Scottish billsavers
Scottish billsavers
Billsavers is a pilot project targeted at low-income households in Edinburgh, Scotland. The aim of the program is to assess the potential for developing a small business to promote the use of energy-efficient domestic appliances and lighting by these households. The program was set up by the Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership (LEEP), and it is the first of its kind in the UK.
In a first run, 300 households in Edinburgh were asked over 500 questions concerning the household members, type of house, insulation standards, heating systems and ownership, and use of appliances and lighting. From this group, 100 households were selected for a detailed analysis in which their large appliances, cookers, fridges, freezers, washing machines, dryers and lighting were monitored for two years. These households are now being metered for a twelve-month period, with readings taken every two weeks. In the second year, four different energy-efficiency strategies will be introduced:
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detailed energy advice
- appliance inspections and repairs
- installation of fixtures dedicated to CFLs
- replacement of older appliances with the most efficient new models.
These four levels of intervention will then be measured to quantify the energy savings over the following year. The differences between the first and second years will then be assessed in terms of the viability of delivering these services in the longer term. Scottish Power, the local electricity company, is sponsoring the project.
For more information, contact:
Robert Barnham
Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership, 72 Newhaven Road
Edinburgh EH6 5QG, UK
Tel +44 131 555 4010
Fax +44 131 555 2768