Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association (bpha) has teamed up with local charity, Groundwork Thames Valley (GTV) to help its Milton Keynes-based residents save money on their fuel bills and reduce their carbon footprint.
‘Green Doctor’ is a free service that offers home visits to give advice to residents on using energy more efficiently. With a few simple changes, residents can save up to £160, and free energy-saving products are also available.
Kim Norris, Community Development Officer at bpha said: “We are delighted to be working with GTV on ‘Green Doctor’. It is the ideal opportunity for our tenants to not only bring down the cost of running their homes but also learn how they can help the environment by reducing their energy consumption. Often only small changes such as turning off appliances at the plug can make a real difference, particularly for those residents who may be struggling to afford to heat their homes to a comfortable temperature.”
Some of the energy-saving products that may be fitted as appropriate include an energy monitor, reflective radiator panels, a ‘standby saver’ and some water saving devices. The ‘Green Doctor’ will also provide each home with a ‘prescription’ and energy report, along with any further information as requested.
Tim Knight, at GTV said: “Having delivered successful ‘Green Doctor’ schemes in other areas, we are thrilled to champion this in Milton Keynes. We feel that this activity ties in with the government’s ‘Big Society’ agenda, enabling people to feel empowered to take the initiative to make a difference in their own community. We look forward to similar partnerships in other areas.”
‘Green Doctor’ will be running until February 2011. It is free to bpha tenants who have transferred from Hastoe Housing Association but may be rolled out on a wider scale in the future.
If you would like more information, contact Kim Norris, Community Development Officer on 01234 221219.