Warm Homes, Cheaper Bills And Lower Carbon:
Caroline is concerned about heat loss from our homes (for example, lost from our roofs, walls and windows), and how much money and carbon that means we’re wasting.
Caroline says: “Nobody should be living in cold, damp homes unable to pay their energy bills. We have the technology to keep all our homes comfortably heated in a way which is better for our pockets and the planet. As your Councillor, I am working hard to make it easier for people to make their homes more energy efficient and switch away from gas boilers, and use more low-carbon energy sources.”
Caroline knows that many of us are worried about how to pay our gas and electricity bills, at this time of year. There is some information below, on where to get help if you, or someone you know, are struggling to pay bills that are going through the roof.
This is also a time of year when some boilers will unfortunately break down. If that happens to you, low-carbon alternatives like an air-source or ground-source heat pump are now an option.
The Government has said that we all need to switch to lower-carbon sources of heating eventually, and has placed a ban on new gas boilers from the year 2035. That is because home heating produces 18% of UK carbon emissions.
There are grants available to help with the initial cost of buying alternative heating systems, or insulation to help reduce heat loss from your home. These improvements will then pay for themselves in the years to come, by bringing down your bills. All while helping to fight climate change.
Read This Newsletter in PDF
Interested To Know More? Please try…
Information From Richmond Council
Visit this Council website page, or call 020 8891 1411.
For information about fuel grants, winter fuel payments and other help with bills.
Help With Keeping Warm & Saving Energy
Contact South West London Energy Advice Partnership (SWLEAP). This charity provides free energy advice to anyone struggling to pay bills. This could be an energy visit to your home but they also provide advice at energy cafes in community settings, or you can contact them by one of the following methods.
Website: swleap.org.uk
Telephone: 0800 086 2706
Email: susan@habitatsandheritage.org.uk
Advice For Home-owners On Energy Saving Upgrades
These websites provide straightforward information about the options available to you, such as insulation, draught proofing, or alternative heating.
Government Grants For Home Upgrades
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offers up to £7,500 for swapping your gas boiler for alternative heating. The Great British Insulation Scheme offers free or cheaper insulation for homes with poor energy efficiency.
- Visit find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants, or go to gov.uk and look for the name of the grant you want
- Call the Govt helpline to discuss your needs: 0800 098 7950
- Visit mcscertified.com to find an installer qualified to help you access these grants
Green Party Success On Rental E-bikes
Caroline and your Green Party Councillors secured an important win in October, on rental e-bikes and scooters. The Council will work with other London councils and the rental operators to try and combat the problem caused when some people park e-bikes poorly.
Caroline says: “In general, the arrival of rental e-bikes and e-scooters has been a positive development. Around 600,000 journeys have been made by LIME e-bikes in London this year. These rental vehicles are easing traffic congestion, increasing our levels of physical activity, improving our air quality and helping to fight climate change. Unfortunately, a minority of users leave e-bikes blocking our pavements. This can cause a serious hazard (particularly for people with impaired visibility or mobility) so bike operators must do more to resolve this.”
This agreement was also a good example of grown-up politics in action. The Green Party brought up the topic for debate, the Liberal Democrats suggested some changes to our initial recommendations, and then the Council came to an agreement. As is usual in politics, there were some different ideas on the detail, but it’s possible to work together to find a sensible way forward – for the good of all.
Thank You To Everyone Who Voted Green In July
Councillor Caroline Wren and the local Green team would like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for our Green Party candidate, Chantal Kerr-Sheppard, in the General Election. We increased our share of the vote by just over 50% compared to 2015.
Nationally, the Greens made history by winning four seats in Parliament. This is an incredible breakthrough and will enable Greens to push the Labour government to be bolder on the environment, pressure them to work harder towards a fair economy, and mend our broken public services.
News In Brief
- Christmas Parade & anniversary celebrations for many of our local community organisations: Friday 29 November from 5:30pm. Come along and celebrate with the Hampton Hill Association, Hampton Hill Business Association, and Hampton Hill Theatre, and Greenwood Community Centre. Details can be found on lovehamptonhill.co.uk website.
- Police Liaison Group on Thursday 12 December from 7pm at Greenwood Community Centre.
- New Waitrose store potentially coming to Hampton Hill High St – planning and licensing decisions expected soon.
- Have your say: Richmond Council welcomes your views as they develop their new Climate Strategy and Air Quality Strategy.
