July 2009 Archives

One of my neighbours, Saifer Rehman, agreed to take part in the Act on C0₂ campaign "People Power: 30 people, 3 cities, 1 winter". He lives in a three storey, semi-detached house, with solid brick walls.

He achieved gas bill savings of 20%, electricity bill savings of 15% and a £20 tank of petrol that lasted a week in the past, now lasts about a month.

What is particularly remarkable about this is that he did not spend large sums of money on his house, the changes were minimal. They had already insulated their loft and replaced draughty sash windows with double glazed windows.

Saifer draught proofed his front door and he bought a new, efficient fridge freezer instead of getting his old one repaired. He thinks that the fridge freezer will pay for itself in about two years.

These impressive C0₂ savings are mostly due to Saifer, and his wife Tasmia, realising that you can make savings simply by behaving differently.

The gas savings were achieved without getting a more efficient boiler: they turn off the central heating during the day and use a gas fire downstairs; they keep doors and windows shut in all rooms.

They use low energy light bulbs, turn lights off in empty rooms and wash clothes only when there is a full load, using a lower temperature They unplug mobile phone chargers when the phone is charged, they no longer use standby and they turn off all electrical equipment at the wall.

Saifer was given a lesson in smarter driving. He learned techniques to use less petrol when driving, and also resolved to leave the car at home for short journeys, unless he has a passenger. Saifer now walks to the mosque and walks to local shops. He has bought a new bike and rides to the city centre.

Saifer's advice, to everyone, is that it is important to make small savings. They all add up, save you money and make a difference to the world.

Government policy is for new housing to be zero-carbon by 2016. The news this week was that this is unachievable. The predicted failure is not because the technology is unachievable but because house builders are not willing to include the features that are required by the UK Code for Sustainable Homes, as these will add to construction costs.

The facts about the reduced running costs of sustainable homes should influence potential buyers, but the house builders are not yet prepared to take the risk.

The facts about the costs to the country of the rising temperature, flooding, and the rising sea level should influence the government to subsidise the extra costs for features to make houses zero-carbon, but politicians are not prepared to take the risk.

Some people take account of the facts and, in Birmingham, John Christophers of Associated Architects has designed his new family home to Level 6 (the highest level) of the new Code for Sustainable Homes. It's an extension of a redbrick Victorian house, converting a 2-bedroom semi-detached into a 4-bedroom dwelling with a studio loft. It extends upwards and outwards: upwards to catch the sun otherwise obscured by a taller neighbouring house, backwards to create a 2-storey suntrap overlooking the garden, sideways for more space.

The original 1840 brick house is preserved, as are the mature ash trees in the garden. Integration with the surroundings is important, and the design takes full account of the neighbouring architecture in Tindal Street, B12.

You can read more about sustainable and zero-carbon homes on the zerocarbonhub website.

I went to an interesting workshop at the House of Commons yesterday, chaired by Julian Hunt and Hugh Dykes from the House of Lords. It had two aims:

1. To consider the benefits of demonstration projects that showcase the practical energy and ecological improvements that people can make in their homes, alongside providing information about climate change and its local effects (e.g. temperature and rainfall etc).
2. To consider how national and local government, UK companies, NGOs and community groups can more effectively increase community involvement in tackling and monitoring climate change and its environmental effects.

In Birmingham there are already "demonstration projects" of good practice (ask me for details if you don't know about them) and there are also plans to set up High Street Energy Advice Centres. Three or four organisations have been invited to offer this service but no news of progress has been received for a long time. I hope that city council officers will deal with this before the summer holidays.

We were told about a programme that could be promoted effectively by community groups in Birmingham, and would have a significant effect on reducing energy use. This is the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). The Programme will enable householders to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and pay for the work, with an additional levy on their fuel bills, over a longish period.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Programme will start in the autumn. The full report is available to download on the Department for Energy and Climate Change website. Gavin Purchas - Gavin.Purchas@decc.gsi.gov.uk - would like to hear from groups who are interested in playing a part in the project.

This promotion seems to be worth checking out, for people who are keen to make a difference in the huge task of tackling climate change.

The project is sponsored by EDF energy and the Eden Project. One of the strands is to encourage people to join friends and neighbours in Eco Teams . These are groups of people - neighbours, friends, work colleagues - who work together to make positive changes; from minimising the energy they use to cutting down on the stuff they throw away.

I would be interested in your feedback if you investigate this. Please use the "comments" box.

Do you ever regret that you don't grow your own vegetables? Our small garden is rather overgrown with rambling flowers and weeds. The edible crops are just white wild strawberries (much tastier than wild red ones), very healthy rhubarb, sweet cicely (which is good cooked with rhubarb as you need less sugar) and other herbs. We would need drastic action to grow vegetables, and so far I have not been brave enough to start.

The July edition of Birmingham 13 (actually labelled June but don't let that deter you from buying it) has an article by Shabdam Bailey-Bond about GROFUN, which means Growing Real Organic Food in Urban Neighbourhoods.

"The idea is that each participant contributes 10 hours of labour or more - (the social bit takes over after a while, as we begin to enjoy each other's company and feel like a group. Then there are the excellent shared lunches, a great temptation to attend, as each week they get bigger and better!)

In return for this a day is spent preparing and planting and, in many cases, transforming each person's back, or front, garden, or yard. It's amazing what about 10 people can do to a garden in a few hours! As a result there are many before and after photographs, even a short film, not to mention appearances on "Gardener's World". Yes, some of us became stars for a moment! We had seed swaps, seedling swaps, master-classes in composting and weeds, in pricking out and planting and a lot of fun."

Shabdam invites Moseley residents to build on the experience of the Kings Heath GROFUN group, and start a group in Moseley. This should provide me with the push I need to clear the weeds and some of the flowers in our garden, and get ready for next year. I have already made a little start by buying six, bushy bean plants which I have planted in window boxes on our bay window.

Moseley residents should get in touch with susmo@moseleyforum.org.uk if you wish to join a Moseley group. Other readers can check with GROFUN about joining, or starting, a group in your area.