Project Overview

Summary:

Environmental Action for a Better Leicestershire (ENABLE), a countywide environmental partnership, and Leicestershire County Council Library Services have partnered up to run an Energy Monitor Loan Scheme. Since January 2009, more than 521 people have borrowed energy monitors.

Energy monitors can be loaned FREE for a week, from a network of 54 libraries, climate friendly communities and staff loan scheme.

Overall, the project has been successful and is now being considered as best practice with other councils following the lead. Due to high demand there has been a waiting list at some of the libraries and we are planning to offer more monitors. Learning from this success we are planning to work with families, community buildings and educational institutes under the Big Switch Off campaign.

The anecdotal evidences suggest positive opinion of users:

I have estimated I can reduce my electricity by 35 per cent over the next year.

My electric bill has just doubled. How I can borrow an energy monitor?

Definitely a worthwhile exercise for the whole family: I have bought my own!

Organisation Group Name:

Leicestershire County Council/ENABLE

Organisation Group Type:

Local authority

Region:

East Midlands

Progress to date:

Objectives:

To encourage residents to become energy efficient and reduce their impact on the environment.

To provide visual evidence of potential financial and energy savings made through more energy efficient behaviour using energy monitors.

Lessons learned :

• Illustrating the financial savings from energy efficiency involves residents and encourages them to do their bit!
• Behavioural change towards sustainable lifestyle is difficult, however the energy monitors are a useful resource for parents to change young peoples behaviour.
• Initial trials by library staff enabled them to answer customer queries at the library desk.
• Energy monitors were not suitable in new build properties due to lack of access to the mains cable. Instead plug-in monitors were used which can only show individual appliance consumption and not whole house consumption.
• This resource works best in conjunction with other campaigns (such as the Family Challenge and Climate Friendly Communities project and Big Switch Off campaign).

Contact details

Name :

Hetal Patel

Leicestershire County Council, Room 500, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire, LE3 8TE
Tel: 0116 3057068

Email: hapatel@leics.gov.uk

Website:

http://www.leics.gov.uk/energy_monitors

<< Back