The results of the award, which is organised by fuel poverty charity Energy Action Scotland and supported for the eighth year by eaga, were announced at a special ceremony during a recent major conference on tackling fuel poverty. The presentations were made by Alasdair Allan MSP, honorary Vice President of Energy Action Scotland.
The three top projects had each tackled the problem of expensive to heat homes – one by using micro-generation technologies in a sensitive conservation area of Edinburgh; another by engaging a whole community in rural Stirlingshire in energy saving initiatives; and the other by improving the energy efficiency of Victorian granite tenements in Aberdeen.
Norman Kerr, Director, Energy Action Scotland commented: "The aim of the award is to highlight the many initiatives that are helping people to save energy in their homes across the country. In particular, we wanted to know how those struggling to pay home energy bills had been assisted so that perhaps their example can be used elsewhere. The winning projects rightly deserve to be rewarded for their vision and their hard work in making a difference to people’s lives."
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The winner of the EAS EnergySavers Award 2009, who received a prize of £1,500 was the Renewable Heritage project by Changeworks Resources for Life. The Renewable Heritage project had enabled tenants of an Edinburgh housing co-operative, who were living in extremely hard to heat stone tenements and were vulnerable to fuel poverty, to reduce their fuel bills and CO2 emissions.
Two projects were joint runners up and each received a prize of £500.
The Victorian Tenement Project by Aberdeen City Council put together a package of physical measures and incentives to improve the energy efficiency of Victorian, granite flats which had very low energy ratings. The flats were of mixed tenure and a large proportion of the occupants were fuel poor.
In addition to securing standard energy efficiency measures, the project was also involved in developing a new method of insulating floored drying lofts. A crucial element to the success of the project was the appointment of a full-time co-ordinator. The co-ordinator had the difficult task of seeking consent from each owner and liaising with occupants, landlords, letting agents, contractors and a range of local and national service providers.
Fintry Community Energy Project was run by the Energy Agency and Fintry Development Trust. It operates in a rural, off-gas community in Stirlingshire where 45 per cent of households were in fuel poverty and a third of all households were not entitled to free insulation in mainstream grant programmes.
(CD/BMcC)
