Free Training for Energy Champions
Local community energy cooperative Energise Sussex Coast are holding a free one-day interactive training at the White Rock Hotel in Hastings on Tuesday 17 December. The training is aimed at local people who are passionate about making a difference to the environment and the welfare of their local community.
Energy Champion Amanda Jobson
The training will enable attendees to give free energy advice to local people, helping them to save energy and bring down their bills. It will also introduce participants to the broader world of community energy projects, including thermal imaging and community solar. No previous experience is necessary.
Topics covered will include basic ways to stop energy wastage such as draught-proofing and the use of boiler and heating controls, how to read an energy bill, the Priority Services Register (what it is and who it can help) and the various different discounts and schemes available to help people with their bills: for example, fuel vouchers and the Warm Home Discount.
Participants will also receive ongoing training and support from Energise Sussex Coast, empowering them to organise events and local activities around energy-saving and renewable energy. Energy Champions are expected to volunteer for around four hours a month following the training.
Local Energy Champions have recently held advice stalls at apple-pressing events in Crowborough and Hastings and at the Alfriston Fayre, and have been running a month-long series of Eco-Open Homes events across the county.
The training on 17 December will be run by Energise Sussex Coast’s Chris Richards; he started as an Energy Champion himself back in 2012 and has been involved in community energy projects ever since – most recently with the anaerobic bio-digester in Woody Wood in Hastings. He says: “Becoming an Energy Champion is very rewarding as it’s a chance to genuinely help people in a very tangible way.
“Champions not only address the cost-of-living crisis by helping to bring down energy costs, but they also do something about climate change by bringing down carbon emissions.”
The Hastings Energy Champion Training, which will run from 10.00am-4.30pm, is open to anyone living in Hastings and St Leonards. Refreshments and a free vegetarian lunch will be provided. Those wanting to attend should register for free on Eventbrite tinyurl.com/energychamp17dec. Other training sessions are taking place in Eastbourne, Crowborough, Saltdean and Bexhill. Anyone interested in attending those should email [email protected].
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