UK should ‘mobilise army of volunteers’ to transform energy landscape
The UK should “mobilise an army of volunteers” to transform the country’s energy landscape and reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuel by setting up community energy groups, say campaigners.
With energy prices rising, local schemes such as solar panels, locally-funded wind farms and even hydroelectric dams could be crucial to helping generate energy.
John Taylor, the energy projects manager at Energy Hub, argues that the UK should be convening local groups that can help give advice on grants for insulation and heat pumps, set up community-owned renewable projects, and help with insulation.
“Volunteers can be provided with thermal imaging cameras to go door to door,” he suggested. They can help “identify cold spots and installing simple measures like draft proofing and radiator panels. They can also help set heating controls and lower boiler flow temperatures.”
He also suggests that community groups can “run a village survey to find out who needs items like DIY loft insulation and draft proofing kits. Then order them wholesale to get bulk discounts and deliver them to a community centre or village hall for people to collect.”
Taylor told the Guardian: “When it comes to the climate emergency and the current gas crisis, people don’t just want to be spectators, they want to be involved in the solutions. Next winter is shaping up to be an unprecedented challenge, so it’s vital we insulate and fit renewables to as many homes as possible over the next next months.”
Local authorities and energy hubs have access to government grants for such schemes.
Taylor added: “Mobilising an army of volunteers to help find homes who most need help would have an immediate and positive impact; community energy groups can bring that really
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