Introducing the FEL Community Energy Empowerment Team
FEL Scotland, long-time champions of green measures that boost quality of life, recently took on a brand-new team of Energy Advisors. This project is funded by the Energy Redress Scheme, which is a partnership delivery of Energy Saving Trust and Ofgem, and aims to support community groups and individuals in their journey to having energy efficient properties.
Launching the energy team is a direct result of taking feedback from our communities, especially those in rural Stirling, who were keen to be given relevant information and opportunities – which had sometimes proven more difficult to find.
Thanks to a consultation period and several public events, assisted by Home Energy Scotland, FEL was able to make the case for a dedicated team of advisors to go out into our communities.
The team consists of supervisor Joe, and advisors Gennifer and Gordon. They come to FEL with a highly specialised set of skills, and we at FEL are delighted they have come on board.
“We are all having a fantastic time meeting our colleagues and learning more about FEL, as well as beginning work on our own project,” said Joe. He expects that they will be starting home visits around autumn.
The services on offer will include:
- Home Visits to offer personal Energy Saving Advice and Support
- Helping to develop energy saver plans
- Providing advice on how to get the best energy deals possible, as well as support in dealing with energy companies
- Working with our partners in Community Energy Scotland (CES) to provide information and support for households seeking to install Renewable Heating and Energy systems
- Collaborating with our other local partners to support individuals and households
“We hope to carry out a lot of work within our communities,” continued Joe. “We’re still in the early planning stages, but we do have several events and projects in the works so make sure to keep an eye on our channels.”
These include:
- Energy events where members of the public will be welcome to drop in and have an informal chat
- Workshops where families can create their own low-cost energy saving measures
- Assisting with project and grant proposals for community energy projects
- And much more
Advisor Gordon said: “Perhaps the most important part of our role, and the part we are most looking forward to, is spending time getting to know people, hearing their needs and ideas, and seeing what we can bring to the table to help people make these a reality.”
“And of course, we will be working with the rest of the FEL team to continue promoting our ongoing work in the areas of climate action, active travel, sustainable food growth and more.”
Joe summed up the team’s enthusiasm: “On behalf of all of us, we are excited to start our work here at FEL, and we expect we will be able to start providing services to everyone soon.”
