get in touch with your 'green' side and do something not only to save the environment but to save yourself some cash instead of wasting it on unnecessary electricity.’
For further details please visit: www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/?siteid=3945&pageid=15044
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| We are thrilled that Eco-eye features in a short independent documentary ‘Glocal’ made by Jeff Heie. |
| The film highlights the issues about our lifestyles we all need to face up to if we want to help the environment. |
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| Overview
An American family moves to Manchester, England and attempts to lead a more local existence. From living without a car to eating locally produced food to installing an energy meter, this family strives to break out of the consumption-obsessed, car-centered lifestyle. The film playfully explores the patterns of living which have become prevalent within the American way of life.
Hoping to raise awareness of what the American lifestyle looks like from an insider-outsider point of view, the filmmaker challenges the viewer to become more aware of the impact of their daily routines on the environment, international relations and personal health.
“I first found out about Eco-eye as a result of our family participating in a study that was conducted by the University of Manchester. After the project was finished, they collected the meters and I found that I didn't want to live without it. So I jumped on the internet and ordered one. It's been next to our kitchen sink ever since.....quietly reminding us to be aware of our energy use.”
Jeff Heie.
Jeff’s film can be viewed on Vimeo at www.vimeo.com/8066560
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Telephone: 01903 851910 Email: info@eco-eye.com
Eco-eye Limited, The Modern Moulds Business Centre, 2-3 Commerce Way, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8TA |
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