Low Carbon Lymm has been awarded £47,000 of government funding from the ‘Local Energy Assessment Fund’ (LEAF). The funding will enable Low Carbon Lymm to carry out an extensive programme of community engagement, energy profiling and energy efficiency surveys in and around Lymm.  The project will focus on increasing the uptake of energy efficiency measures in homes, small businesses and community buildings to identify potential for savings.

The group is looking for 250 homes in the Lymm area (postcode WA13) to receive a free home survey from a qualified assessor. A qualified assessor will visit your home and perform a survey looking at each room of the house. Each home will receive a report that is tailored to their property, with recommendations on how to cut bills and achieve savings, as well as identifying measures that could be delivered cost-effectively when the government’s Green Deal is launched in the autumn. The Energy Saving Trust currently quotes annual savings of £310 for people who install loft and cavity wall insulation. Practical advice and support will also be provided to householders.

Homeowners can register their interest by calling 0800 512 012 or emailing info@lowcarbonlymm.org.uk. This is a limited-time offer and on a first-come-first-served basis.

In addition to the home assessments, 20 small businesses and 10 community buildings will be surveyed as part of the project. Through a programme of community engagement and home and business energy surveys the project aims to investigate awareness of, and attitudes towards, energy use and the barriers to taking action. The results will be presented at an event to be held in March this year.

The project provides a firm basis for developing and implementing Low Carbon Lymm’s future plans that aim to make Lymm an exemplar of sustainable, low carbon living.  This project is being completed in partnership between Low Carbon Lymm, Energy Projects Plus, CB3 Design Limited, Property Inspection Limited & Warrington Borough Council.

To request your free tailored home energy assessment and find out how you can save money and cut your energy bills call the Energy Saving Trust advice centre free on 0800 512 012.

Download the flyer and pass it onto your family and friends.

Image: Cut the Carbon

This weekend the Telegraph newspaper ran a ‘green living’ feature with a number of interesting articles and tips on how you can live a more ‘green’ and eco-friendly lifestyle.  One of those recommendations, from TV home improvement expert, George Clarke, was to invest in an eco kettle.  He said “Eco kettles are more energy-efficient than most kettles, which use a ridiculous amount of electricity, and, if you are a compulsive tea-guzzler, they can beneficially impact your bills.”

We have an Eco Kettle and have been using it for a number of years now – it boils water in a record time and had an inner chamber which means you only boil the amount of water you need.  If you are interested in buying an eco kettle but have some questions, why not get in touch with us at info@lowcarbonlymm.org.uk and we’d be happy to help.  Also, check out the Lymm Green Trail as you might be able to visit Lymm residents who have energy saving appliances or technologies.

The Eco Kettle is available from Nigel’s Eco Store and other online shops.

There are currently many schemes that are giving free loft and cavity wall insulation.  These offers will not be available when the government brings in its new Green Deal scheme, so it is a last chance to get insulated for free!!

So hurry up and give the Energy Savings Trust a ring on 0800 512 012.

Local Food in Lymm is a new website that allows you to get updates directly to your inbox on what’s in seasonal and is available in and around Lymm.  We are surrounded by some great farm shops, but so often it is easy to miss the delicious seasonal produce that comes in.

Local Food in Lymm aims to do the hard work for you, and connect you up with what’s in the farm shops at the moment.  You’ll also be able to find recipes, ideas on what to do with different seasonal vegetables, and dates for the next local farmers market.

Please visit our website and sign up for updates (simply enter your email address in the box on the lefthand side).

This course is aimed at parents in the Lymm community who have either been encouraged by their children or want to grow healthy food for all the family. The course will be run by Jan Daniel who began her working life as a Secondary Science (Biology) teacher although has spent most of her working life delivering and managing training within the manufacturing and construction industries.  In 2009, she began work in a voluntary capacity on a school gardening project before starting work as the Allotment Project Coordinator for Lymm schools in 2010.

Jan has been passionate about gardening for over 15 years and growing vegetables in particular for the last seven years when she and partner, Mike began cultivating allotments; one from scratch and resurrecting the second from beneath a forest of weeds. On both allotments, Jan and Mike have grown their vegetables organically and tried wherever possible to use recycled materials to create vegetable bed edges, pathways and compost bays; the sheds have been recycled from other gardens and Jan finds it very hard not to walk past a skip without having a peek to see if there is anything to be used on their plot!

Please also see attached photos of the work that they have done at their own allotment and it’s easy to see how passionate they are about this.

If you want anymore information about the course please send an email to Jan at jg.daniel@btinternet.com and she will let you know how you can get involved.

Click here to see the flyer for the course: Grow Your Own for Mums & Dads

Pictures from their Allotment:  Allotment

Image: Charlotte Burton

Do you know how much money you can save on your bills by making simple energy savings changes?

Many of us just don’t know how much money we’re wasting every year – from PCs and monitors costing £40 a year to have switched on outside work hours when we don’t need them, to an inefficient fridge/freezer costing £50 more per year to run than an A rated one!

And then there’s the slightly bigger changes we can make which save us even more cash – for example – wall insulation can save £375 per year for a typical property.  To help you find out these and other savings, Warrington Borough Council, in association with Low Carbon Lymm, have produced a simple summary – click on the image to see it full size:

Main Image: Energy Detectives