Mendip Partnership for Energy - Staff Awareness Raising Campaign

Power Down - Be the Solution!

In March 2009, a small team of trained and qualified Energy Efficiency Assessors toured over 20 public sector workplaces in Mendip District taking with them an energy efficiency and awareness raising roadshow entitled "Power Down - Be the Solution." More roadshow events will be taking place in all sorts of workplaces by request (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The original locations had previously been audited for energy use by Bristol's Centre for Sustainable Energy as part of a programme of work commissioned by Mendip Partnership for Energy, a sub group of the Mendip Strategic Partnership. Workplaces included schools, council offices, police stations and health service premises.

"This campaign is part of a process of helping public sector organisations in Mendip meet their targets for fuel efficiency and economy alongside carbon emission reduction,' says Ron Ballantine, Chairman of the Mendip Strategic Partnership. "The campaign is very timely in view of last year's energy price hikes and the current financial crisis - it's now even more important that staff are advised on how small changes in their behaviour can make a real and lasting environmental difference and reduce costs. And not only that, staff often have very good suggestions to make and these should be taken seriously"

At the events, the Power Down Team speak informally to staff about:
· Managing lighting and maximising their use of daylight
· Ensuring they get the best from heating systems - understanding controls, unblocking radiators, radiator control, taking responsibility for operation of the system
· Turning off computers and setting auto-save functions
· Ways of preventing overheating in summer e.g. proper use of blinds
· Managing fridges, freezers and vending machines
· Kettles, hydro-boil units and hot water systems

Staff are also encouraged to think about energy efficiency at home as well as at work, and to take these ideas home with them. An opportunity is taken to signpost staff to the free home energy audits conducted by Mendip Energy Volunteers.

Each roadshow includes a prize draw. Entrants are asked to complete a short survey, perhaps register interest in becoming an Energy Champion and are quizzed for suggestions to cut energy use at work. The best suggestion are rewarded with a special energy saving prize to be used at work and home.

You may find the following additional websites of interest -

Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia
Energy Resources, generating power
Mongabay.com, wildlife and climate change
Ruralized Eco Housing Systems
Sustainable Energy Academy, carbon reduction education