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Warmer Widcombe – What have we Learned, One Year On?

About This Review

In 2012 Energy Efficient Widcombe (EEW) received a Grant of £61,000 from the Department of Energy and Climate Change as part of the Local Energy Assessment Fund. It was required to use the grant within two months.

EEW developed a project team, and named the project “Warmer Widcombe – Home Energy Saving Packs”. This involved assessments of Widcombe houses, a survey of residents’ attitudes – and packs of information on energy saving measures for the five commonest types of house in Widcombe. EEW took over a pop-up shop in Widcombe for a week and created an exhibition. The event was well publicised and over 200 visited and there were 400 website hits.

Now, a year on, it is useful to reflect on the project and see what can be learned. This is the purpose of writing this review.

Section one describes the background and the “inputs” to the project.

Section two describes the immediate results or “outputs”

Section three is more critical and asks what was learned from the project

Section four lists the messages – both for all and also specific messages

Tim Williamson, Energy Efficient Widcombe Ross Grinyer, Student, Bath Spa University May 2013

Thanks

A number of Widcombe residents volunteered their time and energy for the Warmer Widcombe project – and this has been wonderful. Special thanks also go to Widcombe Association, particularly the Chair and the Treasurer. The project also benefitted from strong support from the Council Community Sustainability Officer and staff at the Centre for Sustainable Energy.

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Contents

EEW would make the suggested assessments by carrying out relevant surveys in Widcombe. However, it wanted to make this information relevant to the residents. The proposal was to use the surveys to Energy Efficient Widcombe (EEW) was provide feedback and easily set up in 2010 with the aim of helping accessible information on energy residents of Widcombe save energy, saving measures (ESMs) customised reduce their carbon footprint and to for their type of house. This could be help reduce excess winter death rates useful preparation for the Green Deal. as they were well above the national average. EEW is a small group of volunteers who live locally in Widcombe.

In December 2011, The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced the introduction of the £10 million Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF). This was to provide grants for local groups to prepare their communities for the Green Deal. The implication of LEAF was that local assessments would helpfully inform the benefits of Energy Saving Measures (ESMs) under the proposed Green Deal. DECC explained: “The fund will support work by EEW application in Jan 2012 communities to understand the energy baseline and carbon footprint of their area To develop their proposal, EEW listed as a whole and the potential to reduce these deliverables: that through local energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. 1. A survey of Widcombe housing stock EEW Proposal

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2. A survey of residents’ current at the time of the re-application were energy use incorrect. Further discussion with the LEAF managers took place with the 3. A survey of residents’ attitudes outcome that the EEW completed a to energy efficiency. Project Amendment Form detailing a reconfigured programme of how the 4. “Home Energy Savings Packs” £61,000 would be spent. (Appendix giving residents information 3). This was accepted by the LEAF about energy saving measures managers. (ESMs) in their type of home. The £61,000 still had to be spent by 5. “Home Energy Masterplans” the end of March and the project start giving detailed information had been delayed by the renegotiated about ESMs in15 specific programme. houses as a follow on from the Packs (4). Project Management

6. Engagement Dissemination and The Project Manager developed the Promotion of Home Energy following Team: Savings Packs Role Organisation 7. A Report to the Council EEW Director EEW EEW Director EEW Full details of the deliverables can be Co-ordinator and Marketing EEW seen in Appendix 1. Admin Support EEW Funding Volunteer EEW Project team support ESCM Based on the deliverables listed Consulting above, EEW applied for LEAF funds of Project Management Energy £45,000 and was successful – on Support Taskforce condition that the funds were spent by 31 March, less than two months after The name for the EEW project was receiving the grant. chosen to be “Warmer Widcombe – Home Energy Savings Packs”. The There was a misunderstanding in three “Warmer Widcombe” heading was to items in the initial application appeal to Widcombe Residents – and concerning projects involving the the strap-line “Home Energy Savings Centre for Sustainable Energy, Packs” was to be the major offer to envisaged work with BANES Council residents expressed in the manner of and the need for EEW project “it does what it says on the tin”. A logo management. Following phone was prepared to reflect this. discussions with the LEAF managers (Energy Saving Trust), EEW re-applied The project plan after the closing date for further funding (Appendix 2). EEW The Project Manager generated a subsequently received a further Gantt chart (Appendix 4). However £16,000 taking the total funding to because the timescale was so tight, £61,000. delays inevitably occurred increasing the pressure to complete the project However during this time, it became on time. This put a lot of stress on the apparent that some assumptions made

4 Warmer Widcombe – What have we Learned, One Year On? team and sometimes quality had to be sacrificed for speed. This project followed the stages often found, according to research, in inexperienced project groups. The research shows that before achieving good performance a group goes through the stages of “forming”, “storming”, and “norming”. So it is not surprising that there were disagreements within the Team which sometimes impeded progress of work. There were a number of issues moving How Has The Project Been from the generality of the application to Assessed? the detail of implementation. This project was assessed in two main The main problems concerned not ways. Firstly, the project manager initially agreeing a tighter purpose submitted the formal report to LEAF (exactly what we intended doing) and managed by the Energy Saving Trust. vision (how things would be different) - This took the from of entering answers and a lack of clarity of roles to their specific questions. The report responsibilities between the EEW covered the following sections: volunteer Directors and employed members of the team (the project 1. Drawing the main conclusions from manager and the project your project administrator). The project hugely benefitted from 2. Understanding the success of your clear budgetary management by the ‘deliverables’ Project Manager working closely with the Treasurer of Widcombe 3. The quality of support for your Association. whole project 4. Carbon savings 5. Next steps and how these can be better supported 6. Working with us to pull together more insights and learning from your work. Secondly, all employees and volunteers were asked to complete anonymously a feedback form. These individual forms were collated into a single feedback report.

How Well Did EEW Meet Its Key Deliverables?

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Instead they simply made generic recommendations purely based on the age of the house. 1. Neighbourhood Housing Survey (Appendix 4) 3. Attitude survey (Appendix 6)

This survey, conducted by Blue Marble, randomly selected houses from the ward of Widcombe to undertake the survey. 212 residents were interviewed by trained staff. Analyses of the data were made by type of house, by type of resident etc. (but not by street or areas of Widcombe ward.). This was very successful. A full An excellent detailed and housing survey was conducted illustrated report was provided. of all the houses in the Widcombe area. The report contained information such as age and 4. Home Energy Savings Packs type of house and number of bedrooms. Parity Projects recommended that houses in Widcombe were put into just five categories based solely on the age of the 2. Resident Energy Survey property: Georgian, Victorian, (Appendix 5) 20s/30s, 50s, 60s/70s, and 80s +. They provided advice on This survey sheet was sent out energy saving measures for by post to 1,000 residents each of those five types. The (random), by Parity Projects. It EEW project team developed was completed and returned by this advice and designed 181 residents in total. Energy Savings Packs by incorporating pictures of the Parity Projects wrote to each of range of houses in each the respondents giving a brief category and by customising report on ESMs according to the advice based on the the information given. information from the Attitude Survey. There was confusion over how the survey was to be run. EEW thought Parity Projects would collate all of the respondents’ The booklets presented ESMs information and use that to in three categories: make recommendations for the Home Energy Advice Packs.

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i) “No-brainers” for easy to They would normally cost £200 do and relatively cheap to £300 but were offered free of measures charge to Widcombe residents as part of the project. The ii) “Committed Savers” houses were selected to cover were more expensive each of the five categories measures but would pay being used for the Energy for themselves in savings Savings Packs. over 5 to 10 years.

iii) “Red Herrings” were measures not normally There was some difficulty appropriate for that type finding residents in each of house. category and completing the Master Plans within the time They gave excellent advice for available. But this was of the 5 different types of house achieved and they were used in and were a very useful output. printed format for visitors to the exhibition (see below) and electronically for those visiting The completed Home Energy the website. Savings packs were successfully made available for Widcombe residents both as printed booklets and via the EEW website 6. Engagement Dissemination (www.energyefficientwidcombe. and Promotion co.uk).

EEW held 2 evening talks, one from an architect, and the other from a specialist in ESMs. Despite expensive e mailing, only 45 attended.

EEW took over a pop-up shop 5. Home Energy Master Plans in Widcombe Parade for the last week of March. An exhibition was created with newly These were 15 in-depth studies designed display boards on individual houses, requiring providing information about a 1- 2 hour visit from a surveyor. ESMs together with summaries Modeling software was used to of the Home Energy Savings provide a customized report Packs. A laptop attached to a detailing ESMs. large monitor screen enabled visitors to access the EEW website and find out more. Home Energy Savings Packs

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were available as booklets for Widcombe” team – and indeed visitors to take away. Copies of council staff. However council Master Plans were available for representatives did visit the visitors to inspect. The exhibition and discussion took exhibition was staffed place. throughout the week by the team members and also volunteers. This deliverable needs to be completed.

To promote the exhibition, leaflets were delivered to all houses in Widcombe. There was a formal opening by the Chair of Widcombe Association which was covered (from a press release) in the Bath Chronicle. A sandwich board person strolled up and down the high street offering leaflets. Visitors were also offered free T shirts and balloons all printed with the Warmer Widcombe logo.

The exhibition had 229 visitors and there were 432 website hits. On average, exhibition visitors stayed for around 10 minutes and visitors to the website viewed around 4 pages per visit. These seem to indicate that a good proportion of our visitors were seriously researching their options for saving energy.

7. Report to BANES Council

This was difficult to achieve because of the extremely busy timetable of the “Warmer

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Poster for the exhibition

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Attitude survey

This survey is perhaps the most interesting and most valuable part of the Warmer Widcombe project. The main learning points are presented here to inform the discussion later in the report:

 Half of Widcombe residents give their homes a What Was Learned From The score of 7 out of Surveys?

Neighbourhood Housing Survey

This report (appendix 4) gave a good detail on the housing stock in Widcombe that is certainly of interest to EEW and most probably others.  10 or higher for energy Resident Energy Survey efficiency. This generally positive view on the energy efficiency of homes is reflected The data was not used to inform the in approximately half of Home Energy Savings Packs. The residents giving a positive rating main output was the information letters for the lack of draughts, ease of to residents but there is no information keeping warm and modern and as to how useful they found this. efficient heating system in their The data could have further analyses home. It should be noted that made e.g. by groups of post codes or residents in post 1930s houses by age of house. However it is not yet are more likely to give a higher clear what use, if any, can be made of score for energy efficiency. them at this stage.  There is a core group This survey could have been more useful with a more specific water tight of around 15% of residents contract at the start of the project. who give their homes a very low rating for energy

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efficiency (giving a maximum homeowners believe that most score of 3 out of 10). This of the heat loss is from the roof: group tends to be younger it is possible that residents feel (under 35) and living in Victorian they have made a more properties. Again this figure is significant step to insulate their in line with more negative homes once they have put in descriptions of homes: 18% loft insulation than is necessarily finding them hard to maintain, the case. In contrast, just 4 in 25% say their home is hard to 10 tenants have taken at least keep warm and 19% describing one or more action to insulate it as ‘very draughty’ their homes.  The ability to take a simple and free step (i.e.  Tenants are feeling the putting on a jumper) is the effects of energy-inefficient single biggest reason why homes: tenants are more likely home owners do not do more to experience all the problems to insulate their homes more with houses that the survey effectively: and second to this, raised: draughtiness, hard to residents are simply happy the keep warm, insufficient way things are (none more so insulation, difficult to maintain than the over 65s). This is a and the effects of an aging and much greater barrier than inefficient heating system. Not possible intrusion or disruption surprisingly, they give a lower of home improvements, or rating for overall energy indeed the lack of time to get on efficiency than their home with it. owning counterparts; a fifth  Perceptions of the giving a maximum rating of 3 likelihood to get permission, out of 10 (compared to 12% of and the length and homeowners) and 45% giving complexity of the planning 7+ out of ten (compared to 53% process are also major of homeowners). barriers for between a fifth and a quarter of Widcombe  The vast majority of home owners: for many home owners (92%) have (around two fifths) however, done at least one action to they are unaware of the process improve the insulation of their and have no impressions of the home. Three quarters have planning process. insulated the loft, over half have fitted double/triple glazing, over  The cost of better half installed a modern boiler insulation is the other and again, over half have important barrier cited by just lagged pipes. Half of all under half of Widcombe

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homeowners. A quarter does Masterplans not think they will reap the A Masterplan provided advice specific benefit of their investment and to that house, summarised in bespoke yet this is an important recommended packages as “no- motivation to invest in better brainers”, “some consideration”, “green insulation. In all, 68% say they halo” and “green halo + PV”. The would be more likely to insulate ESMs were also ranked by payback if they knew they could recover period. the costs within 5 years However these plans have been received quite negatively by some. An EEW Director therefore conducted structured interviews with 10 residents West Widcombe/ Lower Oldfield who had had Masterplans carried out. Park Here are some criticisms that were reported: The concept of Widcombe as a “village” suggests a community to the  Masterplans contained too east of Wells Road. However much information and they Widcombe ward extends as far to the didn’t have the time to read west of Wells Road as Brougham through the lengthy document. Hayes and beyond we have called this  Confusing with technical area “West Widcombe” vocabulary not being explained. An analysis was made of the housing  Contradicting information e.g. stock by post code. By aggregating on double glazing. the West Widcombe codes, it was found that 64% of the Victorian homes  No baseline measurements in the ward lay in West Widcombe. were taken so it was hard to for The attitude survey clearly the householder to assess the amount of saving the demonstrated the problems improvements would actually experienced by many of the residents make. of Victorian houses: energy inefficient, hard to keep warm, and very draughty,  Some glaring mistakes in the typically occupied by 18 to 34 year report which did little to convince them that the actions olds and tenants. These conclusions recommended were in fact the are of concern – but are not surprising correct ones to make. for those who know the area which is known to include many houses of  Information too generic (looked multiple occupancy, typically by like copied and pasted) students and also younger tenants.  Complicated measures are mentioned but not explained As a result of these factors only one householder had acted on their HEMP recommendations.

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The website continues to play an important part of EEW’s work into 2013.

Promotional material What Was Learned Much promotional material remains. From The Exhibition? Some of this may not be so useful, specifically the T shirts and balloons. In retrospect, too many were ordered.

Home Energy Savings Packs The high quality exhibition boards are currently held by the Council Community Sustainability Officer and The majority of the visitors to the are available to use by community exhibition took away a Home Energy group. The laptop and large TV Savings Pack leaflet. The impression monitor remain available for use by was that the leaflets were very nicely EEW and Widcombe Association, but produced and well received. They in fact they have only been used twice provided quick and easy advice for in the subsequent 12months. householders in the five different types of house.

Large numbers of the leaflets remain unused in storage. There is great potential to use them again in future events – and in other places.

The Website This has had 432 hits during the project and this continues to rise. To view their particular type of house it required residents to enter their email address. This has allowed a database EEW exhibition boards on to be built up with email addresses of display residents who clearly have at least some interest in taking energy saving measures. This will make it far easier to contact them in the future.

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A legacy of energy saving for Widcombe residents to use The website is still available for residents to view and is still receiving hits, which gives residents great advice and regular news items. It is currently being extended and developed. A new mailing list of 96 members (in addition to the old mailing list) allows EEW to keep residents up to date with future projects. The material from the exhibition which can be used in future engagements with the public.

Sandwich board promotion

What Parts Of The Project Were Most Successful?

Overall benefits EEW has definitely highlighted the issue of home energy saving within the Widcombe residents enjoying the local community – even for those who display and promotional material had not directly made contact with the exhibition. EEW sees this as having a cumulative benefit proving useful in years to come with future projects. What Were The Problems? EEW achieved nearly all its deliverables in an effective way within Time Constraints a particularly short time scale. The biggest constraint on the project EEW itself as an organisation has was time. Specifically it caused these been high-lighted and is now relatively problems: well-known in Widcombe.

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 Strained team work. The use was made of that report. One of application had to be in place the EEW directors attended a LEAF before the project team had met review conference in London, but it so reduced agreement on mainly consisted of formal speeches. objectives within the team. The project manager took two different  Difficult to keep to the project approaches to discussing whether the plan, things over-running and project was worth £61K. blocking progress One the one hand, the fundamental  Quality suffered premises underpinning the project were flawed. Georgian, Victorian,  Sometimes companies had to 1930s, 1960s and 1980s houses are be paid more to get the work not unique to Widcombe. There is a done quickly. sea of public information about how to save energy in each of these house  Management on the hoof types – including excellent work done by BANES Council. Empty cavity wall, un-insulated lofts and apathetic One team member reported: residents who are only semi interested  “In projects there are three in energy are standard across the UK. conflicting priorities- time, vs. We didn’t need to reinvent the wheel quality, vs. cost; you can specifically for Widcombe. It would normally only have one at the have cost about £10,000 to use this expense of the other two. In ‘off the shelf’, mail a copy to each this project we had fixed and house and make an exhibition using very tight timeframes, our costs standard material. were slightly inflated due to the On the other hand, given that the tight time frames (e.g. one of funds money could only be spent upon the printers opened on the weekend to meet our “assessments”, that is what EEW deadlines), and our quality of spent it on. There is now an extremely delivery was good to excellent, detailed understanding of the housing given the timeframes we had to stock and residents’ opinions in meet. My opinion is that this Widcombe that forms the foundation of project was dominated by the years of future engagements with the tight timeframes involved and that we did a good job given community. This is the beginning of a this constraint. “ 10 year project for EEW. In one month EEW engaged with 229 visitors to the exhibition and had 432 visits to the Value for money website. Within the scope of the What EEW achieved for £61,000 of tax Local Energy Assessment Fund EEW payers money needs discussion. could be seen to have done a good Whereas the monitoring of the use of job. that money was efficient, it was relatively superficial. EEW was required to provide a written final report that seemed to be a “tick box” style of feedback. It is unclear what

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happy homeowners to take steps to improve the efficiency of their homes.

The messages that are currently most motivating relate to:

Messages For All

The results from the Attitude Survey, explained by Blue Mable, can provide answers to key questions for future energy saving work in Widcombe.  Adding value to the home (72% What will encourage Widcombe agree strongly or slightly) homeowners to take energy saving  Recovering costs within a short measures? (5 yr) timeframe (68% agree strongly or slightly) Research indicates that inertia will be  Desire to reducing carbon the biggest challenge for EEW. High footprint (77% agree strongly or proportions of residents are happy with slightly) the energy efficiency of their houses, The communications messages will and happy to take simple actions like need to substantiate any of these wrapping up warm in a cold snap (53% claims if they are to be motivating and very likely to take this approach) in prompt positive action. contrast to the small minority (6%) who What are the messages for are very likely to make plans to policymakers at a national and local insulate in a cold snap. The research level? indicates that rather than knowing they could insulate their homes more By revealing the high levels of effectively if it were not for a series of satisfaction with the status quo, this barriers, home owners are not research indicates that the majority of particularly aware of their need, and homeowners do not perceive the hence do not see the barriers! importance of insulating their homes: 67% are happy with the way their First and foremost, communications home is; 71% are very or fairly unlikely need to illustrate to homeowners that to make plans to insulate. they could (or should) be doing more to insulate their homes. To do this, Additionally, the research indicates EEW will need to convey that many that the energy efficiency of homes in homes are under-insulated and that the rental sector is less good than in there is a tangible benefit for otherwise the private sector which has

17 Warmer Widcombe – What have we Learned, One Year On? implications for influencing landlords to the data to demonstrate to landlords act. that tenants are more likely to describe their homes as draughty and We know that Widcombe has insufficiently insulated; and therefore particular issues with excess deaths of to appeal to their duty of care to the elderly in the winter months and tenants. It may however be more effective for EEW to equip tenants with yet the older (+65) residents in the positive arguments for improving sample are more likely on average to insulation that they can take up with rate their homes as energy efficient their landlords directly. and less likely to say they use additional heating to combat cold weather. It is difficult to draw firm conclusions from the data but this would indicate that the elderly are suffering in silence – unwilling to accept that they could make their homes warmer, and unwilling to incur the expense of additional heating.

What are the messages for Specific Messages landlords?

The survey did not include the views of What can DECC do differently? landlords, but it does reveal the 1. Time. DECC can consider attitudes of tenants who make up 36% giving community groups much on the sample – and this group are more time to prepare their experiencing the negative effects of proposals and to carry them under-insulated houses to a greater out. If they want the Green degree than homeowners. Deal to be taken seriously, then these projects need more Whilst the majority of residents are planning than has been willing to take simple actions to combat experienced by EEW. cold weather, such as putting on an extra jumper and making-do, it is likely 2. The Green Deal. The delays to that landlords are not under particular the implementation of the Green pressure from their tenants to improve Deal are seriously reducing the the insulation and energy efficiency of enthusiasm of Widcombe their properties. residents to participate. It is not yet clear why the Green Deal In terms of communications appears to have had such a messaging, EEW can appeal to protracted and difficult landlords as homeowners who have gestation. Although the Green the potential to add to the value of their Deal was finally launched on 28 home by improving its insulation January 2013, it was not fully (again, as long as this can be functional even at that stage substantiated). Additionally, EEW has with no Green Deal Providers in

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place. Might an assumption be 1. Attitudes. BANES Council can made that there are political or use the information summarised business barriers from the above in the “General” section. energy suppliers? 2. Planning consent. One 3. Working through local concern that came up regularly communities. There was an among residents attending the understanding that the Green exhibition was the difficulty in Deal would be best established obtaining planning permission through local community action. for ESMs. This is backed by the This certainly seems a data from the attitude survey. If reasonable approach. However this process wasn’t so long the experience of EEW was that winded and expensive, a lot the local actions i.e. more people would make assessments, had already been improvements. proscribed by central government. DECC will be more aware than most of the research into how communities might change attitudes and be motivated to introduce ESMs (e.g. https://www.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attach ment_data/file/73107/Key_findin gs_wave_4.pdf http://www.publications.parliam ent.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/c menvaud/505/505vw18.htm What should EEW do differently? and: http://causeaction.co.uk/wp- 1. Community groups typically content/uploads/2012/07/Energ involve volunteers. However y-Efficiency-Behaviour-Change- managing volunteers can Planning-Checklist.pdf). sometimes be problematic. For Community groups might future projects, the roles and increase their effectiveness if responsibilities within the they are allowed to be more Project Team itself need to creative. have been defined at the proposal stage – with crystal 4. Attitudes. DECC could fund clarity. further research into householder attitudes and 2. Future EEW activity should be behaviour and incorporate informed by the attitude survey lessons into programmes like and concentrate on what the Green Deal. might be of most interest to residents.

3. West Widcombe needs What can the council do differently? particular attention. It is the neighbourhood with the most

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energy inefficient houses with residents suffering from cold.

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