In a time of rising energy bills, international energy insecurity, and an ongoing climate crisis, the benefits of identifying cheap, local, and low carbon alternative sources of energy are increasingly clear.
Watlington Climate Action Group (WCAG) is undertaking a project to address these issues, ultimately seeking to remove a substantial proportion of village homes from reliance on fossil fuels, improve thermal efficiency measures for homes and businesses, and investigate supporting low carbon technologies to further decarbonise Watlington’s energy use and reduce local energy bills.
To reduce local fossil fuel reliance, WCAG has obtained funding from the UK Government’s Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) to undertake a feasibility study for a local, low-carbon heat and electricity supply project.
The study is being conducted by community energy consultants, Scene, between August – December 2022. The study will consist of two main components.
First, to develop the optimal design for a heat network in Watlington, advise on whether this solution is viable, and detail the expected impacts and benefits to local residents and businesses.
Secondly, to look into alternative options for low carbon energy provision at the local level as well as opportunities for greater energy efficiency at the individual household level.
The first phase of this project is to establish an accurate understanding of the energy baseline within Watlington parish, and members of WCAG and Scene will be conducting stakeholder engagement over the coming weeks. This means we will be looking for inputs from YOU, as community members, through a basic questionnaire or quick conversation.
If you see us in the street or have five minutes to complete the questionnaire that will be
published this month, please have a chat or contribute. If you have a particular interest and wish to be more involved, please contact watlingtoncommunityenergy@gmail.com
Tom Robinson