Brill Energy Event (Feb 18th 2024)

Brill Energy Event

There are many reasons for exploring different ways of heating and powering our homes: reducing bills, stopping reliance on oil and bottled gas, increasing the value of the house - or simply getting rid of the ugly oil tank in the garden. But, for the first speaker at the Brill Energy Event, this was the most important issue:

The climate some of us remember from 40 or 50 years ago has gone. It will never come back. The best we can hope for is not to make it worse for our children and grandchildren.

Dr Michael de Podesta, physicist and public speaker, described his energy efficient home and how installing triple glazing, external cladding, solar panels, a battery system and a heat pump had reduced the carbon emitted by his house - and his bills - to near zero. It can be done! Obviously, not everyone has tens of thousands of pounds to invest in this way, but even small changes, such as improving insulation, can make a real difference. We must not give up.

Helping people reduce energy usage is a priority for Buckinghamshire Council. Vicki Nash from the Domestic Resource Efficiency Service explained Bucks Council’s new Energy Doctor scheme (we should all have received a letter about this - plus it’s featured on this website). If you qualify for the scheme, an expert will visit your house, advise you on what can be done and install low-cost measures that will help reduce your bills, such as draught-proofing, reflective radiator panels, secondary glazing films, shower timers and hot water cylinder jackets. You can even take advantage of cheap solar power if you live in a rented property, using a small portable solar panel and battery storage.

Kirsty Shanahan founded Buckinghamshire Community Energy, a community benefit society, to highlight the urgent need to transform how we heat our houses. Oil prices are volatile and we are at the mercy of global factors; war, OPEC cartels, and the vested interest of large oil companies. Oil boilers for heating and hot water can be costly to run and expensive to maintain. There are new alternatives which few people know about: immersion heaters with super-insulated tanks; on-demand electric hot water; infrared panels; electric radiators; air source heat pumps. Improving insulation and installing thermal curtains and draught-proofing also help.

The takeaway from the event was very simple: We must all do whatever we can to use energy efficiently, no matter how small the change is. We owe it to the next generation.

The event was supported by local companies 2D Energy Solutions, Unity Lime and CLPM. Other companies were invited. The event was organised by Brill Parish Council and Buckinghamshire Council, in response to interest from residents about community energy schemes and to support Buckinghamshire Council initiatives.

 Presentations (click to view)