LEAC – Local Energy Advice Centre

EEAC – Energy Efficiency Advice Centre

SEC - Sustainable Energy Centre

Original brief to LEACs

To answer one simple question:-

Will householders adopt more energy saving practices if they are given free, impartial and independent advice?

Project to start October 1993 for completion September 1996 - then close

Original brief to LEACs

Target audience:-

Socio-economic groups A, B, C1 and C2

The fuel poor were not included in the original brief

LEACs were not to deal with fuel poverty

Original brief to LEACs

Method

1 Contact householders by

Telephone

Visit to drop in centre

2 Provide verbal and written advice using expert computer system

LEACs

• 32 widely disbursed Centres – no logical locations or geographical boundaries

• Operated by a range of organisations• Working in a number of different ways• Motivated by different factors• Free flowing initiatives, little central

control, encouraged to develop ideas

• Find out what works

LEACsTypes of operators:-

Local authority – staff are employees of the authority, Standing Orders apply

Charity – forms part of the organisation’s overall work, governed by charities law: may have a trading arm

Trading company – charitable or non profit making arm or non profit distributing company

Charity – set up solely to operate the Centre

LEACs

What was the result of the pilot programme?

Were householders influenced by the advice they were given?

Answer

A resounding

YES

Years of Crisis 1996/7September 1996 – planned termination of project

Conservative government – expectation that private industry would fund the project – EST funding reduced from 50% to 40% then 30%

Project proven to be successful, extensive market research for each LEAC, some shown to achieve savings of £75 per household pa

Summer 1997 – new Labour government - Centres were to be central to achievement of government goals

However no additional funding available until 1998

DRIVE TO DIVERSIFY – within operational constraints

Formation of EEACsRe-organisation by EST

•UK wide network; boundaries reflect local authority areas

•Consistent and standardised quality of advice

•Monitoring quality of advice

•Funding based upon performance (emphasis on HECs)

•Development of advice infrastructure – presentations, training, media

EEACs seek other activities to secure other funding streams

•Managing energy efficiency projects

•Provide enhanced EEAC data

•Organise promotional events

•Provide training

Forming partnerships

Enhancement of EEACsNow an essential element in the delivery of EST projects

Energy Efficiency Verbal and written energy efficiency advice

Bespoke presentations and training programmes

PR and marketing support

Information on national and local grants

Advice to SMEs

Local Authority Support Programme

Renewable Energy Advice

These activities are part funded by EST

Other EEAC ActivitiesA very wide variety dependent upon

The resources available at that EEAC

Operational constraints (local authority, charity, business

Other EEAC Activities

Purpose designed insulation package including funding

Managing projects which involve partners – e.g. energy supplier, housing association, local authority

Non EE training programmes

Enhanced data bases, data analysis and marketing promotion planning

Energy Services provision to local authority and housing association tenants

These activities do not receive funding from EST

Promoting Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency Week

the Anglia West Energy the Anglia West Energy Efficiency Advice Centre Efficiency Advice Centre

and friendsand friends

Promoting Energy Efficiency

• Direct mail shot to 55,000 homes

• 6 roadshows– Cambridge - Peterborough

– Ely - Wisbech

– Huntingdon - Newmarket

Promoting Energy Efficiency

• Direct mail drop– The pack contents

• Weight • Size• Marketing – message, promotional offer

– Distribution• Royal Mail – guaranteed high % coverage• Other distributors

Promoting Energy Efficiency

• Mechanism for handling ‘000’s of responses in short period

• Follow up response message to go with written report

• Enable further contact

Promoting Energy Efficiency

Promoting Energy Efficiency

A team of 20 people

600 responses on one day

EEAC Achievements2003/4

Written advice to 615,000 households

4000 presentations

1340 training sessions

Total of 768,000 households advised

Carbon saved 80 ktonnes

Since 1993

8 million households advised